LSRI: Adaptive cognition: How do we exploit images as a learning resource in modern technologies?

Mark Lansdale
University of Leicester

The argument can be made that, in the recent past, the use of images as communication and learning tools has been eclipsed by text. Recent developments in ICT have now redressed that balance and the growth of available visual information in fields as diverse as medicine, archaeology, fashion, and the media generally, is plain to see. How we adapt to this growth, and exploit it, is however unclear, and a symptom of this is clear evidence that image databases are ineffective and can be hard to use. In this talk I argue that one approach to take is to examine the natural ecology of tasks using images from where we can identify cognitive competences and opportunities for exploitation. From the applied side, we can use this approach to infer ways in which learning through visual media can be supported, and on the theoretical side it identifies areas of cognitive theory we need to explore further to make this possible.

This seminar will take place in Room 35a, Flexible Learning Room, LSRI, The Exchange, Jubilee Campus