Object based learning inherently brings a sense of familiarity to a subject. Whether the item is an everyday item or something foreign, there is a sense of familiarity tactile objects bring
“In recognition there is a beginning of an act of perception…Perception replaces bare recognition. There is an act of reconstructive doing, and consciousness becomes fresh and alive”
Dewey, J. (1934) Art as Experience
During a peer observation, I witnessed how familiarity can be impactful even without an object. The session was based on concept mapping, a topic most of the students and I had never come across. The tutor began by covering mind maps; something most students would have come across from as early as secondary school. The tutor then went on to explore concept maps and how they differed from the latter.
If introduced independently the topic of concept maps could have been harder for some to comprehend. The comparison between the two created a familiar space to bounce off from. Even without the physical item, the students were able to use the recognised practice and mental image of a mind map to create links between the old and new.
So how can this be replicated in digital learning environments?
All of this actually makes our job of developing digital literacies more
Belshaw, D. (2014) The essential elements of digital literacies
difficult. When X is actually different to Y, but is made to seem somehow
similar, then problems arise. Instead of attempting to understand the
ways in which Y is different to X, individuals will often become frustrated
In ‘The Essential Elements of Digital Literacies’, Belshaw makes the case that attempting to highlight similarities between digital and analogue practices actually causes more frustration, as “They will assume that Y ‘should behave’ like X, not understanding that it is qualitatively different.” He instead makes the claim that pointing out differences in digital can be more beneficial. Focusing on that which cannot be achieved manually, rather than looking for similarities.
Although this takes a sharp turn from the initial idea of familiarity, I am interested in exploring how associations, whether familiar or unfamiliar, play into teaching digital technologies.
More thoughts on this topic can be found on the post Familiarity