Western Oregon University November 12, 2009 by Robert E. Mahoney Alternative Cognitive Devices and the Lack of Development of Higher Order Thinking Skills Developmentally Appropriate Technology Acquisition

Background High School Students unable to perform simple tasks Excessive misuse of homophones MathVerbal There, They’re, and Their You’re and Your Even non-homophones such as Then and Than

Reports from Others Decline in SAT scores Is Google Making Us Stupid ? Employers noting lack of skills –United States (Cocodia, et al, 2003) –Britain (Phillips, 2007) 35% of college teachers note lack of readiness (Bauerlein, 2008) Indicators of Decline in Achievement

Government Documents Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literacy Reading in America (Bradshaw & Nichols, 2004) National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Indicators of Decline in Achievement

Out with the Old, In with the New? Educational Testing Service –Information & Communications Technology Skills test The New Standard

Question arises What is so different in the last 20 years? What is happening? Alternative Cognitive Devices

The user “outsources” the cognitive task –Calculators –Spell-Check –Predictive Spelling Alternative Cognitive Devices

Analysis of the Effects of Alternative Cognitive Devices Flynn Effect Technology & Cognition Phenotypic/Genotypic Intelligence Declines in Measures of Intelligence Temporal Comparison

Flynn Effect Phenotypic and Genotypic Intelligence Technology & Cognition

Flynn Effect James R. Flynn Rise in intelligence test scores over time Requires re-norming Flynn Effect

Gains in IQ Ancestor Paradox

Flynn Effect Ancestor Paradox Ancestor’s IQ Functioned in society Societal Change –From Concrete to Abstract IQ

Flynn Effect Gains in IQ 3 Percentage points per decade (average) Occurred until 1990s when it stopped or reversed in many developed countries (Teasdale & Owen, 2005) Why?

Types of Intelligence Greatest gains on fluid intelligence –Inherent reasoning Crystallized intelligence –What you have learned –Gains not as great Flynn Effect

Why are any Changes Significant? Education Legal System –Executions (Kanaya, et al, 2003) –Walker vs. True Social Security Mentally Impaired Classification per 1000 students, (Flynn) Post Re-normPre Re-norm

Flynn Effect Commonly Cited Reasons for the Flynn Effect Genetics insufficient to account for change Change in Body size/Brain size (Storfer,1999) More liberal attitude (Brand, 1987) Nutrition Technological changes

Technology & Cognition Historically linked –Switch from oral to written Negative and positive consequences Rewriting neural networks (Small, 2008)

Declarative vs. Procedural Knowledge What if one lacks the neural network? What if one lacks the declarative knowledge? Procedural knowledge specifies how to bring declarative knowledge to bear in problem solving (Anderson, 1997) Over-reliance on the technology Technology & Cognition

Declarative vs. Procedural Knowledge x x + 28 Technology & Cognition · 4 (x + 7) (x + 4)

Genotypic vs. Phenotypic Intelligence Genotypic Intelligence –Attributable to genetic causes Intelligence – Genes & Environment Phenotypic Intelligence –That which is exhibited Genetics and the overlay of environmental factors

Genotypic vs. Phenotypic Intelligence Genotypic Intelligence Decline –Based upon birth rate differential Caused by a societal imbalance –Lack of equal access to contraceptives and reproductive choices Fertility Rate (Number of Children per Family) Intelligence – Genes & Environment

Genotypic vs. Phenotypic Intelligence Genotypic Intelligence Phenotypic Intelligence caused by the overlay of environmental factors raises IQ Flynn Effect Environmental factors no longer contribute to IQ gains Intelligence – Genes & Environment

Reversal of the Flynn Effect Are we at the juncture wherein technology now interferes as an environmental factor thereby reducing measures of intelligence, knowledge, and learning? Reversal of the Flynn Effect

Denmark (Teasdale & Owen, 2005) Norway (Sundet, et al, 2004) Sweden (Emmanuelsson, et al, 1993) Britain (Ginsburg & Coe, 2007; Shayer, 2008) Australia (Cotton, 2005) Not reversing in developing countries Reversal of the Flynn Effect

Reversal of the Flynn Effect United States SAT Scores Decline in Textbook Difficulty (Hayes, et al., 1996) National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Reversal of the Flynn Effect

NAEP Math Scores, 17-year-olds Note the lack of significant progress since 1992 Reversal of the Flynn Effect

Not Allowed Calculators (Percent Correct) Allowed Calculators (Percent Correct) Division Multiplication Subtraction Addition MATH SKILL NAEP 1999 Math Test Data Division Multiplication Subtraction Addition MATH SKILL Allowed Calculators (Percent Correct) Not Allowed Calculators (Percent Correct) Reversal of the Flynn Effect

What Conclusion? It is erroneous to conclude that calculators are beneficial to understanding math Students only show the computational proficiency with an assistive device Reversal of the Flynn Effect

Conclusion Alternative Cognitive Devices are likely significant environmental factors in the reduction of measures of intelligence, knowledge, and learning

Change in Rate of Flynn Effect Alternative Cognitive Devices Reduce Declarative Knowledge Reduce Procedural Knowledge Reduce Higher Order Thinking Skills Reduce Phenotypic Intelligence Reduce Measures of IQ, Knowledge and Learning Genotypic Intelligence Proposed Mechanism

Limitations Research limited by lack of matching dates for test data vs. census data –Lack of correlation coefficient –Need for additional data in this area Universal Presence of Alternative Cognitive Devices –In developed countries –Limits controlled studies

Additional Research The need for additional research in this area exists –Societal significance Likely source for additional research would be developing countries –Alternative Cognitive Devices not as prevalent

“Skill obtained apart from the thinking is not connected with any sense of the purposes for which it is to be used.” ~John Dewey, Year Old Observation

Discussion Do you believe that technology is resulting in a reduction of higher order thinking skills? Open Discussion

Developmentally Appropriate Technology Acquisition Is this concept key to incorporating technology into education? Open Discussion