CEIT 530


Course Name: Computers As Cognitive Tools (3-0)3


Course Code: CEIT 530


Course objectives are to explain critical, creative, and complex thinking skills, to provide theoretical bases of cognitive tools, to describe the main intellectual reason for using computers as cognitive tools, to provide background information on how to implement cognitive tools, and how to assess learning outcomes from cognitive tools. This course underlines alternative ways of using computers in education to engage students in critical thinking, problem solving and higher order thinking. A rationale for using computers as cognitive tools, and conceptual foundations are highlighted. The course examines the major cognitive tools including databases, spreadsheets, semantic networking tools, expert systems, computer-mediated communication, and multimedia and hypermedia, and the way they are used as cognitive tools. The course also provides the necessary background in challenges to implementing cognitive tools in classrooms, new roles for educators and administrators, and different types of assessments. At the end of the course, the learners will be able to underline critical, creative, and complex thinking skills, discuss how to promote critical thinking through computers, distinguish basic advantages and limitations of different types of cognitive tools, and create learning activities that require use of computers as cognitive tools