John Anderson sits in his lab scrutinizing test results. Something isn't adding up. Many students using computer tutorials he developed are learning geometry and algebra more quickly than those not-in some cases up to four times more quickly. That sounds like good news, but the problem is that the tutorials were meant to reveal flaws with the theory on cognitive architecture developed by the Carnegie Mellon professor, along with Carnegie Mellon legends Allen Newell and Herb Simon. The tutorial identified some flaws, but those findings were dwarfed by the tutorial's effectiveness for students.
This unexpected discovery in the early 1980s influenced the trajectory of Anderson's research on the overall organization of human thought. Anderson spent the next 10 years "maturing" the computer tutors until they were effective enough for the university to launch Carnegie Learning, Inc., whose curriculum is now used by schools throughout the United States.
Although Carnegie Learning bridged the gap between theoretical research and practical application, Anderson continues to explore why the students learn more quickly using the tutorials. "Now we're focused on tracking students' mental states as they're solving problems, essentially tracking their brain activity and making inferences about where they are in particular problems and how they're solving them," says the Richard King Mellon Professor of Psychology and Computer Science.
His research on cognitive architecture and how we learn hasn't gone unnoticed. Recently, he was awarded the Franklin Institute's 2011 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Computer and Cognitive Science. The institute's medal list includes Marie Curie, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein among previous recipients.
-Kevin O'Connell
