The impact of mobile learning on cognitive learning

Cognitive learning is a function based on how a person processes and reasons information. It revolves around many factors, including problem-solving skills, memory retention, thinking skills and the perception of learned material.

In 1980s, a cognitive theory called Dual Process Theory emerged from the work of the American psychologist William James (1842–1910). According to this theory that has been developed and elaborated over time, two qualitatively different mechanisms of information processing operate in forming judgements, solving problems, or making decisions, the first being a quick and easy processing mode based on effort-conserving heuristics, and the second being a slow and more difficult rule-based processing mode based on effort-consuming systematic reasoning. The first type of process is often unconscious and tends to involve automatic processing, whereas the second is invariably conscious and usually involves controlled processing, and in some domains of application, the first is affective and the second cognitive.

I argue that mobile learning is affecting cognitive learning. Both type of cognitive styles described in the Dual Process Theory is impacted by a high usage of mobile devices.

Because thinking is so taxing for humans, researchers have coined us “cognitive misers”, meaning that we are stingy when it comes to spending effort on thinking.

“I will ask Google.” How many times has this been the answer to a simple question that you are stumped by? With mobile devices and access to information we no longer need to use our brain to remember facts, places or any answer to a simple question. Actually, why would we want to use our energy-guzzling brains when something else can do it for us?

Research shows that high mobile device use is linked to the reluctance to spend energy on thinking. Because we are “cognitive misers” we are unwilling to invest the cognitive energy to solve the problem by simply thinking about it. In general, to solve problems we apply the two types of cognition describe in the Dual Process Theory. Depending on the domain of application, to solve a problem, we usually first go through an implicit and autonomous thinking process (Type 1) then an explicit and deliberate thinking process. Our tendency to eschew effortful cognition leads us to usually externalise cognition when the answer we get from Type 1 overrides the one we get from Type 2.

Therefore, by offloading thinking tasks to our mobile devices, we use our mobile devices and the Internet as an extension of our mind. How does this affect our cognitive learning?

First, regardless of whether one uses mobile devices for learning or not, we are all “cognitive misers” to some level. So, because mobile devices and the Internet provide an alternative to store and retrieve information, we tend to offload to mobile devices the tasks that require intuitive heuristic thinking or even no thinking. One potential consequence of doing so is the general disinclination and/or inability to engage analytical thinking, that is Type 2 cognitive style in the Dual Process Theory.

Second, because our brain adheres to a ‘use it or lose it’ policy, without regular practice of storing and retrieving facts, our ability to do so risks being diminished. And the types of simple information that can be accessed on the Internet from our mobile devices are essential elements of deeper cognition — the process of joining up dots. In other words, if we use mobile devices to supply the dots in the first place, then our ability to make new connections—to convert information to knowledge—may also be in jeopardy.

Lastly, offloading cognitive intuitive tasks to mobile devices challenges the standard model of memory consolidation. The hippocampus is the place for short-term memory while the cortex is home to long-term memory. “The hippocampus can form active memories very quickly, while the cortex takes care of long-term stability, long-term memories,” explains Prof. Susumu Tonegawa, researcher at MIT. The circuit of both short-term and long-term memories are engaged together at the same time, usually initiated by analytical thinking. That said, if we consistently offload analytical thinking to mobile devices then our long-term memory will decline.

In the face of increasing accessibility to increasingly powerful mobile devices, it is important to consider the psychological change that mobile devices bring into our cognitive learning habits. While planning for mobile learning concepts, theories and frameworks should consider these changes in human cognition.