Computer Interfaces Can Stimulate or Undermine Students’ Ability to Think

Computer input capabilities, such as a keyboard or pen, substantially influence basic cognitive abilities, including our ability to produce appropriate ideas, solve problems correctly, and make accurate inferences about information. Compared with keyboard interfaces, computer input tools that can be used to express information involving different representations, modalities, and linguistic codes—or expressively powerful interfaces—can directly stimulate human thought and performance. This chapter summarizes how and why the quality of a computer interface matters. It also discusses implications for establishing a new generation of digital tools that are far better at supporting thinking and reasoning, with special implications for designing more effective educational technologies.