Three-layer mental model in technology-enhanced teaching environment

Abstract

A critical issue for helping teachers successfully implement technology-enhanced learning through a constructivist approach is to understand how their mental models function in such an environment. The purpose of this paper is to introduce and demonstrate a three-layer mental model, which is particularly suitable to delineate the interactive nature among beliefs, rules and contexts surrounding mental models that will facilitate description of teachers' mental models in technology-enhanced environments. By means of an internal presentation of multiple factors, this new structure will provide a whole and detailed view of how teachers¡¯ mental models are involved when they navigate the technology-facilitated teaching process.