24.4 Overview of the chapter

In the remainder of this chapter, we describe the use of different cognitive tools for engaging learners in critical thinking, knowledge representation, and problem solving. We begin with computer programming languages as cognitive tools because these languages, especially Logo, were among the earliest applications of the "cognitive tools" perspective and because more research has been done with programming languages than with other types of cognitive tools. We then describe research conducted with hypermedia/multimedia authoring systems, semantic networking, and expert systems, three cognitive tools that have attracted much attention in recent years. Lastly, we review the limited research conducted with databases and spreadsheets, popular software applications that, although creative teachers have adopted them as cognitive tools for years, have been the focus of relatively little research.