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How Is Internal And External Representations?

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Internal and external representations are part of the process involve in learning. However, the process of turning these representations into knowledge is nebulous. How is an internal representation turned into knowledge? What are the mental processes that are involved in attaching a meaning to a picture, a map, a graph? How are internal representations transformed to external representation and turned into knowledge? We are going to examine the relationship between internal and external representation and also how it affects learner and learning.

Representations is an idea used in many different areas. Hence, the ambiguous meaning for representations. In cognitive science, the word ‘representations” mean
1. Cognitive content in mental state (for example, imagination)
2. Mental state which refer to earlier mental states (for example, memory)
3. Structured presentation (for examples, pictures, signs, or symbols)
4. A replacement of something.

When we talk about internal representations, we are talking about a theoretical internal cognitive symbol that symbolize external phenomenon. It is held in the learner’s mind. In cognitive science, internal representation is also known as the mental representation as it is part of our private …show more content…

The problem became difficult to understand when all the rules were giver internally. There are few external representations properties mentioned by Zhang. Firstly, external representations provider external memory aids. For example, the use of diagrams. Secondly, external representations also provide information which can be directly used without being formulated in details. Besides that, external representations also able to scaffold and structure cognitive behavior. Lastly, external representations change the nature of a

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