New Media Technologies and Information Processing Theory—George A. Miller and Others

In the early 1950s, researchers started to become dissatisfied with the behaviorists’ explanations of learning. The emergence of the information processing theory, which equates human cognition to computer processing, emerged as the fundamental learning process model for cognitive scientists. The information processing theory demonstrates that the manner in which educators present information to students has an effect on whether long-term learning is achievable (Gurbin, 2015, p. 2337). Today, there is an overabundance of new information and access to this information through the Internet. The role that new media technologies have played and should play within the classroom is under debate. In this chapter, we will offer an overview of the information processing theory, as well as outline how new media technologies and content fit into our modern society. We will then examine the advantages and disadvantages of implementing new media technologies into science teaching, and learning processes. As a concluding argument, we suggest that understanding the participatory nature of new media technologies, as well as their individual learning functionalities, is crucial to their successful implementation in the classroom. With this in mind, we provide specific examples of how science educators can integrate new media technologies and content into their class design to promote long-term learning.