Re: Hands-on, Minds-on

Francoise Herrmann (fherrmann who-is-at igc.apc.org)
Sat, 30 Sep 1995 16:04:03 -0700

> Hi Francoise,
>
> Thank you for your nice explanation of your museum.
>
>
> Of course, I would like to get the paper. Could you send the
paper
> by e-mail?
>
>
> I appreciate the concept of hands-on/minds-on.
> But I think it is also important to assist the user after
> the dissonace. The disappointing phenomenan around the exhibit
> was related with a lack of the supportive system.
> A good supportive system can extend the zone of proximal
development.
> I often observe the exhibit is designed for a big surprize but
the surprizing
> behaviour can not always trigger a cognitive dissonance.
>
> Would you tell the designed way of your mesum about
transfomation
> from a surprize to a dissnonance and an activity change?
What kinds
> of social tool can help the user to change their activity and
cognition?
> These tie with relationship between an experience and
understanding.
>
> Thanks for your collaboration.
>
> Hiroaki Ishiguro

Hi Hiroaki, You are welcome. I can mail you a copy of the
Hands-on/Minds-on paper via the US postal service as I only have
it in hardcopy and gladly so. I have not observed activity at the
Exploratorium to see the details of how toggling the design of an
exhibit brings about different activity around the exhibits,
though what you explain makes a lot of sense to me. I think
though that in the hands-on/minds-on model surprise is seen as
cognitive dissonance by definition (with this realized as
questioning behavior). That is, surprise in this frame always
creates some form of dissonance ( as realized in language use.).
As for the description of transformation from surprise to
dissonance to a change in activity, I can only think that all of
this is mediated in language use, the tool that is both avenue for
observation and through which these changes occur.
Transformation, however, in my view invokes the interaction of two
elements each of which is no longer the same when taken separately
after the interaction. Experience and understanding, are of course
two such elements.

Thank you for your message too.

Francoise Francoise Herrmann fherrmann who-is-at igc.org