‘Frameworks’ in 1000 Words + 8 Pictures 01Jul22

‘Frameworks’ is a thinking tool: a way, a methodology, and a mechanism, for modelling thinking and understanding, and for the visualisation of thinking in the form of simple graphical models.

‘Frameworks’ is problem-led and addresses the needs identified for ordinary people and with a focus on children – as they are confronted with information chaos, information anarchy, disinformation, and opinion masquerading as truth.  A wealth of stuff including structured stuff which is created by others and really flawed. 

My guiding principle has been People First! Gadgets Subsidiary!  The development of Human Intelligence & Intellect, Human Learning & Thinking and strategies for dealing with change and disruption.

“It is crucial that each of us takes the responsibility for verifying the information we encounter, testing it and evaluating it – this is the skill we must teach the next generation of the citizens of the world, the capability to think clearly, completely, critically and creatively”.

“The Organised Mind; Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload ’Daniel Levitin, Penguin Books 2015

We are swamped and overwhelmed in the Digital World; effectively gadget-led and consumers of digital stuff, becoming targets, becoming corralled and trapped in bubbles of belief and opinion.  So many of us demanding instant gratification, entertainment, the best deals, satisfied with headlines.  Many of us are frustrated and alienated by big software and the wealth of sophisticated tools enjoyed by tech-savvy professionals; wanting and needing to engage in the world of informatics with the simplest of tools

There is a need for structured thinking, strategies for thinking straight and for clarity, and strategies for reducing scale and complexity and for the organisation and communication of key information.

There is a need: for the next generation of children to be educated about “the digital world of big information” (beyond skills and engagement with gadgets like smartphones and tablets); educated about “information”, “informatics”, and communication; educated about capabilities and skills in structured thinking, and through simple entry-level analysis, the ability to reduce scale and complexity to manageable proportions, and for the visualisation and sharing of ‘big pictures’- high-level views capturing the essence – models as interfaces to thinking.

‘Frameworks’ addresses the problem and provides a way to address the need.

‘Frameworks’ is a thinking tool.  Simple, minimal and easy to use.  It provides for structured thinking and for the modelling of thinking through a simple step-by-step process for the construction of meaningful information models.  From things to associations and contexts.

The greater context for ‘Frameworks’ is representation, communication and sharing of thinking and understanding, views and perspectives.

‘Frameworks’ is based on a simple theory of information and information modelling.  It is an elegantly simple methodology for the construction of simple graphical models – which are framed and constrained – around a simple object-oriented spinal model of Focus and Context, and Instance, where Context is the determinant of meaning. 

‘Frameworks’: a Prototype for Modelling and Understanding Complexity.  Following simple analysis, structural decomposition, discerning and naming of entities, categorisation, it enables the construction of simple graphical models as graphical trees made up of nodes and links of association.  These Models as browsers for communication and sharing; models as interfaces to thinking and understanding.

On paper – it is as easy as sketching ideas on the back of an envelope, on a napkin, in a notebook.  As a computer-based, web-based, mechanism – it is small, simple, easy to use with a minimal learning curve, and it provides a simple metamodel for a framed and constrained step-by-step construction of models of thinking and understanding in the form of simple graphical depictions.

Ideas around ‘Frameworks’ originate in the pioneering work of such as Engelbart, Kay, Piaget, Papert, Bruner and Shneiderman – the counter-culture “personal computing” of the 1970s and computing machines organised into networks for the development of the human intellect – constructivism and constructionism in learning – the object-oriented paradigm – and the graphical user interface enabling direct manipulation of objects by “users”.

My work is concerned with object-oriented information modelling – building working prototypes of ideas, theories and designs for what people call ‘Tools”.  Tools for information modelling.  Tools which are simple, easy-to-use, and useful.  Tools which are essentially visual.  Interactive, creative, enjoyable, stimulating, fun.  Positively cognitively stimulating.  Promoting and providing for structured thinking; for clarity in simple visualisation; a good and evolving understanding, and good communication.

‘Frameworks’ has been discussed and reviewed by a creative thinkers and practitioners in a variety of domains including neuroscience, communication, computing science, education, design and psychotherapy.

For example, some of the feedback:

“I am very interested to see how you pull together all of these cogent ideas in Frameworks. I think you may be on to something here. I’d like to encourage you to pursue it.

I get it – the premise of ‘Frameworks’ is that there are simple yet effective and powerful ways to communicate.

‘Frameworks’ is elegantly simple.  Employing simple graphical modelling, among the multitude of graphical depictions in computing science, ‘Frameworks’ is concerned with the “what” rather than the “how”.

Children need to understand complexity as soon as possible and ‘Frameworks’ provides a way and a mechanism to achieve this.  Children in a class and in groups working with teachers.  Children becoming aware and thinking about complexity in a world where scale and complexity in systems and domains must be reduced to manageable proportions and to hit the ground running with literacies in the domains of information and informatics, and capabilities and skills in simple analysis, modelling, communication and sharing.  A good place to start: a simple methodology for modelling thinking with pen and paper.  Followed by the employment of a simple tool – and interactive online internet experience – for the construction, elaboration and evolution of simple graphical information models.

In the design domain, ‘Frameworks’ provides for the articulation of ideas within a bounded and constrained space; for the collaborative evolution of ideas helping to define the focus and then the context of an exercise; as a visual and spatial method, ‘Frameworks’ brings a different perspective to design, and could be used alongside other methodologies such as Design Thinking or Systems Thinking. 

The ‘Frameworks’ Project aims to situate ‘Frameworks’ in the Age of Big Information – beyond Big Data – and to enable ordinary people to become engaged in the simple creative computing: the creation by individuals of models of their thinking.

The ‘Frameworks’ Project aims to disseminate the methodology by representing it and debating it with creative thinkers and practitioners in a variety of domains, including education, mentoring, psychoanalysis and design.  Working with professionals and students in various collaborations, I aim to situate ‘Frameworks’ in test beds in order to secure evidence and traction for its continuing evolution.  The technical view of “users” is replaced with the ‘Frameworks’ view of ‘Thinkers becoming Modellers’.

‘Frameworks’ in 8 Images

Image ONE: Dissemination 

The Book and the Button
The Book is a Primer and Manual for – in the first instance – the Target: Teachers and Children.  Setting out the premise, the thesis, and the methodology.

BOOK COVER HERE

‘Frameworks’ is a Thinking Tool; a way for structured thinking.

Conventionally, IT “allows .. users to…”.  In contrast to this technical, gadget-first view, ‘Frameworks’ is essentially thinking-led – people first, gadgets subsidiary.  Both a methodology and a tool, ‘Frameworks’ enables Thinker Modellers.

IMPFW IMAGE G

This ‘Frameworks’ Prototype is ‘IMPFW’, 1999.  It was based on previous information. modelling prototypes.  The aim was to provide the individual with a simple automated construction experience and a quick and simple process: the information model based on elaboration around a simple graphical object-oriented metamodel (focus and context, and instance).

‘Frameworks’ has evolved from earlier prototypes to be (to remain) simple: simple to comprehend and simple to apprehend.  Simple to understand, simple to pick up and use.  ‘Frameworks’ is thinking tool.  It is simple and small. The idea is to teach children about “complexity”.   To facilitate learning about strategies for dealing with complexity, how to reduce complexity to simpler manageable levels.   In learning about complexity and learning about strategies and ways for reducing complexity, children will be exercising structured thinking and better thinking, and the visual modelling and communication of thinking.  

This ‘Frameworks’ Prototype is ‘IMPFW’, 1999.  It was based on previous information. modelling prototypes.  The aim was to provide the individual with a simple automated construction experience and a quick and simple process: the information model based on elaboration around a simple graphical object-oriented metamodel (focus and context, and instance).

‘Frameworks’ has evolved from earlier prototypes to be (to remain) simple: simple to comprehend and simple to apprehend.  Simple to understand, simple to pick up and use.  ‘Frameworks’ is thinking tool.  It is simple and small. The idea is to teach children about “complexity”.   To facilitate learning about strategies for dealing with complexity, how to reduce complexity to simpler manageable levels.   In learning about complexity and learning about strategies and ways for reducing complexity, children will be exercising structured thinking and better thinking, and the visual modelling and communication of thinking.  

Image FOUR: ‘Frameworks’ Methodology

Metaphor – Canvas and Palette

Image FIVE: ‘Frameworks’ Meta Model

For the construction of models of thinking – framed – around a simple core spinal model.  The integral Stuff Box the bridge, the sandbox.  Elaboration constrained to manageable proportions: novices 3 X 3 Objects X 5 Levels.

Image SIX: ‘Frameworks, Framed & Constrained Modelling

The computer-based ‘Frameworks’ Second Working Prototype provides the Thinker Modeller with an “Intelligent Frame” – Frame, Thinking Space, Integral Stuff Box and Elaborate (option), and the Core Spinal Model.  The Novice Tool provides Elaboration -further to Focus and Context – constrained up to a nominal 35 Objects in a nominal 7 x 5 Grid.

Image SEVEN: ‘Frameworks’, A Tool and an Interactive Tutorial (Interactive Step by Step Methodology)

Information Modelling, the modelling of thinking: Framed and Constrained.  The ‘Frameworks’ Meta Model: Frame with integrated Stuff Box and Elaboration (option); the Thinking & Modelling Space; the Core Spinal Model. 

The Thinker engages with ‘Frameworks’ (with the “Intelligent Frame”) and the interactive process of construction of information modelling construction

Modelling is constrained for the Novice to 5 Levels of Hierarchy: Focus and Context, and up to 3 additional Levels, with the Rule of Three: up to 3 Objects (Nodes) at Level 3 (Instances, varieties, subtypes, subclasses) – decomposing into increasing granularity – at Level 4 (varieties, sub-subtypes, sub-subclasses), at Level 5 (varieties, sub-sub- subtypes, sub-sub-subclasses)

each Node decomposing to up to 3 Objects each Node decomposing to up to 3 Objects, at Level 4 each Node decomposing to up to 3 Objects (41 Objects, including Focus and Context – with further Elaboration in a nominal grid 5 x 3 and up to 35 Objects.

The simple object-oriented Core Spinal Model requires the Thinker Modeller to realise and name ‘Context’ – where Context is the determinant of meaning.  In constructing a model of their thinking, the Thinker may have an Entity in mind – which they Name and then ‘Frameworks’ requires the Thinker to realise and to Name the Context.  One Focus – one model; a given Focus may have a number of Contexts – which may give rise to a number of Models.

Image EIGHT: ‘Frameworks’ First Prototype Evolving to Second Prototype

From First, Working, Prototype (‘JavaNED”) employed to develop, evolve and depict the Design for Second Prototype ‘Frameworks’ “Intelligent Frame”.  The realisation of the Theoretical to the Tangible (and testable, to secure evidence).  The ‘Frameworks’ Meta Model: Frame (with integral Stuff Box and Elaborate option), Thinking Space & Modelling Space, and Core Spinal Model Active.  The ‘Frameworks’’ Methodology: Framed & Constrained – the Interactive Step-by-Step construction of models of thinking and understanding.