‘Frameworks’ is a prototype thinking tool: an elegantly simple methodology for structured thinking, a mechanism for reducing scale and complexity in domains and systems, and for the modelling and visualisation of thinking and understanding in the form of simple graphical high-level models.
Through simple analysis, structural decomposition and the discerning, naming and categorisation of things, it provides a simple object-oriented Meta Model for the elaboration of structural models as graphical trees made up of nodes and links of association: simple graphical depictions around an object-oriented spinal model of Focus and Context, and Instance, where Context is the determinant of meaning. High-level meaningful models, through simple analysis, reduced to the fewest key elements – serving as organisers, as browsers, as interfaces to thinking and understanding and for communication and sharing.
On paper – exercising ‘Frameworks’ is as easy as sketching ideas on the back of an envelope, on a napkin, in a notebook. As an active and interactive computer-based, web-based, tool – it is small, simple, minimal, and easy to use tool with a minimal learning curve.
‘Frameworks’ is problem-led and addresses the needs identified for ordinary people – for agency in personal creative computing – and with a focus on children – as they are confronted with information chaos, information anarchy, disinformation, and opinion masquerading as truth.
We are swamped and overwhelmed in the Digital World; effectively gadget-led and consumers of digital stuff, becoming targets, 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.
“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
‘Frameworks’ addresses the need for structured, independent, thinking – strategies for thinking straight and for clarity, and strategies for reducing scale and complexity and for the organisation and communication of key information.
Children need to understand complexity as soon as possible and ‘Frameworks’ provides a way and a mechanism to achieve this. The next generation of children need to be educated about “the 21st Century digital world of big information” – beyond skills and engagement with gadgets like smartphones and tablets; educated about “information”, “informatics”, about thinking and communication; hitting the ground running with capabilities and skills in structured thinking, and to visualise, communicate and share ‘big pictures’- high-level views capturing the essence – models as interfaces to their thinking.
Children in a class and in groups working with teachers. A good place to start. Independent thinking, working in small teams, discussing their thinking and understanding, reaching consensus and evolving better models.