1240 Words Summary
‘Frameworks’ is a thinking tool: a methodology for structured and independent thinking, and a simple tool for modelling and visualising thinking and understanding in the form of simple graphical models. ‘Frameworks’ is a prototype for the ‘Age of Big Information’ besides and beyond ‘Big Data’. It is the latest in an evolutionary series of information modelling tools developed in a programme of user-centred R&D conducted in the 1980s and 1990s.
The ‘Frameworks’ Project aims to situate ‘Frameworks’ in the educational domain and, in the first instance, in primary and foundational education. The project involves prototyping, testing and evaluating the tool – “The Intelligent Frame”- its usability and its usefulness – enabling ordinary people and children to become engaged in simple creative computing providing for the creation of models of their independent thinking. The project aims to disseminate the methodology and the tool by representing it and debating it with creative thinkers and practitioners. Working with professionals, teachers and students in various collaborations, I aim to situate ‘Frameworks’ in test beds in order to secure evidence and traction for its usefulness and continuing evolution.
My guiding principles have been Visual, Graphical, Schematic and Simple: graphical schemata reducing scale and complexity to comprehensible proportions; simple graphical interfaces with fewest buttons; browsable information models, with hyperlinking and for discovery. My focus has been on people-centred computing, thinking-centred computing, and discovery learning-centred computing. My aim has been to promote the development of human intelligence and intellect, human learning and thinking, and strategies for dealing with scale and complexity, change and disruption. “People First! Gadgets Subsidiary!” is a guiding principle.
My work has been concerned with object-oriented information modelling – employing the object-oriented paradigm and pure object-oriented languages to build 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; tools which are interactive, which enable creativity; tools which are
enjoyable, stimulating, and fun; tools which are positively cognitively stimulating; tools for promoting and providing for structured thinking, for clarity in simple visualisation, for good communication and sharing, for good and evolving understanding.
‘Frameworks’ has been described as an elegantly simple methodology for structured thinking and for the modelling and understanding of complexity. It is based on a simple theory of information and information modelling. Through simple analysis, structural decomposition, and the discerning, naming and categorisation of things, it provides for the step-by-step construction of simple graphical models as hierarchical graphical
trees made up of nodes and links of association. High-level meaningful models are reduced to the fewest key elements to capture the essence of a system or domain, to act as organisers, as filters, as browsers; models as interfaces to thinking and understanding and for communication and sharing.
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 ‘Frameworks’ is small and simple, and easy to use with minimal barriers – technical and cognitive – and a minimal learning curve. ‘Frameworks’ provides for the close coupling of thinking and the representation of thinking.
‘Frameworks’ provides a simple ‘Core Spinal Model’ for the elaboration of thinking, and a ‘Meta Model’ for a framed and constrained step-by-step construction of models of thinking and understanding. These are in the form of simple graphical depictions elaborated around a simple object-oriented spinal model of Focus and Context, and Instance, where Context is the determinant of meaning.
‘Frameworks’ is problem-led and addresses the needs identified for ordinary people with a particular focus on the next generation of children as they will become confronted with information chaos, information anarchy, disinformation and opinion masquerading as fact. They will become confronted with a wealth of stuff created by others, much of it flawed.
We are becoming swamped and overwhelmed in the Digital World; effectively gadget-led consumers of digital stuff, becoming targets, corralled and trapped in bubbles of belief and opinion. So many of us demand instant gratification, entertainment, the best deals, and are satisfied with the headlines. But many of us are also frustrated and alienated by big software and the wealth of sophisticated tools enjoyed by
tech-savvy professionals. We need to engage in the world of informatics and creative personal computing -beyond consumption – and with the simplest of tools.
Daniel Levitin in his Book, “The Organised Mind”72 highlighted that “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 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, they need to be educated about“information” and “informatics”; educated about thinking and analysis, about communication and sharing, and about working in small teams. Hitting the ground running, with capabilities and skills in structured thinking, they can then visualise, communicate and share ‘big pictures’- high-level views capturing the essence with these models as interfaces to their thinking.
Children working with teachers is a good place to start. Independent thinking, working with others, discussing and sharing their thinking and understanding, reaching consensus and evolving better models is the aim.
The greater context for ‘Frameworks’ is representation, communication and the sharing of thinking and understanding, views and perspectives. Ideas around ‘Frameworks’ originate in the pioneering work of such as Engelbart, Kay, Piaget, Papert, Bruner and Shneiderman – the counterculture “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”. The technical view of “users” is replaced with the ‘Frameworks’ view of “Thinkers becoming Modellers”.
‘Frameworks’ has been discussed and reviewed by creative thinkers and practitioners in a variety of domains including neuroscience, communication, computing science, education, design and psychotherapy.
In the first instance: ‘Frameworks’ is focused on Foundational Education: children need to understand complexity as soon as possible and ‘Frameworks’ provides a mechanism to achieve this. Children must become aware and begin thinking about complexity in a world where scale and complexity in systems and domains must be reduced to manageable proportions. Children will need to be educated and equipped
with literacies in the domains of information and informatics, and capabilities and skills in simple analysis, modelling, communication and sharing. ‘Frameworks’ is a good place to start.
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 Thinking73.
‘Frameworks’ provides a way to address the need for independent, structured thinking – strategies for thinking straight and for clarity, strategies for reducing scale and complexity, and for the organisation and for the communication and sharing of key information. Simple models of thinking and understanding become a new paradigm for the “graphical user interface”.
Subset of Key Images
‘Frameworks’ is an exercise in structured, visual thinking.
In presenting the Ideas Around Frameworks, The ‘Frameworks’ Methodology, and the ‘Frameworks’ Prototype Tool, “The Intelligent Frame” – I have included many images in the Book: various “Thinking Models”: sketches in notebooks, models of thinking composed with the early (1991) ‘JavaNED’ tool, models of thinking and understanding employing the ‘Frameworks’ Tool (where Models are constructed around the Core Spinal Model), and various illustrations from the literature (books and online). These images include the Cowboy & The Blank Canvas by Glen Baxter (with his kind permission), and the Computer Brain by Keith Haring (with the kind permission of the Keith Haring Foundation).
These images are a selection from those included in the various sections of the Book – to illustrate key ideas around ‘Frameworks’.
This is an image of a sculpture made by Zaki Ward – here depicting a reaction to the problems in the 21st century digital world!
These are images – as sketched out on paper in the process of thinking about, designing, and developing the ‘Frameworks’ Methodology and ideas about the reduction of scale and complexity. These sketches were subsequently reconstructed in computer-based ‘Thinking Models’ using the ‘JavaNED’ tool.
This is a “Thinking Model” constructed with ‘JavaNED’ depicting the idea of ‘Frameworks’ as a simple methodology and a simple easy-to-use tool – for the simple analysis and management of complexity – reducing scale and complexity to manageable proportions.
“Thinking Models” are graphical alternatives to textual narrative – as a montage or composite – as a representation of thinking about …….
As such, ‘Frameworks’ “Thinking Models” composed employing the ‘JavaNED’ tool are to be parsed and browsed – and the elements of which they are composed (rectangles and ovals) can be edited to be linked (hyperlinked to URLs on the internet) to definition and detail.
‘Frameworks’ has been distilled to the Core Spinal Model situated in the Thinking & Modelling Space of the ‘Frameworks’ Meta Model. There are 3 levels of modelling: Novice, Intermediate and Advanced. For (new, novice) Thinkers-who-would-be-Modellers – they can engage with the Entry-Level, Novice, modelling option. Which is *constrained* to up to 41 Objects/Information Nodes: Nodes at each level providing for decomposition to up to 3 sub-nodes, and in addition to the default Focus and Context at Levels 1 and 2 – up to an additional 3 Levels of Hierarchy. Beyond the Novice option – the Intermediate and Advanced options provide for more degrees of modelling.
This image (another “Thinking Model”, constructed with the earlier prototype tool ‘JavaNED’) depicts the main sequence of the IMP Evolutionary Series of Information Modelling Tools – the genesis of ‘Frameworks’ – up to the Current ‘Frameworks’ Tool Prototype(s).
This Thinking Model depicts the technical strategies of the Evolutionary Series. Highlighting “UserCentred” Iterative Prototyping i.e. design, code, test, evaluate feedback, enhance code and test etc. Highlighting the strategy of Type’ C’ Projects as iterated by Akan Kay & Vishal Sikka at CHI 2016 i.e. speculative (“Blue Skies”, “Blue Plane”), small, few participants, short duration and inexpensive.
The ‘CLCV Project’ (Cotton Leaf Curl Virus) was funded by the Asian Development Bank and implemented by the Government of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council. In this project, I worked with the ‘CLCV Project’ Manager and a group of individual subproject managers at various academic and government research institutes around Pakistan.
The CLCV Project – as the Main Browser (graphical portal) shows – was divided up into a number of biological, agricultural and research domains. My subproject was part of “TT&E” Technology Transfer and Extension. I proposed this subproject to the ADB with the aim of capturing and archiving the 27 subprojects in 9 institutions around Pakistan. Beyond paper, folders and filing cabinets. An exemplar project for the digital age and the forthcoming World Wide Web (but not yet available in Pakistan. Where the documentation and its distribution were based on the new HTML1 document standard.
I designed a simple GUI to the CLCV Project as a Browser to the archive – a simple HTML1 map.
My aim was to distribute the CLCV Project (as it was progressing and being compiled) as HTML Documents on CDROM which could be later uploaded to a WWW Website when the internet WWW would come to Pakistan. From analogue – paper documents in filing cabinets (which would be lost after a fewyears!) – to digital archive in a format ready for the WWW.
I employed the “core spinal model” of Focus (The CLCV Project), Context (The Agricultural Enterprise in Pakistan), and the subtypes of the CLCV Project (there were some 18 subprojects) which I arranged into 7 Categories. As I had previously first employed the idea of the “core spinal model” in the ‘STILE’ Browser in 1991,
I employed it as a device for the organisation of the very large CLCV project as it was distributed across Pakistan in a number and variety of centres – universities and laboratories – with a variety of subprojects funded by the Asian Development Bank). In this project, I worked with the ‘CLCV Project’ Manager and a group of
individual subproject managers at various academic and government research institutes around Pakistan.
This is a screenshot from the IMPFW prototype (1996) which was designed and coded to operate on the Microsoft Windows platform. It was a ‘concept demonstrator’. It provided an automated construction experience – around the core spinal model of Focus, Context and Instances.
Note: the Simple Minimal 5 Button Menu.
I have employed this image to convey the idea of a “Blank Canvas” (Tabula Rasa) as a metaphor – for the “Thinking & Modelling Space” – with the Cowboy poised to construct a drawing/painting – a representation of his thinking. In the development of the ‘Frameworks’ Methodology – I moved from the idea of an infinite unframed canvas to modelling which was “Framed & Constrained”. The idea was to reduce scale and complexity and the representation of thinking and understanding into a framed and contained “Thinking & Modelling Space”, and to constrain modelling to a minimal number of objects to capture the essence.
With the kind permission of Glen Baxter, Copyright www.glenbaxter.com
The Blank Canvas is a cognitive challenge to the thinker/creator! The ‘Frameworks’ Methodology takes us from the Blank Canvas (the Workspace Shell of the ‘JavaNED” prototype tool) – which is unbounded – to the Framed & Constrained “Thinking & Modelling Space of ‘Frameworks’ as represented in the ‘Frameworks’ Meta Model.
This image – another ‘Thinking Model” constructed with the early prototype tool ‘JavaNED’ – depicts key elements from ‘Frameworks’: the Core Spinal Model (and the hierarchies of Context, Focus and Instances and Super Ordinate, Ordinate and
Subordinate); highlighting CONTEXT as the determinate of meaning; a simple DAG directed acyclic graph; and Levels of Decomposition (following simple analysis and structural representation).
The Levels of Hierarchy in the Thinking & Modelling Space encapsulated in the ‘Frameworks’ Meta Mode’ and the DAG (directed acyclic graph)(which ‘Frameworks’ Models employ to represent the deconstruction of elements into parts and categories), illustrating a hierarchy of nodes in a tree-like array.
This is the ‘Framework’ Meta Model. The Focus Node is highlighted. As they log on to the Tool, the highlighted Focus Node indicates to the Thinker-who-would-become-Modeller that they should select Focus Node to become linked to the Tool. The First Step in modelling is the specification and naming of their FOCUS.
This is a Thinking Model – constructed with ‘JavaNED’ – illustrating some of the key features of the ‘Frameworks’ Methodology and an example elaborated model – where Penguin is the Focus, Climate Change is the Context.
In a categorisation of Penguins: 3 aspects of Penguins are depicted – LIfe Cycle, Location, and Pathology. Three varieties (subtypes) of the category Location are depicted, and one subtype of South American penguins is depicted.
NB This a Thinking Model representing thinking and understanding and as such is a GOOD MODEL (not necessarily a “correct” or “comprehensive” model). A GOOD MODEL as constructed individually and independently* as a representation of (Their) thinking and understanding.
* individuals or individuals sharing their models with others e.g. in small team working together to address and solve probelms.
In this image, two alternative elaborations are depicted. The exercise started with Thinking (The Thinker).
The Keith Haring cartoon highlights the computer-based exercise.
Thanks to the Keith Haring Foundation.
The ‘Frameworks’ Project: Prototype Thinking Tool
From thinking to engaging with the Meta Model. From the static ghosted-out Meta Model to the Meta Model with Focus highlighted. The first modelling step is the naming of the Focus of your thinking. The second step is the naming of the Context. The third step is the naming of an Instance (a variety of your Focus) progressing to the further elaboration of Instances of your Focus as varieties. This modelling is according to the constraint rules at this Entry-Level Modelling for Novices.
This sequence of images – as an illustration of the Methodology – was created before the design and coding of the Tool.
The ’Frameworks’ Tool was designed to realise the Methodology. The Tool includes the Thinking & Modelling Space and when a Model is Saved – the Model is passed back to the Meta Model for Display.
Phase One
The programming and coding of the Methodology: to include the Elaboration of Core Spinal Model in the Thinking & Modelling Space (Rule-Based: Novice; Intermediae; Advanced) and Saving Model to ‘Frameworks’ Persistent Database, and saving of an .SVG file for sharing.
Phase Two
The completion of the programming and coding of the Methodology – to include SAVING to the [Coloured] Meta Model with the Active Stuff Box and Active Elaborate Button – for Sharing.