Abstract:

Prospection refers to our ability to “pre-experience” the future by simulating it in our minds. The term has been used to represent a variety of future oriented cognitions, including prospective simulation of events but also autobiographical planning [1], two relevant re-skilling and up-skilling technologies, expected to play a decisive role in shaping future learning strategies in the short to medium term. [2] According to the constructive episodic simulation hypothesis, the simulation of future events is thought to require a cognitive system that can flexibly recombine details from past events into novel scenarios. [3] Findings from cognitive neuroscience demonstrate the existence of a considerable overlap in the psychological and neural processes involved in remembering the past and imagining the future [4]. Although the hypothesis emphasizes the construction of an episodic mental representation of specific autobiographical future events, semantic memory – conceived as the source of knowledge about the general properties of events – is also relevant in the construction of future scenarios, and plays an important role in the process of knowledge recombination [5]. In 2014, Szpunar, Spreng and Schacter [6] provided an initial framework for organizing the key components that fit under the general concept of constructive prospection. Their proposal delineated episodic and semantic forms of four modes of future thinking: simulation, prediction, intention and planning. In this paper we focus on simulation and planning, taking the portfolio technology as a case for constructing autobiographical events. The contribution of portfolio composition to learning has already been acknowledged. [7] Also, it has been widely valued by the scientific community as a key technology for educational change. [8] However, results from consultation with experts on learning and educational stakeholders’ representatives (policy and decision makers, teachers, trainers, technology providers, students, parents, researchers) indicate that portfolio has not yet been rated as mainstreamed in learning, “suggesting that the market is not yet mature”. [2] In this paper, inspired by the constructive episodic simulation hypothesis, we and elaborate on the notion of prospective story portfolio. We reaffirm the potential of this technology in fostering learning innovations, and argue that there is no reason to stop dreaming: prospective technologies for learning – such as portfolio – are nearly closed to become actual practice.

Keywords:

Technologies for learning, prospective simulation, autobiographical planning, episodic and semantic cognition, prospective story portfolio.