Cognitive Education in the Digital Age: Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice

Today’s children are living in a digital age, surrounded by computers as sources of information
even before they reach school. In response to this reality, scholars and educators
are being asked to rethink the role of cognitive education in preparing children
for this technological world. The first half of this article, written for this special issue,
examines some of the attendant issues within the context of learning for the future.
It discusses the need to turn to cognitive theories as the wellsprings for programs
capable of training children for a reality where new digital platforms appear daily.
The article’s second part focuses on cognitive theories that may provide appropriate
foundations for educational programs promoting self-regulated learning (SRL) in the
digital age. This article closes by presenting an intervention for peer-mediated learning
with computers—a program that emerged from integration of the theories mentioned.
Research-based findings indicating the program’s effectiveness are presented.