Making cognitive connections

The Making Cognitive Connections approach teaches the fundamental technical skills necessary to operate a smart device while simultaneously drawing a parallel to the cognitive skills that underlie the development of those technical skills.

How various cognitive skills are used in relation to the Evernote app

Cognitive skill	Evernote feature/function	Examples of how the cognitive skill applies to Evernote features/functions
Attention to detail	Notebook vs. stack	Attention must be paid to whether a note is part of a notebook or part of a stack.
Sequencing	Assigning notes to notebooks	There are certain steps that must be done in the right order to assign a note to a specific notebook.
Categorization	Stacks	Stacks should contain notebooks that are similar in content.
Decision making	Notebooks vs. stacks	Decision making is required when determining whether to add a note to a notebook or whether a stack should be created to help better organize the information.

Real-life scenarios

Focusing on the cognitive skills required to use the device and then applying those same cognitive skills to everyday life examples makes this approach practical, concrete, relevant, and transferable.

How cognitive skills utilized in the Evernote app are also used in real-life examples

Cognitive skills	Evernote example	Example of real-life parallel
Categorization	Differentiating between notebooks	You have lots of nails or screws and categorize them into pullout drawers.
Decision making	Deciding what specific stack a notebook should be associated with.	Deciding which notetaking technique will provide the best results.
Sequencing	Following a defined set of steps to create a stack.	Following specific steps to connect a cable box to a TV.