Material Intelligence can be thought of as a subset of
distributed cognition, where it refers to the new knowledge that furthers human intelligence and skills by interaction with the computer, and existing computer literacy, in a social environment. It can also be the ability of tools in general, and computers in specific, to increase the intelligence and skills of human mind. It was coined by Andrea DiSessa in his book
Changing Minds: Computers, Learning and Literacy. He uses the terms computational literacy, material literacy, and material intelligence interchangeably. Conceptually, material intelligence is influenced by
constructionism and
distributed cognition theory. This concept is similar to constructionism because user makes sense of the world around them using a tool, and the interaction with this tool is helpful in shaping the understanding of the world. It is similar to distributed cognition because it focuses on "social and material setting of cognitive activity, so that culture, context and history can be linked with the core concepts of cognition." Material intelligence has to be dependent on the material (the tool, or the computer), but it also has to be social. He says that "Material intelligence does not reside in either the mind or the materials alone. Indeed, the coupling of external and internal activity is intricate and critical". They stated that learning is social and happens whenever humans interact with one another, even though the manner in which learning happens may differ based on 1) cultural forces, 2) local forces, and 3) personal forces, with cultural forces being the least motivating force, and personal forces being the most motivating force. whereas material intelligence is new knowledge that furthers human intelligence and skills by interaction with the computer, and existing computer literacies, in a social environment. ==References==