Modeling design as situated and distributed process

In recent years, design learning environments have received considerable at tention as contexts for learning diverse subjects such as mathematics, scie nce, or engineering. In this paper, I show how designing can be modeled as a distributed process. Empirical examples are used to show three core aspec ts of situated design. First, material aspects of the setting facilitate ne gotiation of design concepts, a process modeled as constraint satisfaction in PDP networks. Second, materials and artifacts afford the creation of vir tual design concepts. Finally, fact construction in school science laborato ries is intimately tied to the artifacts that constitute students' design e lements. As part of the analysis, constraint satisfaction models (implement ed in PDP networks) and ontological maps are introduced as modeling tools t hat formalize the distributed aspects of designing. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scien ce Ltd. All rights reserved.