Toward meaningful learning in a global age: How Gestalt principles can facilitate Organization Of student learning of product lifecycle management concepts

The paper discusses ways in which Gestalt theory can inform learning organization practice regarding concepts of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) in a global economy. PLM is the process of managing the lifecycle of a company´s product from its conception, through design and manufacture, to service and disposal. The use of Gestalt principles in technology and engineering education aims to facilitate meaningful learning in a global environment through the application of holism, relating learning to the environment, development of mental models, and team learning. The paper presents a brief overview of Gestalt theory and shows how Gestalt principles (proximity, closure, symmetry, figure-ground segregation, good continuation, and similarity) can be applied to improve a learner´s comprehension of PLM concepts. Adding Gestalt principles complemented the information-organization feature of more commonly used knowledge maps and thereby enhancing factual recall, concept development, and application. Learning was enhanced by active processing strategies such as visualization, summarization, and by designing maps according to Gestalt principles of organization.