[1] Under the constructionist theory of educational psychology, the concept of making knowledge visible is a central component.
The creation of material artifacts is a technique used to allow students to display their knowledge in a public forum (usually the classroom).
[2] The creation and display of these artifacts allow students opportunities for engagement, revision and feedback, all hallmarks of quality learning design.
[3] A cognitive artifact is a physical representation of a conceptual idea, such as an experience, a memory, a thought, or a feeling.
These artifacts focus on the essentials, disregarding any irrelevant material in order to simplify the situation and elicit the most critical information from a particular scenario.