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Learning Through Various

Cognitive Models

Lesson 11

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Cognitive Views of Learning

• Cognitive views of learning focus on the mental processes which might be occurring in the learner.

• Learning is defined as a change within a person’s internal mental structures or mental processes.

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Learning Assumptions and Cognitive Views

• Some learning processes are unique to human beings.

• Cognitive processes are the focus of learning in this presentation.

• Inferences about unobservable mental processes can often be drawn from objective, systematic observations of people’s behavior.

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Learning in the Cognitive Model Includes:

• Individuals are actively involved in the learning process.

• The formation of mental associations are not necessarily reflected in overt behavior changes.

• Knowledge is organized.• Learning is a process of relating new

information to previously learned information.

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Three Cognitive Models for Discussion

• Information Processing.

• Constructivism.

• Meta-cognition strategies.

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Information Processing Model

• This model provides a view of how new information is stored in a person’s long-term memory.

• In this model there are three types of memory: sensory memory, working memory (also called short-term memory), and long-term memory.

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Information Processing Model

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Sensory Memory

What does it do? Stores information from surroundings for very short periods of time (1/2 second for sight, 3 seconds for hearing).

Barriers to learning? Lack of attention.

What strategies work?

People pay attention when the stimulus is interesting and related to something they already know.

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Short-term Memory

What does it do? It holds 7 (±2) pieces of information that we have attended to for 15-20 seconds.

Barriers to learning? If a child can only hold 3 pieces of information, make sure to give the most essential items.

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Activity 1

• You will view a list of letters for 15 seconds.

• When I say “GO,” recall and write down as many letters as you can.

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You have 15 seconds….

FB

IMT

VU

SAHB

OC

IA

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Short-term Memory

What strategies work? Rehearsal (repeating) information ororganizing information?

1. Classifying parts/whole; 2. Sequential; 3. Relevance/imaginary; 4. Transition/model 5. Chunking

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Activity 1 again

• You will view the list of letters for 15 seconds once again.

• When I say “GO,” recall and write down as many letters as you can.

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You have 15 seconds…

FBI

MTV

USA

HBO

CIA

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Results of Activity 1

• Everyone performed much better. • Notice how “chunking,” a reorganization

technique, greatly simplified the task.• What implications does this activity

have for the classroom teacher?

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Long-term Memory

What does it do? Stores information that will be needed often.

Barriers to learning?

Although we might have stored the information, we sometimes can’t recall where it is. Stored information is never forgotten, just lost.

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Long-term Storage

What strategies work?

•Periodic review (trivia flashcards) or elaboration (as in adding memory clues to the information)•Elaboration can be creating mental pictures, pegwords (number, rhyming schemes), rhymes (songs, jingles), mnemonic devices (Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally)•Using the information in various ways with different organization tools is helpful.•Applying information.

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Activity 2

• The works of William Shakespeare (Hamlet, MacBeth, and others) are often used to describe modern day political leaders. Write up a sample assignment that asks students to make political and biographical parallels between a world leader and one of Shakespeare’s characters.

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ConstructivismModel

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What is Constructivism?

A philosophy of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world around us.

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What is Student Constructivism?

• In the constructivist classroom, students generate their knowledge, or mental models, rules, or representations of information based on their classroom experiences.

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Guiding Principles of Constructivism

• Learning is a search for meaning.• Meaning requires understanding of wholes as

well as parts, and parts must be understood in context to wholes. (Not isolated facts)

• Teacher must understand mental models that students use to perceive the world.

• Learning is to have the student construct his/her own meaning, not memorize “right” answers.

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What a Constructivist Classroom Looks Like

• Student autonomy and initiative are accepted and encouraged.

• The teacher asks open-ended questions and allows wait time for responses.

• Higher-level thinking is encouraged.• Students are engaged in dialogue with the

teacher.• Usually reserved for Tier 1 (honor) students.

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What a Constructivist Classroom Looks Like

• Students are engaged in experiences that challenge hypotheses and encourage discussion.

• The class uses raw data, primary sources, manipulatives, physical and interactive materials.

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Activity 3

Design an assignment that requires a student or group of students to prove (or disprove) the need for a traffic light in front of their school. The assignment should outline research tools to use, how much and what kind of data to gather.

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Meta-Cognition Basics

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What is meta-cognition?

• Thinking about thinking• Knowing “what we know” and “what we

don’t know.”• Knowing how we learn best.• Developing goals for a learning task• Monitoring our comprehension or

performance• Evaluating our learning progress.

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Applying Meta-cognition to a Learning Task

• Phase 1: Develop a plan of action.

• Phase 2: Maintain/monitor the plan

• Phase 3: Evaluate the plan’s success.

• Each phase connected to a time before, during, and after the learning task.

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Developing the “Before” Part of the Plan

• What prior knowledge will help me with this particular task?

• In what direction do I want my thinking to take me?

• What should I do first?• Why am I performing this task?• How much time do I have to complete

this task?

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Developing the “Maintain & Monitor” Part of the Plan

• How am I doing?• Am I on the right track?• How should I proceed?• What information is important to remember?• Should I move in a different direction?• Should I adjust the pace if it gets more difficult?• What do I do if I do not understand?

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Developing the “Evaluate” Part of the Plan

• How well did I do?

• Did my course of thinking produce more or less than I expected?

• How might I apply this line of thinking to other problems?

• Do I need to go back through the task to fill any “blanks” in my understanding?

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Activity 4

To be effective, a teacher must constantly monitor studentacademic progress and design lessons and tests that will enhance the learning experience.

Design a general and realistic plan or strategy that will help you, the new teacher, keep track of student progress, significantly minimize student failure, and maximize student success.