Cognitive Learning Theories Cognivitism Opening thought A boy

Cognitive Learning Theories/ Cognivitism

Opening thought A boy told his friend that he had taught his dog how to whistle. With his ear up to the dog’s face, the friend said, ” I don’t hear him whistling. ” The boy replied, ” I said I taught him. I didn’t say he learned it. ”

§ Response to behaviourism § is interested in how people understand material: § aptitude and capacity to learn (psychometrics and testing), § learning styles § basis of the educational approach constructivism, which emphasises the role of the learner in constructing his own view or model of the material, and what helps with that.

Cognitive Theory: A few basics: § Incorporate mental structure and process § Mental process involved – thinking, memory, knowledge, problem solving – all need to be explored. § Knowledge is seen as schema: an organizational or conceptual pattern in the mind § Learning is a change in a learner’s schemata.

Cognitive approaches § Understanding • Taking learners from the known to the unknown § Organisation • Sign - posting relationships between known & unknown, use of memory § Feedback • Learns to apply principles, then gains feedback through experience

Theory based on cognitive psychology Learning relates to § § Information processing Memory storage Problem solving Relates to the gaining of practical knowledge

Cognitive processing system E N V EFFECTORS I RESPONSE GENERATOR R LTM O N M RECEPTORS SENSORY REGISTER E N T STM

Major Theorists § § § Piaget Vygotsky Bruner Bloom ? Gagne (or does he sit in Behaviourism or both)

Piaget Adapting to the world through assimilation and accommodation Children progress through a sequence of four stages: § sensorimotor - 0 -2 years. Start to distinguish between self and the environment and between objects and people. Touch and physical exploration. § pre-operational - 2 -7 years. Mastery of language. Egocentric. § concrete operational - 7 - 11 years. Master abstract, logical notions. less egocentric. § formal operational – 11+. Comprehend highly abstract and hypothetical concepts. Problem solving – review all possibilities.

Vygotsky § Zone of Proximal Development. § Level attained when children engage in social behaviour. § Learning precedes development. § Whereas Piaget – development precedes learning.

Scaffolding § Unconscious incompetence § Conscious competence § Unconscious competence

Katate-Tori Ryote-Mochi • Tekubi-tori combined with tenkan and ude-mawashi generates a ferocious spin used in several en-undo techniques. As for katatetori, practice setting up the beginning motions for snakyo and shiho-nage. From katate-tori ryote-mochi, the technique would become: Katate-tori ryote-mochi kokyu-nage irimi tobikomi • Attacker grabs one wrist with both hands • Aikido techniques

Context of Learning § The importance of establishing prior knowledge § Provide relevant linkages to enhance storage refer back to frames of reference

Bruner’s theory of instruction § Predisposition which is in effect motivation to learn in all its various ramifications § Optimal structure in terms of simplifying information, manipulating information and generating new propositions § Sequencing § Nature and pacing of rewards and punishments

Mnemonic strategies § Memorise the following number: 148, 111, 518, 222, 529 § A helpful strategy: 1 4 8 11 15 18 22 25 29

Bloom’s Taxonomy Learning Original (1948) Revised : Anderson & Krathwohl (2001)

If you are really into Bloom: § http: //www. psy. gla. ac. uk/~steve/best/bloom. html § version of Bloom: http: //emedia. rmit. edu. au/ed/Core/Assess/documents/Blooms_taxonomy. pdf A modification: http: //coe. sdsu. edu/eet/Articles/bloomrev/index. htm Improved Bloom, by Anderson & Krathwohl, see Doceo website: http: //www. learningandteaching. info/learning/bloomtax. htm Multiple intelligences and Bloom's taxonomy http: //www. cap. nsw. edu. au/teachers/tech_based_resources/MI_pages/ Yet other pages § http: //www. uwsp. edu/education/lwilson/curric/newtaxonomy. htm http: //www. wtvi. com/teks/ds/images/bloom. gif http: //farm 1. static. flickr. com/147/361710524_68 e 8565015. jpg http: //www. apa. org/ed/new_blooms. html http: //www. techdis. ac. uk/resources/files/Blooms%20 taxonomy. png http: //www. cobbk 12. org/sites/ALT/training/Blooms/circle. GIF Guide linking Bloom levels to verbs for use in assessment definitions. § Or have a look at: Laurillard's 12 learning activities

Gagne: Cognitive of behaviourist? 9 stages 1. Reception 2. Expectancy 3. Retrieval 4. Selective Perception 5. Semantic Encoding 6. Responding 7. Reinforcement 8. Retrieval 9. Generalisation Simpler Terms 1. Gain Attention. 2. Objectives 3. Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning 4. Information 5. Provide Learning Guidance 6. Elicit Performance 7. Feedback 8. Assessment 9. Enhance Retention and transfer

Putting theory into practice. § In pairs- think about something ‘simple’ you teach regularly – e. g. Taking a blood pressure, the side effects of a medication, how to fill out a simple form etc. § Using Gagne’s 9 steps write a lesson plan.

Feedback § Did the 9 steps flow? § Did it help you or constrain you? § Did it fit with the subject? Would it fit all subjects? § Do you feel it sits with a behaviourist approach (doing a skill) or a cognitive approach (understanding the process)? § Would it suit all learners and teachers? § Are theories guidance or absolute? ? ?

Cognitive learning theory Implications for practice: § Establish prior knowledge § Activate prior knowledge § Make relevant linkages; the stronger the better § Context provides cues for storage and retrieval

Cognitive learning theory § Arrange practice in a variety of situations § Work in the ‘zone of proximal opportunity’ § Summarise and recap regularly § Moves away from the teacher and teaching

The other day I asked my colleagues if they had ever read a good book on teaching. There was a long silence. Chinese Proverb

Help not Hinder § There a range of theories. § The theories can overlap between behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism. § How can you adapt your teaching to suit your learners needs. § How can you remain effective but not stagnant. § Explore

Final thought § A boy told his friend that he had taught his dog how to whistle. With his ear up to the dog’s face, the friend said, ” I don’t hear him whistling. ” The boy replied, ” I said I taught him. I didn’t say he learned it. ”

§ Anderson, L. W. , & Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds. ). (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching and assessing: A revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of educational objectives: Complete edition, New York : Longman. § Anderson , L. W. , & Sosniak, L. A. (Eds. ). (1994). Bloom's taxonomy: a forty-year retrospective. Ninety-third yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, Pt. 2. , Chicago , IL. , University of Chicago Press. § Bloom, Benjamin S. & David R. Krathwohl. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals, by a committee of college and university examiners. Handbook 1: Cognitive domain. New York , Longmans. § Cruz, E. (2004). Encyclopedia of Educational Technology: Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. Retrieved March 19, 2005 from http: //coe. sdsu. edu/eet/Articles/bloomrev/