Cognitivism in Practice

Cognitive learning theory focuses on how children think, how they understand and how they know.  Basically, how the mind works and how they learn.  It emphasizes on the individuals construction of understanding (Learning Domain, 2014).  Components of cognitive learning theories include the understanding of long and short term memories, the concept of elaboration, dual coding hypothesis and a network model of memory (Laureate Education Inc., 2011).  When understanding how memory functions, we learned once the information is inputted through the senses, it is stored in short term memory. Short term memory can process about seven pieces of information at one time. Through rehearsal and practice the memory is then stored in long term memory (Laureate Education Inc., 2011).  Elaboration is the primary mechanism for storing information in long term memory (Laureate Education Inc., 2011).  It builds numerous connections to stored information by making associations to remember.  Dual coding hypothesis is the notion that information is stores as images and text (Laureate Education Inc., 2011).  The premise is that people can remember images better that they can remember just text, so when presenting information, having a combination of informational images to meaningful text, students would be able to learn a concept easier than just text alone.  This can be done by using a network model of cognitive learning.  This is a graphical tool that helps learners organize information.  It helps learners visualize ideas and make connection between ideas (Laureate Education Inc., 2011). 

Instructional strategies that relate to cognitive learning theories are cues, questions, and advance organizers are used to enhance the students’ ability to use, retrieve, and organize information about a topic (Pitler, Hubble, & Kuhn, 2012).  Cues are subtle hints teachers can give students to recall information on topics students already know.  Questions allow students to recall information they already know and allow teachers to assess what the students do not know.  Advance organizers are introduced before a lesson or during a lesson to help identify relationship between the materials (Pitler et al, 2012).  There are many types of resources that students and teachers can be used to create well organized artifacts.  These can range from word processing application, data collection and analysis tools, organizing and brainstorming software, instructional media, and instructional interactivities (Pitler et al, 2012).  One tool that is used in my class is Inspiration. Inspiration is a software program that is used for visual learning. It allows for the creation of graphic organizers, concept mapping, outlining and other strategies of visual learning. We have used it for family trees and comparing and contrasting for various topics.

Other Instructional strategies that relate to cognitive learning theories are summarizing and note taking.  These strategies focus on enhancing the students’ ability to synthesize information and condense it to an abridged form (Pitler et al, 2012).  Summarizing and note taking should be taught by the teacher to established rules and requirements of what is expected product the student must create.  The teacher can provide the students their notes as examples, teach them a variety of note taking formats, and allow opportunities for students to edit their notes and use them for review. (Pitler et al, 2012).

In my class I teach two main note taking strategies.  In social studies, I teach the students how to summarize by outlining the lessons in the textbook.   In science, we also summarize the lessons in the textbook, but we use the Cornell note taking method. All notes they create can be used on chapter test as incentive to add a sufficient amount of content to their notes.  I plan on implementing the option for the students to transform their notes to a concept map. Concept maps are graphical tools for organization and representing knowledge.  A good way to focus on a concept map is have a focus question (Novak & Cañas, 2008).  Since every lesson in social studies and science has essential questions, I would use that as the focus for their concept mat with the details from their notes to create the rest of their map.  Instead of Inspiration I think I might use Webspiration, or something similar, which would allow students to access their work at home as well at school. 

     
 

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program five: Cognitive learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Learning Domain. (n.d.).http://peoplelearn.homestead.com/. Retrieved May 20, 2014, from http://peoplelearn.homestead.com/BEduc/Ch

Novak, J. D., & Cañas, A. J. (2008). The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct and use them, Technical Report IHMC CmapTools 2006-01 Rev 01-2008. Retrieved from the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Web site: http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.pdf

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that works (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.