Chapter 7

Question 1

Metacognition

Answer 1

Students’ knowledge and beliefs about their own cognitive processes which influences their ability to learn successfully

Question 2

Reconstruction error

Answer 2

Constructing a logical but incorrect memory by using information retrieved from LTM plus one’s general knowledge and beliefs about the world

Question 3

Individual cognitive structures

Answer 3

A theory developed by Piaget to describe how children construct knowledge through their actions on the world

Question 4

Social constructivism

Answer 4

A theory developed by Vygotsky that emphasizes that an individual’s meaning making is mediated by adults or more knowledgeable peers

Question 5

Inquiry-based instruction

Answer 5

Based on challenging students with open questions or problems

Question 6

Distributed cognition

Answer 6

A process where people think about an issue or problem together, sharing ideas and working collaboratively to draw conclusions or develop solutions

Question 7

Concept

Answer 7

A mental grouping of objects or events that have something in common

Question 8

Undergeneralize

Answer 8

For example, excluding fish, birds and insects from the concept “animal”

Question 9

Overgeneralize

Answer 9

Omitting squares from your concept of “rectangle”

Question 10

Negative instances

Answer 10

A non-example of a concept

Question 11

Positive instance

Answer 11

An accurate and specific example of a concept

Question 12

Schema

Answer 12

An organized body of knowledge about a particular object or phenomena

Question 13

Script

Answer 13

A schema that involves a predictable sequence of events related to a common activity such as going to the grocery store

Question 14

Personal theories

Answer 14

Ideas that are developed before the lesson and influence the way that students consider new information

Question 15

Misconceptions

Answer 15

Erroneous beliefs based on prior personal theories

Question 16

Conceptual change

Answer 16

Revising one’s knowledge and understanding of a topic in response to new information about that topic

Question 17

Higher-level thinking

Answer 17

Thought that goes beyond information specifically involved and focuses on application, analysis and evaluation

Question 18

Comprehension monitoring

Answer 18

The process of checking oneself to make sure that one understands the things being read or heard

Question 19

Illusion of knowing

Answer 19

Thinking one knows something that one does not actually know

Question 20

Self-questioning

Answer 20

The process of asking oneself questions as a way of checking one’s understanding of a topic

Question 21

Epistemological beliefs

Answer 21

One’s beliefs about the nature of knowledge and knowledge acquisition (learning)

Question 22

Transfer

Answer 22

A process wherein something that an individual has learned at one time affects how the individual learns or performs in a later situation

Question 23

Positive Transfer

Answer 23

A phenomenon where something learned at one time facilitates learning or performance at a later time (ex. knowledge of French helps to learn Spanish quicker)

Question 24

Negative Transfer

Answer 24

A phenomenon where something learned at one time interferes with learning or performance at a later time (ex. transferring the grammar rules for French to Spanish)

Question 25

Specific Transfer

Answer 25

An instance of transfer in which the original learning task and the transfer task overlap in content

Question 26

General Transfer

Answer 26

An instance of transfer in which the original learning task and the transfer task do not overlap in content

Question 27

Generativity

Answer 27

Creating new learning from previous learning, including new combinations and new contexts or application

Question 28

Retrieval in transfer

Answer 28

Information learned in one situation helps in another situation only if the information is retrieved in the context of the second situation

Question 29

Well-defined problem

Answer 29

A problem in which the goal is clearly stated, all information needed to solve the problem is present, and only one correct answer exists (ex. making change $)

Question 30

Ill-defined problem

Answer 30

A problem in which the desired goal is unclear, information needed to solve the problem is missing and/or several possible solutions to the problem exist (ex. deforestation of the rain forest)

Question 31

Algorithm

Answer 31

A prescribed sequence of steps that guarantees a correct problem solution

Question 32

Heuristic

Answer 32

A general problem-solving strategy that may or may not yield a problem solution (identify subgoals, work backward, draw an analogy

Question 33

Mental set

Answer 33

Encoding or creating a mental representation of a problem in a way that excludes potential problem solutions

Question 34

Metacognitive processes

Answer 34

Enable students to use problem-solving strategies flexibly and to apply them to more complex problems

Question 35

Critical thinking

Answer 35

Evaluating the accuracy and worth of information or arguments

Question 36

Verbal reasoning

Answer 36

Understanding and evaluating the persuasive techniques found in oral and written language (ex. deductive and inductive logic)

Question 37

Argument analysis

Answer 37

Discriminating between reasons that do and do not support a particular conclusion

Question 38

Probabilistic reasoning

Answer 38

Determining the likelihood and uncertainties associated with various events (ex. rolling dice)

Question 39

Hypothesis Testing

Answer 39

Evaluating the value of data and research results in terms of the methods used to obtain them and their potential relevance to particular conclusions

Question 40

Convergent evidence

Answer 40

Multiple sources or types of support for an observation, argument, theory or practice, all pointing to a common conclusion

Question 41

Meme

Answer 41

Term coined by geneticist Richard Dawkins to describe shared ideas that, like genes, have somehow managed to become self-replicating in a culture and that are commonly believed even though they may not be true (ex. an apple a day keeps the doctor away)

Question 42

Metacognitive scaffolding

Answer 42

A support structure that guides students in their use of meta-cognitive strategies