Chapter 7: Complex Cognitive Processes

Question 1

complex cognitive processes

Answer 1

Cognitive process that involves going well beyond the information specifically learned; for example, it might involve analyzing, applying, or evaluating the information.

Question 2

metacognition

Answer 2

Knowledge and beliefs about the nature of human cognitive processes (including one’s own), as well as conscious attempts to engage in behaviors and thought processes that increase learning and memory.

Question 3

learning strategy

Answer 3

One or more cognitive processes used intentionally for a particular learning task.

Question 4

overt strategies

Answer 4

Learning strategy that is at least partially evident in a learner’s behavior.

Question 5

covert strategies

Answer 5

Learning strategy that is strictly mental (rather than behavioral) in nature and thus cannot be directly observed by others.

Question 6

self-explanation

Answer 6

Process of occasionally stopping to verbalize to oneself (and hence to better understand) material being read or studied

Question 7

self-questioning

Answer 7

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

Question 8

cognitive load

Answer 8

Cognitive burden that a particular learning activity places on working memory at any one time; includes both the amount of information learners must simultaneously think about and the specific cognitive processes learners must engage in to understand what they’re studying

Question 9

illusion of knowing

Answer 9

Thinking one knows something that one actually does not know.

Question 10

epistemic beliefs

Answer 10

Belief about the nature of knowledge or knowledge acquisition.

Question 11

hypermedia

Answer 11

Collection of computer-based and electronically linked multimedia materials (e.g., text, pictures, sound, animations) that students can examine in a sequence of their own choosing.

Question 12

transfer

Answer 12

Phenomenon in which something a person has learned at one time affects how the person learns in a later situation.

Question 13

positive transfer

Answer 13

Phenomenon in which something learned at one time facilitates learning or performance at a later time.

Question 14

negative transfer

Answer 14

Phenomenon in which something learned at one time interferes with learning or performance at a later time.

Question 15

specific transfer

Answer 15

Instance of transfer in which the original learning task and the transfer task overlap in content.

Question 16

general transfer

Answer 16

Instance of transfer in which the original learning task and the transfer learning task are different in content.

Question 17

formal discipline

Answer 17

View of transfer reflecting the idea that the study of rigorous subject matter enhances one’s ability to learn other, unrelated things

Question 18

authentic activities

Answer 18

Classroom activity similar to another activity that students are apt to encounter in the outside world.

Question 19

culture of transfer

Answer 19

Learning environment in which applying school subject matter to new situations, cross-disciplinary contexts, and real-world problems is both the expectation and the norm.

Question 20

mental set

Answer 20

Inclination to encode a problem in a way that excludes potential solutions.

Question 21

algorithm

Answer 21

A prescribed sequence of steps that guarantees a correct problem solution.

Question 22

heuristics

Answer 22

General strategy that facilitates problem solving but doesn’t always yield a viable solution.

Question 23

problem-based learning

Answer 23

Classroom activity in which students acquire new knowledge and skills while working on a complex problem similar to one that might exist in the outside world.

Question 24

intelligent tutoring systems

Answer 24

Computer software program that provides individually tailored instruction and practice, supplemented with ongoing guidance and feedback, related to a particular topic or set of skills.

Question 25

creativity

Answer 25

New and original behavior that yields a productive and culturally appropriate result.

Question 26

convergent thinking

Answer 26

Process of pulling together several pieces of information to draw a conclusion or solve a problem

Question 27

divergent thinking

Answer 27

Process of mentally moving in a variety of directions from a single idea

Question 28

higher-level questions

Answer 28

Question that requires students to use previously learned information in a new way- that is, to engage in one or more complex cognitive processes.

Question 29

critical thinking

Answer 29

Process of evaluating the accuracy, credibility, and worth of information and lines of reasoning.