Chapter 8- The congitive information- processing approach and teaching Flashcards
What is Information Processing?
Children manipulate information, monitor it, and strategize about it.
Characteristics of this approach includes:
-thinking
-change mechanisms- encoding, automaticity, strategy construction, transfer, metacognition
-self-modification
What is Memory?
is the interplay of encoding, storage, and retrieval of information over time
What is Encoding?
the process by which information gets into memory
What is Storage?
the retention of information over time
What is Retrieval?
taking information out of storage
What are the key concepts in encoding?
- rehearsal
- processing
- elaboration
- constructing images
- organization
Teaching strategies for helping students pay attention
- encourage students to pay attentions
- help students develop and monitor their attention
- make learning interesting
- actively engage students in the learning process
- avoid providing students with too much information too quickly
- program for individual differences in students’ attentional skills
- maintain students’ attention once you have it
Storage: What is sensory memory?
holds information in its original sensory form for only an instant
Storage: What is Short-term (working) memory?
Defn= is a three-part system that temporarily holds information as people perform tasks. Working memory is a kind of mental “workbench” where information is manipulated and assembled to help us make decisions, solve problems, & comprehend written & spoken language.
- limited capacity, limited time (30 seconds)
- limited span +- 7 digits
Working Memory and Students
- Working memory is linked to many aspects of students’ development- children who have better working memory are more advance in reading comprehension, math skills, and problem solving.
- working memory of adolescent students is better than working memory of younger students. Thus the adolescent years are an important developmental period for improvement of working memory.
- Affective factors- impact working memory e.g. verbal working memory was impaired by negative emotion.
Storage: What is Long-Term Memory?
holds enormous amounts of information for a long period of time; relatively permanent
What is explicit (declarative) memory?
Conscious recollection of information (semantic, memory and episodic memory)
What is implicit (procedural) memory?
subconscious recollection of information
Network Theories
- describe how information is organized connected in memory
- emphasize “nodes”
- nodes stand for labels and concepts
- hierarchical networks may be too neat, insufficient
- network is irregular and distorted
What is a Schema Theory?
when we construct information, we fit it into what we already know
What are Schemas?
Concepts, knowledge, or information about events that already exist in the mind and influence the way we encode
What is a Script?
a schema for an event
Retrieval
Retrieval may be influenced by:
- serial position effect
- primary effect
- recency effect
- encoding specificity principle
What are the two types of retrieval?
- recall
2. recognition
Forgetting: Theory 1- Cue-Dependent Forgetting
failure is caused by lack of effective retrieval cues
Forgetting: Theory 2- Interference Theory
other information gets in the way of what we are trying to remember
Forgetting: Theory 3- Decay Theory
passage of time
Teaching strategies to help students learn and study effectively
- encourage students to activate their relevant prior knowledge when studying new concepts
- help students organize information when encoding
- providing students with memory mnemonics
- encourage students to extend and consolidate their learning
- help students learn how to take good notes
- encourage students to use PQ4R
Diversity and Education:
- Memory is linked to your personal experiences e.g. life in a remote Inuit village
- impact of the circle in the lives of Aboriginal peoples
- Gender- females form stronger episodic memories than males
1. Females are better than males at recalling emotion-linked memories
2. males are better than females that require transformations in visual spatial working memory
3. Females may process information more elaborately & in greater detail, whereas males may be more likely to use schemas or focus on general information
What is Thinking?
involves manipulating and transforming information in memory. This is often done to form concepts, reason, think critically, and solve problems.
Concept Formation: Concepts
concepts are categories used to group objects, events, and characteristics on the basis of common properties. They are formed through, direct experience
What are Concept Maps?
visual representation of connections and hierarchical organization
What are Hypotheses?
specific assumptions and predictions used to determine their accuracy
What is Prototype matching?
deciding if an item belongs in a category by comparing it with the most typical item of the category
What is inductive reasoning?
reasoning specific -> general
What is deductive reasoning?
reasoning general -> specific
What is critical thinking?
involves thinking reflectively and productively, and evaluating the evidence
What is problem solving?
finding an appropriate way to attain a goal
What are some ideas for problem solving?
- Find and frame problems
- develop good problem-solving strategies
- evaluate solutions
- rethink and redefine problems and solutions overtime
Obstacles to problem solving
- fixation
1. functional fixedness
2. mental set - confirmation bias
- lack of motivation and persistence
Teaching strategies to help students become better thinkers
- make concepts clear and complete
- encourage students to use strategies such as concept maps and the rule- example strategy
- ask students to generate hypotheses about a concept
- assist students to identify real-world problems
- monitor students’ thinking through the four problem-solving steps
- use technology effectively
- provide role models for thinking and involve parents
What is a Transfer?
occurs when a person applies previous experience and knowledge to learning or problem solving a new situation
What are types of Transfer?
- near transfer (similar situations)
- far transfer (very different situations)
- low-road transfer (automatic)
- high-road transfer (conscious, effortful)
What is Meta-cognition?
“knowing about knowing” or “thinking about thinking”
metacognitive knowledge includes factual knowledge and strategic knowledge. Training in metacognitive strategies can improve learning. There is a developmental component; younger children have less metacognitive ability than older children
The good information-processing model
competent cognition results from interacting factors:
- strategies
- motivation
- content knowledge
- metacognition
What are three factors that lead to cognitive success?
- Children are taught to use a particular strategy and learn about its advantages -> specific knowledge
- teachers demonstrate shared features or strategies -> relational knowledge
- Students recognize the benefits of strategies -> general strategy knowledge; and attribute successful learning outcomes to efforts in evaluating, selecting and monitoring strategy use -> metacognitive knowledge and activity.
What are some teaching strategies for using explicit strategy instruction in the classroom?
- state content and process objectives
- share a personal learning story related to strategy use
- state why a strategy is useful
- state when and where a strategy can be used
- model the strategy
- provide students with guided strategy instruction
- encourage students to use strategy across related learning tasks
- convince students that strategy really works.
