Cognitive Theory: Powerful Tools for Educators?

Cognitive Theory: Powerful Tools for Educators?

HAL Online

Mar 2, 2010

HAL Online

Mar 2, 2010

Goals for Topic 8: Understanding Children’s Thinking

Goals for Topic 8: Understanding Children’s Thinking

1. To better understand relationships and differences among cognitive science, brain science and sociocultural theory; to be able to discuss these views in terms of tools they provide for educators.

2. To use ideas from cognitive science to analyze the problem solving of learners and to better understand and improve your own problem solving.

3. To understand and be able to discuss some important relationships between problem solving and learning.

4. To enhance your awareness of how it feels to be a naive learner; to be able to take a learner's perspective and empathize with a learner's struggle to understand.

1. To better understand relationships and differences among cognitive science, brain science and sociocultural theory; to be able to discuss these views in terms of tools they provide for educators.

2. To use ideas from cognitive science to analyze the problem solving of learners and to better understand and improve your own problem solving.

3. To understand and be able to discuss some important relationships between problem solving and learning.

4. To enhance your awareness of how it feels to be a naive learner; to be able to take a learner's perspective and empathize with a learner's struggle to understand.

Goals for Topic 8: Understanding Children’s Thinking

Goals for Topic 8: Understanding Children’s Thinking

1. To better understand relationships and differences among cognitive science, brain science and sociocultural theory; to be able to discuss these views in terms of tools they provide for educators.

1. To better understand relationships and differences among cognitive science, brain science and sociocultural theory; to be able to discuss these views in terms of tools they provide for educators.

Course PerspectivesCourse Perspectives

Social (Sociocultural) Lecture, instructional method

Brain Science Blakemore & Firth Text

Cognitive Halpern Text

Social (Sociocultural) Lecture, instructional method

Brain Science Blakemore & Firth Text

Cognitive Halpern Text

Long Term MemoryPrior Knowledge: Ideas,

Beliefs,Skills . . .

Cognitive Effort

SensesEyesEarsEtc.

Focuses Attention

ConstructsKnowledge

Information . . . Information . . . Information . . . Information . . .

Cognitive Theory

Working Memory

Example Cognitive Theory: PiagetExample Cognitive Theory: Piaget

Active prior knowledge (schemas): Interprets incoming experience

If experience consistent with known: Assimilation

If experience challenges known: cognitive dissonance reflection accommodation (old schemas change)

Active prior knowledge (schemas): Interprets incoming experience

If experience consistent with known: Assimilation

If experience challenges known: cognitive dissonance reflection accommodation (old schemas change)

Cognitive Theory:What Controls Learning?

Cognitive Theory:What Controls Learning?

Learning Environment Teacher, instructional design features, etc.

Other Stuff Intelligences, habits of mind, cultural background,

situational variables, opportunities to learn Learner

Metacognitive “self-regulation” Strategies for self-motivation, memory, etc.

Reflection

Learning Environment Teacher, instructional design features, etc.

Other Stuff Intelligences, habits of mind, cultural background,

situational variables, opportunities to learn Learner

Metacognitive “self-regulation” Strategies for self-motivation, memory, etc.

Reflection

Cognitive Science MetaphorsCognitive Science Metaphors

Information Processing Mind like computer

Active knowledge construction Effortful meaning making Successful learning is schematic, organized Abstract knowledge transfers to life

Justification for most school disciplines

Information Processing Mind like computer

Active knowledge construction Effortful meaning making Successful learning is schematic, organized Abstract knowledge transfers to life

Justification for most school disciplines

Misconceptions About Cognitive Science

Misconceptions About Cognitive Science

Myth: Advocates direct Instruction (versus) active learning environments

Truth: ALL learning effortful, active; may (or may not) occur during lecture or hands-on activity

Myth: Advocates direct Instruction (versus) active learning environments

Truth: ALL learning effortful, active; may (or may not) occur during lecture or hands-on activity

Social Learning Environment:Discourse . . . Tasks . . . Activities . . . Illustrations. . .Learning Tools . . .

Guidance . . . Norms

Effort After

Meaning

SensesEyesEarsEtc.

FocusesAttention

ConstructKnowledge

Prior KnowledgeIdeas, Beliefs

Skills . . .

Sociocultural + Cognitive

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How does this course try to model a blended socio-cultural, cognitive and brain-based approach?

How does this course try to model a blended socio-cultural, cognitive and brain-based approach?

The Towers ProblemThe Towers Problem

You have two colors of stacking cubes available with which to build towers. Your task is to make as many different looking towers as is possible, each exactly four cubes high. A tower always points up, with the little knob on top. Solve the problem inductively with your group, then:

1. Convince yourself and others that you have found all possible towers four cubes high and that you have no duplicates.

2. Represent your solution to share with the class.3. Devise a formula that would enable you to solve the problem for

towers of 2 colors and any height (advanced: with any number of colors and any height)

You have two colors of stacking cubes available with which to build towers. Your task is to make as many different looking towers as is possible, each exactly four cubes high. A tower always points up, with the little knob on top. Solve the problem inductively with your group, then:

1. Convince yourself and others that you have found all possible towers four cubes high and that you have no duplicates.

2. Represent your solution to share with the class.3. Devise a formula that would enable you to solve the problem for

towers of 2 colors and any height (advanced: with any number of colors and any height)

After ExerciseAfter Exercise

Any member of your group should be able to: Explain an inductive strategy for solving the 2-

color/4 tall towers problem and be able to convince others the solution is correct.

Explain a general formula for the 2-color towers problem that works for towers of any height

Using your work on the towers problem, explain the relationship between deductive and inductive reasoning.

Any member of your group should be able to: Explain an inductive strategy for solving the 2-

color/4 tall towers problem and be able to convince others the solution is correct.

Explain a general formula for the 2-color towers problem that works for towers of any height

Using your work on the towers problem, explain the relationship between deductive and inductive reasoning.

Things to considerThings to consider

Expert blind spots Inductive versus deductive reasoning Math anxiety Should peer mentors provide answers?

Expert blind spots Inductive versus deductive reasoning Math anxiety Should peer mentors provide answers?