Other Views on Cognitive Development

1
Other Views on Cognitive Development

• Neo-Piagetian
• Computational Model
• Componential Analysis
• Framework Theory
• Seigler Overlapping Waves Theory

2
Align with Piaget in that

• Children think about any particular topic in
  only one way at most points in development
• A major goal of developmental theory should be
  identifying the way of thinking used by children
  at particular ages (p. 204).
• But, they add that thinking is information
  processing.

3
Neo-Piagetian

• Who Robbie Case
• Key elements Stages like Piaget
• Stage progression shifts are from automaticity of
  problem-solving processes
• Also has a likely biological component
  mylination.
• There are general processes within and across
  culturally-defined disciplines and content areas
  (p. 206).

4
Computational Model

• Who Klahr Wallace
• Key elements Quantitative Development
• Quantity via subitizing, counting, and
  estimating.
• Over time regularities in quantification
  generalize.
• Over time develop increasingly abstract rules.

5
Componential Analysis

• Who Sternberg
• Key elements Intelligence 3 kinds of
  information processing components
• Meta-components
• Performance components
• Knowledge acquisition components
• Developmental changes through feedback,
  self-monitoring, and automatization
• Developing child is seen as novice becoming an
  expert (gaining knowledge and automaticity).

6
Framework Theory

• Who Carey
• Key elements subject specific reasoning
• People have intuitive models (theories)
• Provide elements to change and replace those
  theories such as construct mapping across domains
  and thought experiments.

7
SieglersOverlapping Waves Theory

• Key elements Rules combination of rules
• Older children attend more selectively to
  critical features
• Select appropriate dimensions of rules and
  combine to successfully solve problems
• 5 dimensions variability, rate of change, path
  of change, breadth, source
• Explains why old strategy use can persist after
  new strategy has been learned.

8
Differences

• They have disagreed minimally with Piaget.
• Rather than logical operational structures as
  Piaget proposed, these theorists see childrens
  knowledge representation as the same types of
  representations as adults.
• They differ most from Piaget in the mechanisms of
  development. Only Case includes step-like stages,
  and none retains Piagets view of the child as a
  biological organism that allows for qualitative
  shifts
• According to the Info-Processing
  developmentalists, learning plays a more
  significant role.

9
InstructionGiven Developmental Views

• Piaget
• The learning environment should support the
  activity of the child
• Childrens interactions with their peers are an
  important source of cognitive development (move
  beyond egocentric thought), others provide
  information/feedback about the childs logical
  constructions
• Adopt instructional strategies that make children
  aware of conflicts and inconsistencies in their
  thinking

10
InstructionGiven Developmental Views

• Information-processing view
• Role of rules to help overcome memory limits
• Identify the ways the child oversimplifies the
  problem
• Show why their strategy will not work and what
  they are ignoring
• Be taught and practice new strategy that
  incorporates the new rules
• Promote conceptual change set the stage
• Have dissatisfaction with current conception
  (this can be created)
• New conception can be grasped (use analogies,
  metaphors, physical models, etc.)
• New concept seems plausible (relates to beliefs
  and can account for anomalies)
• New conception opens up new areas of inquiry