Learning, Cognition and Memory

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Learning, Cognition and Memory

• EDC 312
• Dr. Diane Kern
• Session 3

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Admit activity

• Ch. 1 How does the field of educational
  psychology inform or impact your teaching?
• Ch. 2 We know that learning is a process of
  actively constructing meaning. What does this
  mean? Describe 3 classroom strategies that help
  students learn actively and explain why this
  practice is effective.

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Discussion

• Admit Activity
• Syllabus questions/course requirements

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Case Study The New World

• We must understand the nature of learning in
  order to teach children and adolescents well
• Theoretical Perspectives on Learning
• Behaviorism
• Social Learning Theory
• Information Processing Theory
• Constructivism
• Sociocultural Theory

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Behaviorism

• Definition Learning is viewed as a process of
  acquiring and modifying associations among
  stimuli and responses.
• Key theorists and theories
• B.F. Skinner-Operant conditioning
• Pavlov- Classical conditioning

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B.F. Skinner

• Conducted experimental research studies. Operant
  conditioning is based on the idea that learning
  is a function of changeable behavior. Changes in
  behavior are the result of a persons response to
  events (stimuli). When a stimulus-response is
  reinforced (rewarded), the individual becomes
  conditioned to respond.

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Ivan Pavlov

• Conducted experiments with dogs in 1920s. He
  found that dogs naturally salivate in an
  unconditioned response to the unconditioned
  stimulus of food. He also proved that dogs can
  be taught to salivate (a conditioned response) in
  response to a conditioned stimulus (one that
  creates a physiological or emotional response
  after learning).

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Social Learning Theory

• Definition People learn from observing one
  another
• Key theorists and theories
• Bandura social learning theory

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Bandura

• Banduras research showed that children learn
  from observing others. In a classroom setting,
  this may occur through teachers modeling,
  observing a peer, or learning vicariously from
  anothers experiences.

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Information Processing Theory

• Definition Focus on what goes on inside learners
  as they learn. Particular focus on cognitive
  processes involved in learning, memory and
  performance.
• Key theorists and theories
• Atkinson
• Shiffrin
• Anderson

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Constructivism

• Define Learning occurs when people create
  (rather than absorb) knowledge from their
  observations and experiences.
• Key theorists and theories
• Piaget- Theory of cognitive development and 4
  developmental stages of learning

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Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development

• Stage Age(s) Behavior
• Sensorimotor Birth2 Explore the world
  through senses and motor
  skills.
• Preoperational 27 Believe that others
  view the world as they do. Can
  use symbols to represent
  objects.
• Concrete operational 711 Reason logically in
  familiar situations. Can
  conserve and reverse
  operations.
• Formal operational 11 Can reason in
  hypothetical situations and use
  abstract thought.

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Sociocultural view of learning

• Define Learning occurs in social, cultural and
  historical contexts that have profound influence
  on thinking, learning and instructional
  practices.
• Key theorists and theories
• Vygotsky- zone of proximal development

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Vygotskys Theory of Cognitive Development

• Zone of proximal development Students learn best
  in a social context in which a more knowledgeable
  adult or peer teaches the student something he or
  she could not learn on his or her own.
• Major assumptions
• Informal conversations formal schooling provide
  adult models
• Thought and language become increasingly
  interdependent
• Higher level mental processes start as social
  activitiesinternalizes
• More challenging tasks achieved with support of
• capable adult or peer

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Developmental TrendsVideo

• Early Childhood
• Middle Childhood
• Adolescence

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So what?!

• Share your observations of different level
  learners. How will what you know about learning,
  cognition and memory affect your instruction in
  the early grades, middle grades, and high school?
  

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So what??!
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Next class

• Workshop
• Reading due next seminarChapter 3
• Reading to learnHow does context (both immediate
  and broader contexts) impact students learning?
  As a teacher, what are 2 things that can you do
  to create supportive learning contexts for your
  students? Vocabulary Ch. 3

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Exit activity

• Vision Unit
• Page 53 Constructed response and multiple choice
  question