To pay attention to something you have to notice it first.
To notice something it needs to fit your perception somehow or your preferred input
Only if you rehearse you can remember the information.
However, if you don't practice that information it is difficult to retrieve it.
Perceptions link us to experiences we've had in the past.
it is not knowledge
it is chained information
it is formed and generated through our development
when we see something we base it on our scheme to decide what information we see
When we design Instructional Design experiences we must remember that what is salient for the teacher is not necessarily salient for the student
When we link things to students' experiences it is more likely to stay in their brains, because of schema.
The memory attention span for adults is 20-35 minutes.
It is based on the Information processing model.
*insert model here*
Comments on the model:
If we don't notice the input it doesn't come into our focal attention, so that it could go into our memory
Our memory has a limited processing capacity so we must have a selective input
If we pay >3 seconds attention to the input then it goes into the working memory and it will process the input.
Then our brain tries to match the working input to the stored memory - it tries to find anything that might be relevant.
IMPORTANT: Students can hold/process seven pieces of information at the same time.
So:
If we give students too much info at the same time or not connected info then we will overload the students' memory.
There are three types of cognitive load.
Intrinsic cognitive load
comes from the level of difficulty of the lesson
e.g if we give a 10th grader the materials for a 12th grader then the intrinsic load is too high
2. Extraneous cognitive load
comes from poor instructional design
e.g confusing instruction, too much information at the same time, not fragmented properly or not ordered correctly
3. Germane cognitive load
it is a load coming from deep learning
If the students are engaged, they will try to invest their mental effort in digging deeper, understanding more, asking questions.
This is a load that we try to increase.
The problem with cognitive load theory is that many researchers rely on surveys, and for young children that doesn't always yield correct results.
SEE: Memory depletion
For intrinsic load, researchers started to integrate the revolutionary biology theory.
Biologically primary knowledge
We gain it through our developmental process (e.g speaking, listening)
This is "effortless" knowledge
Biologically secondary knowledge