Cognitive Development Learning Theory

I find Cognitive Learning theory to be very interesting. Having spent time delving into both the theory itself, and the learning theories associated with it, I have come to the conclusion that I like the theory and dislike most of the instructional models. I like how Cognitivism puts emphasis on mental processes and building upon knowledge through interactions with the environment. Additionally, I feel that cognitivism correctly addresses the fact that learning does not have to result in visible behavioral changes. Unlike Behaviorism which suggests that learning only occurs when a relatively permanent change in behavior happens as a means to prove that learning has taken place.

In addition to agreeing with many of the philosophical components of Cognitivism, I also appreciate and recognize how the process of learning according to Cognitivism has played a role in my personal learning and teaching experiences. During my time as a Supplemental Instruction Senior Leader, I was responsible for teaching college freshman Anthropology 1010. There were often components of the course content that were completely novel to my students, and they really struggled to build deeper understanding. One thing that really helped them was when I would actively build connections between the novel information and ideas that they already understood or experienced in their own lives. In this way, I was utilizing the concept of Subsumption to help my students develop an abstract understanding of new ideas. I also recognize that with very complex intellectual learning, Behaviorism would not be able to fill the gaps in my students knowledge. I also would often use most - if not all- of the pieces of the Nine Events of Instruction in my lesson plans.

However, this brings me to my frustration with the instructional models based on Cognitivism. Of the three models that we looked at in this unit I found that only Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction to be accurate in its designation of an instructional model. An instructional model is a framework that describes how a lesson is structured and delivered, and the teaching strategies and activities used to achieve specific learning goals. As such, an advance organizer is NOT an instructional model, it is an instructional tool at most. Similarly, Meaningful Reception only touches on a piece of the instructional process. I just feel like there must be better ways to incorporate the principles of Cognitivism into fully realized instructional models.

I still feel that Cognitivism is missing a key piece that is addressed in Social Learning Theory, and that is the very real impact of culture, and how imitating the modeled behaviors of others is often used to achieve a desired outcome. That said, Cognitivism does a great job of actualizing the functions of mental/internal processes in learning.