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Cognitivism, unlike behaviorism, assumes that humans are not merely animals who respond to stimuli. Cognitive theorists believe that internal mental processes can indeed be understood scientifically and are an important part of learning. Not only do learners take in information and add to their already developed beliefs and schemata, but in the process of taking in new knowledge learners also produce original thoughts not directly connected to any “inputs.” Cognitivists emphasize the significance of the thought processes (and aspects of the mind, including attention, memory, problem-solving, etc.) at work during a learning experience, not simply the “output” or observable behavior (for example, performance on a test) which results from a learning experience. Now, you will be reading a nice overview of cognitivism by Michela, E. (2020). Cognitivism. In R. Kimmons & scaskurlu (Eds.), The Students' Guide to Learning Design and Research. EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/studentguide/cognitivism. Click here to read the overview of Cognitivism.
Bruner's Work Related to Cognitivism.
Bruner's Work Related to Cognitivism.
While Bruner is well known for his contributions to constructivist learning theory, his work also influenced cognitivist learning theory. Bruner believed that an important aspect of learning is the ability to not only take in, process, and respond to information, but also the ability to make predictions, create, and invent things. Jerome Bruner's career lasted over 60 years, and a brief summary gives a nice introduction by Smith, M.K. (2002). "Jerome S. Bruner and the process of education". The Encyclopedia of Informal Education. Click here to reach the summary.
While Bruner is well known for his contributions to constructivist learning theory, his work also influenced cognitivist learning theory. Bruner believed that an important aspect of learning is the ability to not only take in, process, and respond to information, but also the ability to make predictions, create, and invent things. Jerome Bruner's career lasted over 60 years, and a brief summary gives a nice introduction by Smith, M.K. (2002). "Jerome S. Bruner and the process of education". The Encyclopedia of Informal Education. Click here to reach the summary.
One of Bruner's first studies showed that mental processes are shaped by past experiences, and that cognition changes (for example, slows) when information is presented in a manner which is different than the our prior perceptual training. Jerome Bruner and Leo Postman (1949). "On the Perception of Incongruity: A Paradigm." Journal of Personality, 18, 206-223 showed that social environment shapes perceptions. Click here to read the study.
Social Cognitivism
Social Cognitivism
Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory combines an interest in cognition with recognition of the way learning is not purely a solitary, internal matter but rather takes place interpersonally. Click here to read more about Social Cognitive Theory.
Bandura argued that much learning comes through observation and imitation, but psychological concepts like agency also play a key role.
Agency is the sense that you are a do-er, not just a static thing. The idea of agency implies that you are constantly monitoring and adjusting your behavior based on outcomes, and that you have some sense of mastery over what you do and what the results are.
Bandura argued that one key pre-condition for learning is self-efficacy: your belief you are able to so or capable of doing something.
Self-efficacy can be increased by various means, but significant experiences of master are particularly important. This means you didn't just master something trivial: you mastered something challenging--usually supported by others.
The concept of self-efficacy is also a bridge between learning theory and theories of behavior change used in psychotherapy and counseling.
Bandura himself lays out the history of the development of his theories in a summary of the topic. Click here to read the summary.
He explains how self-efficacy supports a unified theory of behavior change in a 1977 article. Click here to read the article.
As you can imagine, the idea of agency and being a 'do-er' ties in well with being an active participant in the learning process. Can you identify connections to constructivism and behaviorism? Thinking about your own learning experiences, identify 2 or 3 examples of social cognitivism in practice?.
Connectivism
Connectivism
Connectivism is a learning theory that explains how Internet technologies have created new opportunities for people to learn and share information across the World Wide Web and among themselves. Below, you are provided with list of readings.
Siemens, George. Jan, 2005. Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. Click here to access the article.
AlDadouh, A. A., Osório, A. J., & Portugal, S. C. (2015). Understanding knowledge network, learning and connectivism. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning,12(10), 3-21. Retrieved November 11, 2018, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED572896.pdf Click here to access the article.
Clarà, M. & Barberà, E. (2013): Learning online: massive open online courses (MOOCs), connectivism, and cultural psychology. Distance Education, 34(1), 129-136. Click here to read the article.
(2/10/2021)
Cognitive Load
Cognitive Load
Cognitive psychologists have identified working memory as a sort of bottleneck which reduces our ability to learn. Working memory is a sort of processing space where we mentally 'work over' or manipulate whatever it is we're thinking about.
Let’s revisit what we discussed in this week’s introduction about staying focused while someone reads from PowerPoint slides. Each source of information (text on PowerPoint slides, images or videos on PowerPoint slides, speaker’s voice, background music or transition sounds) requires part of your working memory; unfortunately, there is a limit to how much information your working memory can hold at any given moment.
The concept of cognitive load has been especially important for the study of multimedia learning: learning from computer-based media, including videos and educational games. On a single screen of an eLearning environment, there is a plethora of information a learner must take in -- buttons, links, background color/patterns, images, videos, charts… Cognitive Load Theory proposes that the human mind can only focus on or hold a limited amount of the this information at once; thus, it’s extremely important as an instructional designer to eliminate extraneous elements (on a page, in a presentation or recording, in a PDF document). Below you will find list readings on Cognitive Load Theory.
Emory, B. (2019). Cognitive load theory and instructional message design. In M. Ramlatchan (Ed.), Instructional Message Design: Theory, Research, and Practice, 1. Norfolk, VA: Kindle Direct Publishing. Click here to access the article.
Mayer is one of the most prominent researchers in this area. He summarizes his research in a mere 12 principles. Click here to read a summary of 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning.
Sorden, S. (2005). A Cognitive Approach to Instructional Design for Multimedia Learning, Informing Science Journal, 8. Click here to access the article.
Review the following two articles on approaches to minimize cognitive load for learners. As you do, think about how these tips and ideas connect with the other learning theories and ideas presented so far. After reading the articles, be sure you can identify three methods or approaches you would use during a learning experience to prevent overloading students:
5 Ways to Limit Cognitive Load in Online Students. Click here to access the article.
7 Tips to Reduce Cognitive Overload in Elearning. Click here to access the article.
Cognitive Load Example : Capstone Interactive Ebooks website.
Click to visit website : https://www.capstonepub.com/librarians/ebooks/interactive-ebooks
It is interactive eBooks website for every student in your school. Capstone is the nation’s leading educational publisher for digital solutions, children’s books, and literacy programs for school libraries and classrooms. With over 5,000 Interactive eBooks, Capstone has more content than any other publisher. With the access students want and the content educators can trust, Capstone Interactive eBooks have many unique features:
Capstone is passionate about inclusivity, equity, and accessibility for the benefit of all children. There should be no barriers to reading. Kids should be able to access books that speak to their curiosity, their experiences, their imagination, and of course, their heart. Reading is incredibly important for early age and childhood development, and every day we commit to that.
Refer to Cognitive Load.
Cognitive Load occurs when the learners are learning or being presented with new information. The major factor that contributes to cognitive load is the complexity of the information, number of elements and the presented media that need to be attended to. If cognitive load is too high or overload while learning, it will result in failure to learn.
Therefore, the main factors to reduce the cognitive load are the design of learning media and how to present it. With today’s sophisticated digital technology, there are new popular media such as Augmented Reality Augmented Books and Interactive eBooks which are the effective teaching materials that are attractive and can reduce cognitive load. The learners are able to comprehend the difficult contents easily and rapidly.
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