Cognitivism in Practice

Dr Orey explains (2009), that the cognitive learning theories relate back to Information processing. As teachers, we are trying to get information into our students using different processes. The short term / working memory is limited to 7 pieces of information + or – 2 pieces at a time, so there is a limit to how much a learner can handle at one time. To place information into long-term memory requires elaboration, here we want our students to make, as many connections to that information as possible, doing so will put the information into long-term memory. An important theory in Informational processing is Paivio’s Dual Coding hypothesis. This theory is a “phenomena” where people can remember images much better than if it were in plain text. By putting the two together, you have more ways to make the connection to recall the information (Laureate, 2009). By using technology and the tools that it provides, like concept maps, advance organizers, and note taking strategies, teaches are able to help their students teach themselves how to retain information better.

“The instructional strategy, cues, questions, and advance organizers focuses on enhancing students’ ability to retrieve, use, and organize information about a topic” (Pitler, et al, 2007). Cues are used to give the students an idea of what is about to learn, questions do the same thing as cues accept they help trigger prior knowledge that the students have. Concept mapping tools are great graphic organizers to support the dual coding hypothesis. For example, when students create a concept map, by using both graphics and text together, the student has a better chance pulling the information from their long-term memory. In a traditional woodworking class, I do not use a lot of technology, but based on what I have learned to date; I would like my students to take a Virtual Field trip to a Sawmill. During this field trip, I would like them to create a concept map around the given essential question. This information will then be used to create a brochure on what they learned about the process of how a tree becomes a piece of lumber that you buy at Home Depot or Lowes.

“The instructional strategy, summarizing and note taking, focuses on enhancing students’ ability to synthesize information and distill it into a concise new form” (Pitler, et al, 2007). Dual coding can be utilized in note taking when the student incorporates different formats and puts them together. By combining the different types of notes, the students have a higher percentage of recalling the information, because the information was viewed in multiple ways. To do this by hand would be time consuming, students creating double column notes by hand has not been looked upon with happy faces. If the students have a laptop at their disposal, creating notes that utilize dual coding would not take very long, and the notes would be there own.

As a woodworking teacher in a non technology classroom, I have found that using technology takes away from my students creating hands on projects. But before they can get to that stage of the class, they need to learn the very beginning. I feel that by introducing the above techniques when we explore a Virtual Field trip, my students will better appreciate the process of how our would came to be.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.