COGNITIVISM AS A LEARNING THEORY

“It seems to me that each _ism is offering

something useful without any of them being

complete or stand alone in their own right.”

                                                                        ~  Kapp (2007) 

Gardner (1985) defines cognitive science “as a contemporary, empirically based effort to answer long-standing epistemological questions – particularly those concerned with efforts to explain human knowledge.”   

Driscoll (2005) states, “According to the cognitive information processing view, the human learner is conceived to be a processor of information in much the same way a computer is.”  Driscoll (2005) continues by stating “When learning occurs, information is input from the environment, processed and stored in memory, and output in the form of some learned capability.”  From a cognivist’s point of view knowledge is acquired through an interaction with sense information as an active agent.  Cognivist’s believe that our minds are what frames experience and perception.  They also believe our minds provide potential boundaries for knowledge based on its innate construction and capacity (Reynlolds, et al, 1996, pg. 97).

Cognitive theory became more widely accepted in place of behaviorist theory in the 1970s after the influence of cognitive science began to make itself known in the educational technology field.  This awareness began when publications that focused on the cognitive view of learning and its application began to find their way into the educational technology field (i.e. Atkinson, 1976) (Saettler, 2004). 

The more I am exposed to the different theories of education the more I cannot seem to pick just one that I feel is the best fit for me as an educator.  Kapp (2007) states in his blog that “We need to take pieces from each school of thought and apply it effectively because Cognitivism does not explain 100% how humans process information and neither does Constructivism or Behaviorism.  What we need to is take the best from each philosophy and use it wisely to create solid educational experiences for our learners.”  I also have to agree with Kerr (2007) when he states “What I have noticed is that these _isms do not stand still.  They evolve, they listen to criticism and move on.  I’ve also noticed that learning theorists, who have a different favorite _ism to mine, might still come up with significant findings in their empirical studies that I find hard to reject or ignore.”

Maybe someday in the future I will be able to pick one _ism and advocate for it.  However, today is not that day.  I am the type of person who needs to do my research before deciding on taking a stance on any issue.  The choice of an _ism is no different.

 

References

Gardner, H. (1985). The mind’s new science.  New York, NY: Basic Books.

Irby, B. J., Brown, G., Lara-Alecio, R., & Jackson, S. (2013). Cognitivism: Ways of knowing. In The

          handbook of educational theories (pp. 105-113). Charlotte, NC: Information Age   Pub.

Kapp, K. (2007, January 2). Out and about: Discussion on educational schools of thought [Web   log

          post]. Retrieved from http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/out-     

          and-about-discussion-on-educational/

Kerr, B. (2007, January 1). _isms as filter, not blinker [Web log post]. Retrieved from            

          http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html

Reynolds, R. E., Sinatra, G. M., & Jetton, T. L. (1996). Views of knowledge acquisition and            

          representation:  A continuum from experience centered to mind centered. Educational            

          Psychologist, 31(2), 93-104.

Saettler, L. P. (2004).  The evolution of American educational technology. Englewood, CO:

          IAP, Information Age Publishing.

Tomic, W. (1993). Behaviorism and cognitivism in education.  A Journal of Human Behavior.  Vol

          30, Pp. 34-46.

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Blogs I posted comments to

 

anitaboseman.wordpress.com

travalper.blogspot.com

joanierice.weebly.com

 

MODULE 1 - BLOG ASSIGNMENT: LEARNING AND INSTRUCTION IN A DIGITAL WORLD

“When we look at how people describe this field, educational technology

is the umbrella term.  It’s a generic way of talking about all the different flavors by

which we think about using tools, media, applications, environments in learning and teaching.”

                                                                                                          ~ Dr. Chris Dede (Laureate, 2008b)

What are your beliefs about how people learn? 

I believe that a person’s learning style and how they learn is as individual as the person.  Each of us prefers different ways of learning.  Some people are visual learners (spatial).  Other people may be an aural learner (auditory-musical); verbal learner (linguistic); physical learner (kinesthetic); logical learner (mathematical); social learner (interpersonal); or a solitary learner (intrapersonal) (learning-styles-online.com).

A person’s learning style influences and guides the way we learn.  Learning styles also change the way we internally represent experiences, the way we recall information, and even the words we choose (learning-styles-online.com).  Research also shows us that each learning style uses different parts of the brain.  By involving more of the brain during learning, we remember more of what we learn.

 

Siemens (2008), discusses the most common theories of learning in his paper.  He lists these theories as:

 

1.         Behaviorism:  Behaviorism asserts that learning is a “black box” activity, in that we do not know what occurs inside the learner, focuses its efforts on managing external, observable behaviors, and finds much of its existence in objectivism (Siemens, 2008).

2.         Cognitivism:  Cognitivism spans a continuum from learning as information processing (a computer model) at one end, to learning as reasoning and thinking on the other, finds much of its identity in pragmatism (Siemens, 2008).

3.         Constructivism:  Constructivism covers a broad spectrum of research overlapping with cognitivism, contends that learning involves each individual learner making sense and constructing knowledge within his or her own context; it finds its foundation in interpretivism (Siemens, 2008).

What is the purpose of learning theory in educational technology?

Semple (2000), states “The use of educational technologies, as much as the application of particular theories of learning, is a matter of fitness for the purpose.  There is no one approach which is necessarily better than another and there is no one medium that should be applied in preference to another just for the sake of it.  A teacher well versed in the various theories of learning, with a thorough knowledge of his or her students and a high level of competence in using and applying a range of educational technologies, will create appropriate learning environments.  Many needs, often competing, have to be met including those of students, curriculum frameworks, assessment regimes and education systems.  This demands a high level of accomplishment of teachers, which can only be expected if appropriate pre-service training is given and ongoing professional development is the norm”.

In my own experience (i.e. owning/running a licensed home child care for 24 plus years), I assess each child individually in order to learn how each child learns.  In turn the curriculum focuses on elements of learning that fits each child.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008b). Educational technology defined.  [Video   

            webcast].  Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_
            tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2
            Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3463077_1%26url%3D
 

Overview of learning styles. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/

Semple, A. (2000). Learning theories and their influence on the development and use of educational

             technologies. Australian Science Teachers Journal, 46(3), 21−27.

Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for    educators

            and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from   

            http://itforum.coe.uga.edu/Paper105/Siemens.pdf

 

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Blogs I posted comments to

 

anitaboseman.wordpress.com

travalper.blogspot.com

wendiledford.wordpress.com

joanierice.weebly.com