Chapter 8- The congitive information- processing approach and teaching

Question 1

What is Information Processing?

Answer 1

Children manipulate information, monitor it, and strategize about it.
Characteristics of this approach includes:
-thinking
-change mechanisms- encoding, automaticity, strategy construction, transfer, metacognition
-self-modification

Question 2

What is Memory?

Answer 2

is the interplay of encoding, storage, and retrieval of information over time

Question 3

What is Encoding?

Answer 3

the process by which information gets into memory

Question 4

What is Storage?

Answer 4

the retention of information over time

Question 5

What is Retrieval?

Answer 5

taking information out of storage

Question 6

What are the key concepts in encoding?

Answer 6

• rehearsal
• processing
• elaboration
• constructing images
• organization

Question 7

Teaching strategies for helping students pay attention

Answer 7

• encourage students to pay attentions
• help students develop and monitor their attention
• make learning interesting
• actively engage students in the learning process
• avoid providing students with too much information too quickly
• program for individual differences in students’ attentional skills
• maintain students’ attention once you have it

Question 8

Storage: What is sensory memory?

Answer 8

holds information in its original sensory form for only an instant

Question 9

Storage: What is Short-term (working) memory?

Answer 9

Defn= is a three-part system that temporarily holds information as people perform tasks. Working memory is a kind of mental “workbench” where information is manipulated and assembled to help us make decisions, solve problems, & comprehend written & spoken language.

• limited capacity, limited time (30 seconds)
• limited span +- 7 digits

Question 10

Working Memory and Students

Answer 10

• Working memory is linked to many aspects of students’ development- children who have better working memory are more advance in reading comprehension, math skills, and problem solving.
• working memory of adolescent students is better than working memory of younger students. Thus the adolescent years are an important developmental period for improvement of working memory.
• Affective factors- impact working memory e.g. verbal working memory was impaired by negative emotion.

Question 11

Storage: What is Long-Term Memory?

Answer 11

holds enormous amounts of information for a long period of time; relatively permanent

Question 12

What is explicit (declarative) memory?

Answer 12

Conscious recollection of information (semantic, memory and episodic memory)

Question 13

What is implicit (procedural) memory?

Answer 13

subconscious recollection of information

Question 14

Network Theories

Answer 14

• describe how information is organized connected in memory
• emphasize “nodes”
• nodes stand for labels and concepts
• hierarchical networks may be too neat, insufficient
• network is irregular and distorted

Question 15

What is a Schema Theory?

Answer 15

when we construct information, we fit it into what we already know

Question 16

What are Schemas?

Answer 16

Concepts, knowledge, or information about events that already exist in the mind and influence the way we encode

Question 17

What is a Script?

Answer 17

a schema for an event

Question 18

Retrieval

Answer 18

Retrieval may be influenced by:

• serial position effect
• primary effect
• recency effect
• encoding specificity principle

Question 19

What are the two types of retrieval?

Answer 19

1. recall

2. recognition

Question 20

Forgetting: Theory 1- Cue-Dependent Forgetting

Answer 20

failure is caused by lack of effective retrieval cues

Question 21

Forgetting: Theory 2- Interference Theory

Answer 21

other information gets in the way of what we are trying to remember

Question 22

Forgetting: Theory 3- Decay Theory

Answer 22

passage of time

Question 23

Teaching strategies to help students learn and study effectively

Answer 23

• encourage students to activate their relevant prior knowledge when studying new concepts
• help students organize information when encoding
• providing students with memory mnemonics
• encourage students to extend and consolidate their learning
• help students learn how to take good notes
• encourage students to use PQ4R

Question 24

Diversity and Education:

Answer 24

• Memory is linked to your personal experiences e.g. life in a remote Inuit village
• impact of the circle in the lives of Aboriginal peoples
• Gender- females form stronger episodic memories than males
  1. Females are better than males at recalling emotion-linked memories
  2. males are better than females that require transformations in visual spatial working memory
  3. Females may process information more elaborately & in greater detail, whereas males may be more likely to use schemas or focus on general information

Question 25

What is Thinking?

Answer 25

involves manipulating and transforming information in memory. This is often done to form concepts, reason, think critically, and solve problems.

Question 26

Concept Formation: Concepts

Answer 26

concepts are categories used to group objects, events, and characteristics on the basis of common properties. They are formed through, direct experience

Question 27

What are Concept Maps?

Answer 27

visual representation of connections and hierarchical organization

Question 28

What are Hypotheses?

Answer 28

specific assumptions and predictions used to determine their accuracy

Question 29

What is Prototype matching?

Answer 29

deciding if an item belongs in a category by comparing it with the most typical item of the category

Question 30

What is inductive reasoning?

Answer 30

reasoning specific -> general

Question 31

What is deductive reasoning?

Answer 31

reasoning general -> specific

Question 32

What is critical thinking?

Answer 32

involves thinking reflectively and productively, and evaluating the evidence

Question 33

What is problem solving?

Answer 33

finding an appropriate way to attain a goal

Question 34

What are some ideas for problem solving?

Answer 34

1. Find and frame problems 2. develop good problem-solving strategies 3. evaluate solutions 4. rethink and redefine problems and solutions overtime

Question 35

Obstacles to problem solving

Answer 35

- fixation 1. functional fixedness 2. mental set - confirmation bias - lack of motivation and persistence

Question 36

Teaching strategies to help students become better thinkers

Answer 36

- make concepts clear and complete - encourage students to use strategies such as concept maps and the rule- example strategy - ask students to generate hypotheses about a concept - assist students to identify real-world problems - monitor students' thinking through the four problem-solving steps - use technology effectively - provide role models for thinking and involve parents

Question 37

What is a Transfer?

Answer 37

occurs when a person applies previous experience and knowledge to learning or problem solving a new situation

Question 38

What are types of Transfer?

Answer 38

- near transfer (similar situations) - far transfer (very different situations) - low-road transfer (automatic) - high-road transfer (conscious, effortful)

Question 39

What is Meta-cognition?

Answer 39

"knowing about knowing" or "thinking about thinking" metacognitive knowledge includes factual knowledge and strategic knowledge. Training in metacognitive strategies can improve learning. There is a developmental component; younger children have less metacognitive ability than older children

Question 40

The good information-processing model

Answer 40

competent cognition results from interacting factors: - strategies - motivation - content knowledge - metacognition

Question 41

What are three factors that lead to cognitive success?

Answer 41

1. Children are taught to use a particular strategy and learn about its advantages -> specific knowledge 2. teachers demonstrate shared features or strategies -> relational knowledge 3. Students recognize the benefits of strategies -> general strategy knowledge; and attribute successful learning outcomes to efforts in evaluating, selecting and monitoring strategy use -> metacognitive knowledge and activity.

Question 42

What are some teaching strategies for using explicit strategy instruction in the classroom?

Answer 42

- state content and process objectives - share a personal learning story related to strategy use - state why a strategy is useful - state when and where a strategy can be used - model the strategy - provide students with guided strategy instruction - encourage students to use strategy across related learning tasks - convince students that strategy really works.