complex cognitive processes

Question 1

metacognition

Answer 1

• thinking about thinking
• ability to monitor and regulate one’s own thinking, reasoning, problem solving, learning etc. adaptable

Question 2

metacognition
essential skills

Answer 2

planning
- how can I accomplish this task? what resources do I need? how do I start? self efficacy

monitoring
- how is the task going? is this making sense? how am I doing?

evaluating
- can I finish? am I finished?

Question 3

metacognition types of knowledge
declarative knowledge

Answer 3

• metacognitive skills apply to the following types of knowledge depending on the tasks

declarative knowledge
- explicit, you know that you know, aware able to call information, content specific, knowledge about self as a learn`

Question 4

metacognition types of knowledge
procedural knowledge

Answer 4

procedural knowledge
- knowing how to use skills

Question 5

metacognition types of knowledge
self regulatory knowledge

Answer 5

• most difficult to accomplish
• when, why and how to apply declarative and procedural knowledge
• able to manage yourself

Question 6

learning strategies

Answer 6

• general plans for learning, how to go about a learning task
• goal of education is to “learn how to learn”

Question 7

in order to learn students need to…

Answer 7

1. focus attention to relevant information
2. effort/motivation, make connections, process information
3. metacognitive skills: regulate and monitor own learning

Question 8

approach to teaching learning strategies

Answer 8

1. exposure to general and specific strategies
2. direct instruction on self regulated learning, when, why to use strategy
3. motivational component to counter reliance on easier less effective strategies, willingness to work within zone of proximal development
4. self efficacy

Question 9

expert student learning strategies

Answer 9

focusing attention: use of chapter outlines, learning outcomes, headings

organization: harder to remember unorganized information, has tools for organizing eg concept maps, drawing, flow chart

summaries: important ideas only, brief, organized

note taking: paraphrase, later review/flag unfamiliar/difficult material, verbatim memorization ineffective

underlining/highlighting: overused by non experts, not effective by itself

Question 10

reading strategies

Answer 10

• previewing, subheadings/bolded words
• questions, what do I expect to learn?
• read
• summarize/review

Question 11

problem solving
1. identity (framing)

Answer 11

• identify the problem, why is being asked?
• understand the statement/whole problem
• focus on key words, pick strategy based on key word
• novices focus on surface details, experts on deeper meaning
• sorting relevant from irrelevant information
• changing the framing of the question can make the answer much easier to arrive to
• in school, problems are usually clearly identified

Question 12

problem solving
2. devise strategies

Answer 12

• critical thinking skills, unbiased evaluation, logically and systematically examining the problem, evidence, conclusions
• use of LTM, declarative knowledge
• the more possible solutions produced, the more successful problem solving

Question 13

problem solving
algorithm

Answer 13

• precise rules/steps to solve specific type of problem
• eg math solution
• if done correctly you will always succeed
• can be inefficient, too many steps/too long
• high demand on working memory

Question 14

problem solving
heuristics

Answer 14

• general approach/rule of thumb to problem solving
• eg working backwards, analogical thinking
• lower demand on working memory than algorithms
• efficient
• may or may not arrive at a solution, could be the wrong approach depending on the problem

Question 15

problem solving
last step: decision

Answer 15

• is my solution acceptable? am I done? is my answer correct?
• influenced by risk, motivation, experience

Question 16

expert problem solvers

Answer 16

• spend more time identifying problem
• domain, declarative and procedural knowledge
• focus on relevant details, ignore irrelevant information
• perceive large meaningful patterns, organize
• monitor own performance
• practice/repetition

Question 17

chess memory

Answer 17

• experts high level of memorization of recreating chess board if organized, showing remember groups of pieces/board as a whole
• no difference to novice if randomized

Question 18

interferences with problem solving
functional fixedness

Answer 18

• considering only typical uses for materials/tools
• eg how many uses for a pencil

Question 19

interferences with problem solving
response set

Answer 19

• tendency to represent problems in a familiar way
• this is how I do things.
• not always appropriate to use the same approach for different problems

Question 20

interferences with problem solving
representativeness

Answer 20

• judgements based on stereotypes

Question 21

interferences with problem solving
availability

Answer 21

• first things that come to mind, what is available in your memory
• eg belief about words starting with r are more common than 3rd letter just because you can think about more options for r as first

Question 22

interferences with problem solving
belief perseverance

Answer 22

• tendency to hold onto beliefs despite contradictory evidence

Question 23

interferences with problem solving
confirmation bias

Answer 23

• looking for/preferring sources that confirm existing belief
• ignoring/rejecting/avoiding evidence against belief
• eg only going to political rallies that they agree with

Question 24

transfer

Answer 24

• previous learning influencing current learning, can be different task in the future still influenced by past learning
• aim for transfer to be automatic, overlearning, multiple contexts

Question 25

positive transfer

Answer 25

- previous learning facilitating new learning making it easier - eg basic numerical skills making it easier to learn harder math - encouraged by lots of practice/overlearning/mastery - after a while, don't even have to think about it eg driving - if domains are related, transfer is direct and explicit - if domains are unrelated, transfer is abstract conceptual

Question 26

thoughtful transfer

Answer 26

- student presented with problem, deliberate attempt made to apply knowledge (strategy, procedure, concept, skills) to new situation - more thoughtful transfer develops automatic transfer, practicing in different contexts, situations etc.

Question 27

positive transfer encouraged by

Answer 27

- overlearning/mastery - teach strategy use (procedural knowledge) - practice with feedback - encouraging transfer to different situation/novel problems