Cognitivism

Lorna, Stephanie, Derek, & Courtney**
 * Learning like a Machine: Information processing theory

Cognition focuses on the mental processes that occur between stimulus and response. Information processing theory attempts to explain how the mind takes in information, changes or encodes the information, stores the information, and later retrieves it when necessary. The components of memory are the sensory memory which is very short (~0.5s) and has an unlimited capacity; the short term or working memory which has limited capacity of 5-9 chunks of data and consists of words, images, ideas, etc; and the long term memory which is organized, relatively permanent and assimilates information to existing knowledge.

Our senses detect tons of stimuli that are registered by the sensory memory. The information that we pay attention to and perceive is transferred to the working memory. //Size, intensity, novelty, incongruity, emotion,// and //personal significance// are some criteria used to determine the amount of attention we pay to the stimuli detected by our senses.

The information is put to use in the working memory. The working memory consists of the central executive, the phonological loop, the visuospatial sketchpad, and the episodic buffer. The //central executive// deems what information is important, integrates this information with information from the long term memory, and selects how the information will be processed. The other three parts of the working memory are systems used to store certain kinds of information for a few seconds. The //phonological loop// stores information dealing with sounds and acoustics, the //visuospatial sketchpad// stores information dealing with visual and spatial information, and the //episodic buffer// stores integrated information between the phonological loop, the visuospatial sketchpad, and the long-term memory. Information in the working memory lasts only 5-20 seconds; however this can be extended by actively using the information. A technique used to keep information in the working memory by repetition is called //rehearsal//.

Information is transferred to long-term memory through in-depth processing or encoding. //Elaborative rehearsal// is a method of encoding in which new information is connected to prior knowledge//.// Other methods include organizational strategies (eg. chunking, hierarchies, visual imagery) and schematic strategies (eg. assimilation and accommodation). Once information enters the long-term memory, we are unsure if it is ever lost or if it can ever be lost. There are 4 types of knowledge stored in the long-term memory and they are //episodic knowledge//, //declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge//, and //conceptual knowledge//. All these types of knowledge fall into two broader types of knowledge: implicit and explicit knowledge.

The storage and organization of information in the long term memory is important because it allows us to recall this information when necessary and use the information to understand new information. It is not uncommon, however, for our memory to "fail"-- that is the individual has problems in recalling the stored information. We typically attribute this to one of the '7 sins of memory loss': decay, inaccessibility, blocking, suppression, misattribution, suggestibility and bias. Decay occurs when your ability to trace the memory decays over time. The idea of inaccessibility is often called absentmindedness because the individual receives inadequate retrieval cues. The third memory sin called blocking is more frequently known as the tip of tongue syndrome, and it is both retroactive and proactive. Memory suppression is a deliberate and subconscious effort to erase a memory, often resulting from a traumatic past experience. As the name suggests, misattribution is when an individual attributes a memory to an incorrect source. The final 2 sins of memory are suggestibility and bias. Suggestibility occurs when implanted memories arise as a result of leading questions or suggestions; while bias is a retrospective distortion produced by current knowledge and belief.

It is essential that teachers consider the preceding theories of information processing when introducing new material to their students. Learning will not occur unless one is paying attention to the information being covered, and therefore the first step to effective teaching is ensuring that the teacher has the attention of the class. Through the incorporation of a variety of instructional methods, which focus on building curiosity while engaging students in interactive ways, attention can be established and maintained. Teachers should then pose questions to the class that serve the dual purpose of reinforcing key ideas as well as allowing time for student rehearsal. While maintaining relevant information in the working memory of each student, a teacher should begin to relate this material to previous knowledge in a way that allows students to perceive concepts in an organized manner. Visual aids and differentiated exposures to these relations should be provided to ensure effective learning while maintaining student interest and attention. Through the establishment of these connections students can begin to tie meaning to the new material and consider the essential ideas being covered. Students may now begin to develop an understanding of the new material, which may be reinforced through practicing and academic exploration under the guidance of the teacher.

For more details on working memory- do read the chapter...In short term memory visual, and auditory stimuli are processed by the visuo-spatial sketchpad and the phonological loop respectively (see pge 189). -- Good first attempt Stephanie! (KP)