Cognitivism

GIGO... Garbage in ... garbage out...Are we like computers? Do we process information and retrieve it as needed?  

Kerr states "Cognitivism doesn’t explain 100% how humans process information and neither does Constructivism or Behaviorism" so how do we know how the brain operates and how we retrieve and utilize information?  We don't. Nor should we expect to educate others with the ability to understand the cognitive learning process. Yet, we can learn and utilize the research that has gone behind it to understand that some people do have everyday cognition and we have seen this often.  The person that performs poorly in test situations, yet understands thoroughly how to do the equations or problems when asked and demonstrates the skill. (Driscoll, 2005) 

Are the ism's define us as humans? Kapp states "constructivism, behaviourism, cognitivism and now a new one, connectivism"  define learning theory do separate us from computers.  So can we process information like computers or relatively turn out the same output of results?  Can we learn from previous tasks and collect information on new tasks relative to the old tasks? Yes, but cognition is 'socially defined, interpreted and supported' (Driscoll, 2005) but not totally understood to develop those skills entirely.  

References:

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.).Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Kapp, K. (2007, January 2). Out and about: Discussion on educational schools of thought [Web log post]. Retrieved fromhttp://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 fromhttp://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html

Introduction

1. What are your beliefs about how people learn best? What is the purpose of learning theory in educational technology?

Throughout my educational career, I have felt an open classroom environment where students can speak on their comments, thoughts, ideas, inspirations without reservation is ideal.  This type of environment works very well in a collegiate environment with adults.  Since the world is actively changing, my classroom is in effect in a constant state of change.  We speak about current events on how they relate to the topic we are covering, as well as how times have changed throughout the past 50 years.  Since this term I am teaching two Communications classes we speak about how communications and styles have changed throughout the past 50 years.  I have students (especially my teenagers) watch a few episodes of Mad Men to note the dramatic changes that have taken place. Not just in technology, which is commonly the theme, but in styles of how women and men interacted with each other and the roles they had. It really opens up some amazing conversations and I sit in the middle of the classroom and engage each and every student in these discussions. Always, I bring the conversation to terms they are learning in the chapter and constantly compare terms to scenarios they will remember from their favorite TV shows or movies.  When it comes to the test, they remember and effectively learn their material based on these conversations.

By utilizing respondent behavior by eliciting an involuntary reaction to the stimulus (Driscoll, 2005) of the students recalling the material that coincides with a specific memory enhances their learning. I've measured the success of the students learning by lecture and memorizing terms versus this type of learning and have found great success in my learning by association methods.    

The purpose of learning theory in educational technology is finding the best way people learn while keeping them interested in new technologies and up to date on those educational methods that will assist in their learning. 

Driscoll, M. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction. (3 ed.). Allyn & Bacon