THE LEARNING PROCESSTHE LEARNING PROCESS

LEARNINGLEARNING

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LEARNER OF THE LEARNER

• metacognitive skills• self-regulation/learning strategies• learning style• prior knowledge and skills• intellectual ability• physical characteristics• attention• attitudes/beliefs, motivation

• theories of intelligence• self-concept, self-efficacy• attributions• achievement goals• interest

• physiological arousal/anxiety• effort and perseverance

THE LEARNING PROCESSTHE LEARNING PROCESS

LEARNINGLEARNING

NATURE OF THE NATURE OF THE MATERIALSMATERIALS

• modality (visual, linguistic, etc.)

• book, film, lecture

• conceptual/task difficulty

• questions

• examples

• reading level

• vocabulary level

• how material is presented

• embedded questions

• “read to find out”

• how material is sequenced

• advanced organizers

• spiral curriculum

THE LEARNING PROCESSTHE LEARNING PROCESS

LEARNINGLEARNING

CRITERIAL TASKCRITERIAL TASK

What are you asked to do?

• are you asked to recognize?

• T/F

• multiple choice

• are you asked to recall?

• serial recall

• free recall

• short answer

• essay

• fill-in-the-blank

• are you asked to problem-solve?

• analysis

• synthesis

• evaluation

• are you asked to transfer?

THE LEARNING PROCESSTHE LEARNING PROCESS

LEARNINGLEARNING

LEARNING LEARNING STRATEGIESSTRATEGIES

• attention• rehearsal

• maintenance• elaborative

• organization• creation of categories

• networking• chunking

• comprehension monitoring• summarize• clarify• question• predict

• metacognition• metamemory

THE LEARNING PROCESSTHE LEARNING PROCESS

LEARNINGLEARNING

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LEARNEROF THE LEARNER

NATURE OF THE NATURE OF THE MATERIALSMATERIALS

CRITERIAL TASKCRITERIAL TASKLEARNING LEARNING

STRATEGIESSTRATEGIES

Learning: Using all we know

Behavioral consequences and practice

Cognitive (individual constructivist) attention, memory, knowledge, organization, elaboration, effort

Constructivist (social constructivist) discourse, authenticity, community, identity

Understand, remember, apply (practice)

Learning: Greatest Hits

Practice is more than repetition. Use it or lose it. Consequences matter--they are a kind of feedback Cognitive tools are remarkable--but some are limited

Attention is a gateways to learning. Working memory fills fast

Knowledge and beliefs play critical roles in learning Learning is hard work: Strategic persistence pays Knowledge is difficult to transfer

Associationist/Associationist/

Behavioral Behavioral ApproachesApproaches

Practice

Learning: Greatest Hits

Practice is more than repetition. Use it or lose it. Consequences matter--they are a kind of feedback Cognitive tools are remarkable--but some are limited

Attention is a gateways to learning. Working memory fills fast

Organization and elaboration support memory Knowledge and beliefs play critical roles in learning Learning is hard work: Strategic persistence pays Knowledge is difficult to transfer

INFORMATION INFORMATION PROCESSINGPROCESSING

ASSOCIATIONIST ASSOCIATIONIST APPROACHESAPPROACHESprevalent during first half of 20th century CONSTRUCTIVISTCONSTRUCTIVIST

APPROACHESAPPROACHESdominating psychology today

INFORMATION INFORMATION PROCESSINGPROCESSING

can be conceptualized as a bridge between …

Each view provides differing guiding metaphorsguiding metaphors for LEARNINGLEARNING

Learning is response strengthening.

Learning is knowledge construction.

ASSOCIATIONIST ASSOCIATIONIST APPROACHESAPPROACHESprevalent during first half of 20th century CONSTRUCTIVISTCONSTRUCTIVIST

APPROACHESAPPROACHESdominating psychology today

INFORMATION INFORMATION PROCESSINGPROCESSINGLearning is information processing.

Teachers are information providers.

Students are information processors.

Teachers are response monitors.

Students are response makers.

Teachers are cognitive guides.

Students are meaning-makers.

TWO VIEWS OF INFORMATION PROCESSING

LITERALLITERAL

Learners perform a series of discrete mental operations on input information and store the output.

Learners actively select, organize, and integrate incoming experience with existing knowledge.

Mental representations are simply informationinformation.

Mental representations are knowledgeknowledge.

(bits, bytes)Humans “compute”compute” information.

Humans constructconstruct knowledge. CONSTRUCTIVISTCONSTRUCTIVIST

INFORMATION INFORMATION PROCESSINGPROCESSING

TWO VIEWS OF INFORMATION PROCESSING

CLASSICCLASSIC

Learners perform a series of discrete mental operations on input information and store the output.

Learners actively select, organize, and integrate incoming experience with existing knowledge.

Mental representations are simply informationinformation.

Mental representations are knowledgeknowledge.

(bits, bytes)Humans “compute”compute” information.

Humans constructconstruct knowledge. LIBERALLIBERAL

INFORMATION INFORMATION PROCESSINGPROCESSING

FROM A CLASSICCLASSIC INFORMATION PROCESSING PERSPECTIVE

LEARNINGLEARNING is

THE CAPABILITY OF RETRIEVING INFORMATION FROM LONG-TERM MEMORY

FROM A LIBERALLIBERAL INFORMATION PROCESSING PERSPECTIVE

LEARNINGLEARNING is

THE CAPABILITY TO ACTIVELY SELECT, ORGANIZE,AND INTEGRATE INCOMING

EXPERIENCE (INFORMATION)WITH EXISTING KNOWLEDGE

Learning: Greatest Hits

Practice is more than repetition. Use it or lose it. Consequences matter--they are a kind of feedback Cognitive tools are remarkable--but some are limited

Attention is a gateways to learning. Working memory fills fast

Attention

“I saw John today”

“What?”

“I said, I sa...”

“Oh, how is John?”

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF MANY YEARS.

COUNT THE NUMBER OF “F’s” IN THE FOLLOWING COUNT THE NUMBER OF “F’s” IN THE FOLLOWING PASSAGEPASSAGE

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF MANY YEARS.

COUNT THE NUMBER OF “F’s” IN THE FOLLOWING COUNT THE NUMBER OF “F’s” IN THE FOLLOWING PASSAGEPASSAGE

Which player has the strongest poker hand?Which player has the strongest poker hand?

AA

BB

Which player has the strongest poker hand?Which player has the strongest poker hand?

AA

BB

Did you notice the red six of spades?Did you notice the red six of spades?

Can a Powerpoint show tell what you think?Can a Powerpoint show tell what you think?

You can see 6 cardsYou can see 6 cards..Think one of themThink one of them..

Just thinkJust think..Think nowThink now..

Close your eyes and

Just think about your card.

Look,Look,I took your card.I took your card.

Bet I can do it again.Bet I can do it again.

Look at the cardsLook at the cards..Go ahead. Pick a different oneGo ahead. Pick a different one..

Just thinkJust think..Think harder.Think harder.

Close your eyes and

Just think about your card.

I took your card again!I took your card again!

Here’s how it’s doneHere’s how it’s done. .

You can see 6 cardsYou can see 6 cards..Think one of themThink one of them..

Just thinkJust think..Think nowThink now..

Look,Look,I took your card.I took your card.

Learning: Greatest Hits

Practice is more than repetition. Use it or lose it. Consequences matter--they are a kind of feedback Cognitive tools are remarkable--but some are limited

Attention is a gateways to learning. Working memory fills fast

Organization and elaboration support memory Knowledge and beliefs play critical roles in learning Learning is hard work: Strategic persistence pays Knowledge is difficult to transfer

Organization and Elaboration

FB

IMT

VU

SAHB

OC

IA

FBI

MTV

USA

HBO

CIA

Organization and Elaboration Listen to these words

Organized in four categories: Fruits Flowers Cities Countries

Each set of four words begins with the same letter.

Experts organize around central ideas and principles

tomato tulip toronto Turkey

raspberry rose Reno Russia

lemon lily London Luxembourg

banana bluebonnet Boston Brazil

cantaloupe carnation Cancun Canada

grape geranium Geneva Germany

Learning: Greatest Hits

Practice is more than repetition. Use it or lose it. Consequences matter--they are a kind of feedback Cognitive tools are remarkable--but some are limited

Attention is a gateways to learning. Working memory fills fast

Organization and elaboration support memory Knowledge and beliefs play critical roles in learning Learning is hard work: Strategic persistence pays Knowledge is difficult to transfer

Knowledge and expectationssupport memory

Legend of the Ghosts (Bartlett, 1932, Remembering)

Baseball and reading

Stereotypes

Knowledge and Comprehension

In 1367 Marain and the settlements ended a 7-year war with the Langurians and Pitoks. As a result of this war Langauria as driven out of East Bacol. Marian would now rule Laman and other lands that had belonged to Languria. This brought peace to the Bacolian settlements. The settlers no longer had to fear attacks from Laman. The Balcolians were happy to be part of Marain in 1367. Yet, a dozen years later, these same people would be fighting the Marish for independence, or freedom from United Marain’s rule.

Knowledge and Comprehension

In 1763 Britain and the colonies ended a 7-year war with the French and Indians. As a result of this war France as driven out of North America. Britain would now rule Canada and other lands that had belonged to France. This brought peace to the American colonies. The settlers no longer had to fear attacks from Canada. The Americans were happy to be part of Britain in 1763. Yet, a dozen years later, these same people would be fighting the British for independence, or freedom from Great Britain’s rule.

Knowledge and Comprehension

In 1763 Britain and the colonies ended a 7-year war with the French and Indians. As a result of this war France as driven out of North America. Britain would now rule Canada and other lands that had belonged to France. This brought peace to the American colonies. The settlers no longer had to fear attacks from Canada. The Americans were happy to be part of Britain in 1763. Yet, a dozen years later, these same people would be fighting the British for independence, or freedom from Great Britain’s rule.

In 1367 Marain and the settlements ended a 7-year war with the Langurians and Pitoks. As a result of this war Langauria as driven out of East Bacol. Marian would now rule Laman and other lands that had belonged to Languria. This brought peace to the Bacolian settlements. The settlers no longer had to fear attacks from Laman. The Balcolians were happy to be part of Marain in 1367. Yet, a dozen years later, these same people would be fighting the Marish for independence, or freedom from United Marain’s rule.

In 1763 Britain and the colonies ended a 7-year war with the French and Indians. As a result of this war France as driven out of North America. Britain would now rule Canada and other lands that had belonged to France. This brought peace to the American colonies. The settlers no longer had to fear attacks from Canada. The Americans were happy to be part of Britain in 1763. Yet, a dozen years later, these same people would be fighting the British for independence, or freedom from Great Britain’s rule.

Learning: Greatest Hits

Practice is more than repetition. Use it or lose it. Consequences matter--they are a kind of feedback Cognitive tools are remarkable--but some are limited

Attention is a gateways to learning. Working memory fills fast

Organization and elaboration support memory Knowledge and beliefs play critical roles in learning Learning is hard work: Strategic persistence pays Knowledge is difficult to transfer

Hyde and Jenkins, 1973

Learn words

Check for d and g

43%

Rate how pleasant

68%

Don’t learn words

43%

68%

Using a good strategy is more helpful than just trying to learn.

WHAT ARE EIGHT COUNTIES IN ENGLAND?

AvonSomersetCornwallWiltshireDorsetDevonHampshireSurrey

1 An AvonAvon lady walks up a path toward a house.

2 She is sweating because it is SUMMER (SomersetSomerset).

3 Suddenly, she sees a giant CORN growing out of a WALL of the house (CornwallCornwall).

4 The corn is beginning to WILT in the heat (WiltshireWiltshire).

5 She knocks on the DOOR (DorsetDorset),

6 which is opened by the DEVIL (DevonDevon)

7 eating a HAM (HampshireHampshire).

8 She panics, screams “SORRY!” and dashes back down the path (SurreySurrey).

Learning a Code

A GD

B E H

C F I

SPELLING TEST

• BIG

• ACID

• CAGE

• DECIDE

• FACE

• HEADACHE

WHAT STRATEGIES DID YOU USE?

Learning a Code

A CB

D E F

G H I

Knowledge is Difficult to Transfer

Inert Knowledge. An old problem- William James in Talks to Teachers on Psychology (1912)

• A friend was visiting a geography class: Suppose you dig a hole in the ground, 100s of feet deep, would the bottom be warmer of cooler than on the top?

• Blank stares:

• The teacher said. “I’m sure that know, but I don’t think you ask the question quite rightly.”

• Takes the book, In what condition is the interior of the globe?

• Class: “The interior of the globe is in a state of igneous fusion.’

How to Support Learning

Situations, materials, assignments, activities will support learning to the extent that they encourage students to focus attention on what matters, organize information, use what they already know to understand and construct new knowledge, practice (apply), persist, use and improve strategies, and transfer what they learn to new situations.

• APA Principles http://www.apa.org/ed/lcp2/