Brunning – Chapter 10Technological Contexts for Cognitive Growth

Learning is influenced primarily by good instructional methods that takes advantage of what technologies have to offer

•Cognitive Load Theorysome learning environments impose greater demands•Four Component Instructional Design (4C/ID) blueprint on how technology can be used to develop complex skills•Social Cognitive Theoryuse of technology to create and support communities of learning

How can Students Use Technology?• Uses of Technology

– Receive information– Search for and find

information– Organize and present

information – Explore simulated

environments– Participate in authentic

learning environments– Communicate and

collaborate with other students

– Practice skills and receive feedback on progress

– Cognitive support and extended abilities

• Cognitive Skills Needed– Locating and judging

information– Communicating

effectively– Using self monitoring

and self regulation techniques

– Proceduralizing knowledge

– Contextualizing knowledge

– Adopting mastery orientation

Cognitive Load Theory and Multimedia Design

Cognitive Load TheoryRole of working memory in instructional design:

•Meaningful learning depends on active cognitive processing in WM•WM can only process a few units at a time

•When excessive cognitive load = decrease processing efficiency

Intrinsic Cognitive Load•Material being learned = difficult

and complex

Extraneous Cognitive Load•Related to the instructional design =

How information is being presented

Designing instruction to reduce intrinsic cognitive loadresources: (1) LTM’s unlimited capacity and processes of schemaFormation; (2) unique nature of working memory

The use of prior knowledge

Chunking

Features to encourage schema automation

Goal free Problems =

Repetition of subgoals to

achieve automaticity

(RULE)

Visual-Spatial

Sketchpad+

Phonologicalloop

Parallelprocessing

Simultaneously with successive presentations

Technology presentationto reduce cognitive loaddemands:1. Contiguity2. Coherence (clean)3. Modality 4. Adding redundant information

Four components of instructional design (organization & sequencing of programs which allow for practice opportunities):

1. Leaning tasks (integrated set of learning goals)2. Supportive information (bridge ./. Prior knowledge and new

information3. JIT informationstep by step information (prompts)4. Part-task-practicepractice components of task

Social Cognitive Theory & Developmentof Classroom Communities

• Social/cognitive view questions for technology:– How can technology be used to help students collaborate?– Can technology aid in the creation of a classroom learning

community?– Can technology make learning activities more meaningful?– Can technology be used to develop intrinsic motivation?– How can technology equalize learning?

• Knowledge Building Communityshare and advance knowledge of the groupprinciples:– Support educational peer interactions– Integrate different form of discourse– Focus students on common problems– Promote awareness of participants’ contributions– Encourage students to build on each other’s work as a community

Implications for Teaching

• Use cognitive principles as criteria for judging technology-based instruction

• Emphasize technology’s sense making uses• Support authentic, challenging tasks with

technology• Use technology to create and support

collaborative learning• Use technology as appropriate to provide

feedback • Help disabled students access and make use

of assistive technology