Cognitive Learning

By: RCF

• Cognitivism replaced behaviorism in the late 1960’s as the dominant paradigm .• Cognitivism focuses on the inner mental activities –the “black box” of the human mind.• Mental processes such as thinking, memory, knowing, and problem-solving need to be explored. • Knowledge can be seen as schema or symbolic mental constructions. • Learning is defined as change in a learner’s schemata

A prominent professor of cognitive psychology, Richard E. Mayer, has put forth a theory which involves the intersection of cognition, instruction, and technology. This theory involves a special focus on multimedia learning and computer-supported learning. Professor Mayer’s theory:

Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning

Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning

The principle known as the “multimedia principle” states that “people learn

more deeply from words and pictures than from words alone”

•There are two separate channels (auditory and visual) for processing information (sometimes referred to as Dual-Coding theory)•Each channel has a limited (finite) capacity (similar to Sweller’s notion of Cognitive Load)•Learning is an active process of filtering, selecting, organizing, and integrating information based upon prior knowledge.

Main Assumptions

A response to behaviorism, people are not “programmed animals” that merely respond to environmental stimuli; people are rational beings that require active participation in order to learn, and whose actions are a consequence of thinking.

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To make use of you of Richard E Mayer’s Theory a teacher should incorporate several modes of multimedia into the lessons. Some examples are:

• Power Point slides (like this one)

• Video, such as movies, documentaries.

• Simulator programs.

Constructions majors at the University of Florida are required to take a construction drawing course.The course is notto teach artistic drawing, it teachesthat a quick sketch on a piece of woodwill explain a pointfaster and betterthan words alone.

Students have two ears and also two eyes. A teacher needs to make use of both. The use of multimedia will give the student a better understanding of what you, the teacher, are attempting to teach them.

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References/Credits

http://www.learning-theories.com/cognitivism.html

http://www.learning-theories.com/cognitive-theory-of-multimedia-learning-mayer.html

http://www.bing.com/images

http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/mayer/index.php

http://www.unm.edu/~moreno/PDFS/chi.pdf