In this week’s course resources, Dr. Michael Orey describes four components of various cognitive learning theories including limited short term memory, elaboration, Pavio’s dual coding hypothesis, and a network model of memory (Laureate Education Inc., n.d.). In this post, I will be discussing how the instructional strategies studied this week in Pitler, Hubbel, and Kuhn’s Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works align with cognitive learning theory.
The first instructional strategy studied was the use of cues, questions, and advance organizers. According to Pitler et al (2012), all three of these strategies focus on “enhancing students’ ability to retrieve, use, and organize information”. According to cognitive learning theory, elaboration builds connections to stored information, and the more connections that are made to a piece of information, the less likely it is to be forgotten (Laureate Education Inc., n.d.). Since advance organizers, questions, and cues are often framed around essential questions that attempt to make connections between prior knowledge and the knowledge to come, they are basically elaboration tools. It should also be noted that many of the organizing technologies, such as Inspiration, also mimic the nodal, or network model of memory described by cognitive learning theory.
The second strategy, summarizing and note taking, is certainly a cognitive tool. One of the clear purposes of note taking is to provide students with a visual reference to the information discussed in class. Since the information learned in class typically exceeds the seven or so items the brain can store into short term memory (Laureate Education Inc., n.d.), notes provide a way to access the information that is lost following instruction. Pitler et al (2012) also claim that combination notes consisting of “outlining, webbing, and pictographs, in addition to words” (p. 151) is a particularly strong note taking method. Cognitive learning theory explains why this is so. Pavio’s dual learning hypothesis states that information is stored in multiple ways, usually as images and text (Laureate Education Inc., n.d.); it therefore makes sense that that combination notes are so powerful since they include a representation of pictures and texts thereby making the information more likely to be stored into long term memory.
References
Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Cognitive learning theories [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that works (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Teaching students to take notes will help them practice with information and create a memory to store the learning in memory. Students learn through notes and can connect their notes with important learning and specific facts. Adding cues and questions can help teachers evaluate what students know and what they have learned from previous lessons. Using cognitive learning tools in the classroom will allow students to focus on their learning and help teachers better understand how the brain processes learning.
Thanks for your post. I absolutely agree with your comments that elaboration tools work to deepen learning. In our second grade solar system unit, students come to me and research a planet by reading a website and taking notes (not so simple as it sounds, for 2nd graders, by the way!) After we discuss the topography of the planets, students create a watercolor painting of their planet. They take a digital photo of the painting and incorporate that and they information they found on the Internet into a powerpoint slide which becomes part of a textbook they will use in the classroom to solid their knowledge. I have definitely noticed that all that contact with the details builds a solid knowledge base in every student about their planet.
Lydia,
I am sure teaching second graders to take notes is indeed challenging! It sounds like you have put together a fantastic lesson for them that will build some strong connections!
Tom,
Every lesson every year is brand new, if in no other way than that the audience changes. This year….whew, well, we will see how it goes. I have fingers crossed!
I find it hard for my 4th graders to take meaningful note. I generally start small by giving my students the article and having them leave tracks in their reading (notes in the margins) and then I progress to taking those notes and putting them into a concept map. This usually helps my students to learn how to make decisions about which notes are important and which notes are not. I agree that note taking is an great way to help students link the visual with the text so that the information can be stored in their long term memory.
Michelle,
I have found fill-in-the blank notes work great. They allow students to focus on the instruction while writing down smaller chunks of information.
Michelle,
Have you tried having students use sticky notes? We have 4th graders put one fact on each note then after they get through that, we have them organize their stickies into categories such as animal habitat, diet, reproduction, etc. and they build their sentences and paragraphs from that.
It is not easy, but it helps even the confused kids be able to organize themselves. Best luck!