Basics on Cognitive Learning Theory

1. C ognitivis m

2. Key people
• Piaget: Much of the C ognitive Theory of learning is built
around Piaget’s key ideas and s tages of development
• G agne and Dic k’s 1983 s tudy pres ents that c ognitive
ps yc hology is made up of three s ubgroups : metacognition
(or the c ognitive s trategies of learning/remembering;
knowledge of one’s own cognition), s c hemata (bas ic ally
means how our knowledge is repres ented in our memory),
and s tages of s kill ac quis ition (cognitive or “ dec larative
knowledge” , as s ociative or “ proc edural knowledge” , and
autonomous or “ doing without thinking” )

3. Key points
• B as ic ally, how do people learn?
(aptitude, learning s tyles ; bas is of
c ons tructivis m)
• Foc us on inner mental abilities
• Knowledge can be s een as s c hema,
or s ymbolic mental c ons truc tions

4. • G es talt Theories
– The idea that cognitive re-s tructuring
takes place before the behavior
becomes apparent
• C ognitivis m res ponds to the idea of
behavioris m; people are not animals
to be trained, they have rational
thought
• Metaphor of mind as a computer
• Large foc us on problem-s olving and
c ognitive s kills

5. • Example of Gestalt Theory: Is it two faces
or a vase?

6. C las s room implications
• S tudents can be taught how to think and make
cons cious decis ions
• The s tages of s kill acquis ition can be obs erved
and s caffolded
• Learning can be organized to focus on
s upplementing problem s olving and cognitive
s kills s o as to bring out neces s ary behaviors
• S tudents can be enabled to know how to us e
technology in their education-they can learn
proces s es , res earch techniques , and problem
s olving s trategies
• Technology can therefore open the doors to more
knowledge

7. • Once s tudents learn and gain an
unders tanding, it is permanent

8. What do I think about this theory
for my own teaching
• I will use the knowledge I can gain from the
Constructivist theory to help teach my
students how to think critically
• Thinking critically will enable them to
answer questions and solve problems
throughout their education
• I can use technology to help foster thought
processing and organization in my students

9. S ources
• http://www.learning-theories .com/cognitivis m.html
- Information on C ognitive Theories
- Image 3
• Bonner, J odi (1998). Implications of cognitive theory for
ins tructional des ign. Educational Communication and Technolog y
J ournal, (36)1, 4-14
- Deeper information on C ognitive Theories and how
ps ychologis ts have influenced this theory
• http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/ges talt.htm
- Information on C ognitive Theories
- Piaget’s theories
- Image 2
• http://ktripp-techtalk4teachers .blogs pot
.com/2010/11/cognitive-tools -to-enhance-learning.html
- Image 1