Instructional Strategies/Cognitive Learning Theory

Dr. Michael Orey indicates that “forgetting is loss of connections to information” (Laureate Education, Inc. 2009). Consequently, with this in mind it is understood that learning is a complex process when the right circumstances and elements for learning are not connected. So what can teachers in today’s classrooms do to eliminate challenges and train students to use cognitive skills for recalling what they have learned or stored in long term memory?

Cognitive learning theory focuses on creating ways to help students gain knowledge, store information, recall data, and use what they have learned to demonstrate enhanced higher-order thinking skills. Combining learning strategies with educational technology can help to engage students in learning and activities that will “help teachers help their students hone skills and knowledge that will serve them the rest of their lives” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).

Students are required to retain a great deal of information from each of their classes daily and since our school is on the 4 x 4 schedule, this increases what they must retain to equal double the amount for a full years worth of information in a 90 day period of time. Learning at this pace, students must have strategies that will help them to effectively retain the information. Also, in view of the fact that most all students learn in different ways, summarizing and note taking can provide tools for identifying and understanding what is to be learned and what is most important. It is also critical that students must be guided through the note taking and summarizing process to ensure understanding of material to be recalled when needed. This can be challenging for students given that “short term memory can only process seven (plus or minus two) pieces of information at one time” and “especially if they can not find a pre-existing hook or link to connect the information to” as Dr. Orey validates in “Cognitive Learning Theories” (Laureate Education, Inc. 2009).

Summarizing and note taking are important activities throughout a students learning process. Summarizing involves evaluating information, identifying the important bits of information, and connecting the information in a personal and meaningful way. Note-taking is the process of organizing and writing pieces of information that can be used later. “Technology can scaffold, or provide support, while students are learning the summarizing process. It can also provide collaborative summarizing experiences that facilitate reciprocal teaching, a very structured format for helping students to teach each other” (Pitler et al., 2007, p.120).

This week, in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works (Pitler et al., 2007), it is recommended that students learn and use a variety of note taking formats to pull important information and facts from reading and instructional materials in order to be successful. Many of the technology tools discussed in the text such as word processing applications, organizing and brainstorming software, multimedia, web resources and communications softwares can be helpful to advocate higher-level thinking to classifying information in an organized system for recall when needed. They can also modify, substitute, delete, and select pieces of information and prioritize information in categories with the use of these technologies.

Cues, questions and advance organizers are a way of activating prior knowledge. They allow students to get an idea of what they already know about a subject and make a connection to what they are going to be learning. Focusing specifically on what students need to know and using “technologies that support cues, questions and advance organizers assist teachers in quickly capturing student responses and organizing the responses into useful information.” ” (Pitler et al., 2007. p.75). One thing to remember about using cues, questions and organizers is that they do not have to be used at the end of the learning, but at the beginning, so students can become focused on what they are about to be learning. Technology use of word processing applications to create “Expository, Narrative, and Graphic” advance organizers can help students “focus on essential concepts and themes what will prepare them to learn” (Pitler et al., 2007. p. 76.)

References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Program five. Cognitive Learning Theories [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.