Overview
Cognitivism materialized with the dawn of the Computer Age.
Concepts in computer science, such as memory, insofar as computer scientists understand them; began to work its way into the lexicon. Cognitivism researchers used concepts in computer science as metaphors to describe how the mind works. Their research drifted towards charting mediocre expectations of the human mind. Consequently, cognitivist principles informed lots of suggestions by instructional design practitioners on making information go in as easily as possible. The ultimate weakness of cognitivism is that it's using computers as a jumping off point to understand how the human mind works. But of course the human mind is not a computer and it may work completely differently, of which we are we are still lacking a proper descriptive vocabulary.
Key Contributors
The groundwork for information processing theory was laid by Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin 1968.
What ultimately turns into knowledge is processed by our brain in a way that is analogous the way computers process information. However this is not referring to processing information in terms of ones and zeros, but in terms of there being various types of memory involved. There is a short term memory, and there is long term memory, which can be further subdivided. Furthermore, something akin to central processing unit that coordinates information entering from the eyes and ears.
The information from the eyes and ears enters the sensory memory information. Visual information get temporarily stored in iconic memory. Auditory information is called a echoic memory. Echoic memory is so called because there's an echo of it, that exists in your headspace after your brain has heard the information, but you may not have been paying attention to it, therefore are you might be able to recall it. In contrast, iconic memory only exists in your headspace for a few seconds.
Next the sensory information gets into the working memory. This point it's time to introduce another important theorist in cognitivism Stanley Miller, who experimental he found that the working memory and humans can only hold 7 plus or minus 2 items of information. Working memory has a process, dedicated to visual information and an a process dedicated to satori information. For visual information there's something called a visual, spatial sketchpad and for auditory information there's something called a phonological loop. The information is found on the same object and the external world then there is another function called central executive that reconstitutes the information.
With the intervention of the Central Executive, the information now moves to the episodic buffer, which is the waypoint to the long-term memory.
Source: K. (2013, October 24). Information processing model: Sensory, working, and long term memory | MCAT | Khan Academy. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMMRE4Q2FGk
Strengths
The strengths of cognitivism by far is that it helps make better multimedia presentations. It also is yet another alternative to behaviorism and a such is less punitive for creating better educational outcomes.
Limitations
The limitation's of cognitivism is that it it doesn't explain why long-term memories change. It is a very conceptual theory it has no bearing and how the brain actually works. Another limitation is that it focuses on knowledge acquisition through the two senses of seeing and hearing, but human beings have more than five senses. For example, the theory doesn't explain why the high energy teacher would make a better teacher than a teacher with a very low energy. The theory doesn't really explain how emotions can affect how knowledge is stored or acquired but in fact, we know that these are aspects of the human experience when it comes to learning.
Implications For Instructional Design
Reduce cognitive processing that is extraneous that it doesn't serve the instructional goal.
People learn better with words and pictures, then with words alone, but it matters where you place the words vis-à-vis the picture.
Narration works better when it's a human voice that is cheerful then when it is a robotic voice
People learn better from graphics and narration than from animation and text.
Add cues to highlight, essential material
Presentations should be short
Source: T. K. (2017, June 2). Mayer’s Theory of Multimedia Learning. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aq2P0DZqEI
Cognitive Load amp; Visual Proofs in Math
Summary
This is a visual proof that shows a technique for factoring a quadratic equation called "completing the square". It combines animation to help visuallt demonstrate how two different ways of writing a quanitity abstractly is equivalent.
Cognitive Load
Proofs show why some procedure that most often is simply memorized actually works. Math is a unique subject because in math one doesn't do something because they are told to do it. One does something becasue it is proven that it works. Unfortunately the proofs are very demanding in terms of cognitive load. There are lots of lines and strange letters. However a visual proof is series of pictures that are a lot easier to follow.
Another nice thing about this proof is that it uses a mininum of terminology. Words like quadratic and factor aren't present in the narration, even though in practice the result of the proof is found alongside these concepts.
Source
M. V. P. (2021, June 7). Completing the Square (visual proof). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0HyWIFbsHQ
Related Posts
