Cognitive Constraints In Students’ Performances

Cognitive Constraints in Students’ Performance: Analysis and Tentative Solution Dr Sanjoy Sanyal Associate Professor Seychelles 2006 Presented at a staff seminar in a medical college in Seychelles in 2006

Problem
Acceptance of problem
Identification of further problem
Assessment of problem
Solution to problem

Identification and Assessment
Information load
Information overload
Cognitive load
Memory
Learning curve
Learning styles/preferences
Brain paradigms
Psychological personality types

Temporal considerations
Theoretically 16 weeks
Deduct ESExam and Prep weeks
Available 14 weeks
Available 98 days
14 Saturdays & 14 Sundays
70 weekdays
Deduct 1 weekday off each week
Available 56 weekdays

Temporal considerations
Consider:
5 hours on weekdays
8 hours on Saturdays
10 hours on Sundays
5 h x 56 weekdays = 280 weekday-hrs
8 h x 14 Saturdays = 112 Saturday-hrs
10 h x 14 Sundays = 140 Sunday-hrs
Total = 532 hours

Textual magnitude
Anatomy = 1155 pages
Less 10% = 1155 – 115 = 1040 pg
Histology = 407 pages
Less 10% = 407 – 41 = 366 pages
Embryology = 348
Less 10% = 348 – 35 = 313 pages
Medical Terminology = 922 pages
Less 10% = 922 – 92 = 830 pages

Information load
Anatomy : 1040/532 = 1.95 pg/hour
Histology : 366/532 = 0.69 pg/hr
Embryology : 313/532 = 0.59 pg/hr
Med Term : 830/532 = 1.56 pg/hr
TOTAL ~ 5 pages / hour

Information load
Physiology : 1.37 pages/hour
Biochemistry : 1.35 pages/hour
Neurosciences : 0.87 page/hour
TOTAL ~ 4 pages / hour

Information overload From Rudolph Hanka, University of Cambridge 10 14 synapses Connectivity formula n(n-1)/2 Skull capacity = 400 cc to 1400 cc over 5 mill years But no change over several thousand years Doubling x 3 mill yrs Doubling x 1.5 mill yrs 10 11 neurons 5 x 10 21 synapses

Information overload From Rudolph Hanka, University of Cambridge Logarithmic scale Information doubling every 33 years 1 st century 2 0 ->2 1 -> 2 2 -> 2 3 2 nd century -> 2 4 -> 2 5 -> 2 6

Information overload From Rudolph Hanka, University of Cambridge No change in Information doubling every 33 years over several 1000 years

500 years ago
Architect
Anatomist
Sculptor
Engineer
Inventor
Geometer
Scientist
Mathematician
Musician
Painter
Leonardo da Vinci

200 years ago
Anatomist
Physician
Surgeon
Gynecologist
Obstetrician
Pediatrician
Orthopedician
Andreas Vesalius

Depth vs. width trade-off IC IC IC IC IC IC IC IC “ We are learning more and more of less and less; One day we would know everything about nothing” Leo Ves Now

Cognitive load
Brachiocephalic
Phrenicopleural
Vasa brevia
Musculophrenic
Internal jugular
Lateral funiculus
Spinothalamic
Cuneocerebellar
Tractus solitarius
Funiculus gracilis

Cognitive load
Gostak distims doshes
Boetimperoferous
Isenorinopiclles
Halptemiloginous
Czashmigedonix
Etrigenxous
Acondolytic effect
Fekritionoxes
Donglistonix
Grodoscinamity

Cognitive load Adapted from Odell, King’s College, London

Memory Adapted from Dix & Finlay

Learning Curve
“ Practice makes perfect "
a.k.a. Progress Functions
Applied to all types of work
Effort decreases by constant % each time output quantity is doubled
More times a task is performed, less time is required on each subsequent iteration
Steep learning curve = something gets easier quickly

Learning curve Adapted from Wikipedia Exponential decay Plot shows decay for decay constants of 25, 5, 1, 1/5, and 1/25. Large decay constants make the quantity vanish almost immediately; smaller decay constants lead to almost-imperceptible decrease. Rate of decrease of ‘time taken’ or ‘effort required’ with each iteration

Learning styles
Everybody has a Learning Style (Preference)
No single type is wrong/right; good/bad
Related to cognitive and mental abilities
71 models of learning styles

Learning styles and cognition Adapted from JISC, UK Adapted from Bendigo Senior Secondary College, Aus

Learning style models
Felder-Soloman : AR-SI-VV-SG
Honey-Mumford : ARTP
Kolb : ADAC / DW-TF /CE-RO-AC-AE

Learning style models
Fleming : VARK-Multi
Bandler, Grinder (NLP): VAK(Ad)
Martinez (LO): TPCR
Memletics : VAK-VLSS
Adapted from Memletics

Brain paradigms
Each style uses different parts of brain
Paul MacLean : Triune brain model

Brain paradigms
Roger Sperry / Rose & Nicholl : Right-left brain model

Brain paradigms Ned Herrmann: 4 (whole)-brain model

Personality Types
Isabel Briggs Meyers : MBTI
4 scales: EI-SN -TF-JP
2 4 = 16 types
Guardian Artisan Rationalist Idealist

Personality Types
David Keirsey : GARI Temperament sorter

Multiple Intelligence
Howard Gardner / Gary Harms Multiple (7 + 1) intelligence – related to Memletics learning styles (VAK-VLSS + Naturalistic)

Cognitive Psychology
Guilbert domains :
Bloom’s taxonomy :
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
Framework for determining learning outcomes Attitude Skills Knowledge Affective Psychomotor Cognitive

Tentative Solution
Conduct survey
Identify:
Intelligence preference-based LS
Personality-based LS
Dominant t hinking pattern
Stress level

Tentative Solution
Once students know what learning type they are, they can capitalize on their strengths and strengthen their weaknesses
Once we know what type they are, we can plan the foundation for appropriately-oriented course delivery

Conclusion Adapted from Bendigo SS College, Australia 'Whole brain learning'

References
Hanka R. Information overload and 'just-in-time' knowledge. University of Cambridge, 1997. http://www.medinfo.cam.ac.uk/miu/papers/hanka/mic97/just_in_time.html
Odell E. Assessment by e-Learning http://www.kcl.ac.uk/content/1/c4/49/01/assessment%20e-learning%20Odell.ppt

References
Dix A, Finlay J, Abowd GD, Beale R. Human-Computer Interaction (3rd edition, 2003) http://www.hcibook.com/e3/
Learning Curve Calculator. http://www1.jsc.nasa.gov/bu2/learn.html
Experience curve effects http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_curve

References
Exponential decay http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponential_decay
Joint Information Systems Committee. http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/Stage%202%20Learning%20Styles%20(Version%201).pdf
Bendigo Senior Secondary College. http://www.bssc.edu.au/public/learning_teaching/pd/toc/files/hbdt.ppt

References
Learning Disabilities Resource Community: http:// www.ldrc.ca/projects/miinventory/mitest.html
O'Connor T. Indiana State University. 1997 February 21. Using Learning Styles to Adapt Technology for Higher Education http:// web.indstate.edu/ctl/styles/learning.html

Cognitive Constraints In Students’ Performances

by Sanjoy Sanyal on Feb 27, 2009

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