Cognitive approach in learning

1. Cognitive approach in learning
Dr.M.Deivam
Assistant Professor (C)
Department of Education
The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University)
Gandhigram, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu – 624 302

2. Cognitive approach in learning
• Cognitivism involves internal processes of learning,
understanding, motivation, and retention.
• The mind is seen as complex and capable of absorbing
event-responses.
• The brain and mind are central to an organism's
interaction with the environment, leading to reciprocal
changes.
• Cognitive theorists stress the significance of
unobservable processes like thinking, memory,
perceptions, intentions, and emotions in learning.

3. Contd.,
• Cognitive theorists recognize that learning involves associations
through contiguity and repetition.
• Reinforcement is important for providing feedback on correctness of
responses rather than just being a motivator.
• Cognitive theory views learning as acquiring or reorganizing
cognitive structures used for processing and storing information.
• Knowledge is organized into sections called "schemas" and stored
as linked ideas in the mind.
• Learning involves perceiving new relationships among concepts.
• It entails rearranging and reorganizing one's existing knowledge and
understanding.

4. Contd.,
• Modern cognitive theories are rooted in Gestalt psychology and
Kurt Lewin's field theory.
• Learning is seen as perceiving patterns and relationships
between concepts.
• Cognitivism emphasizes goal-oriented behavior and intuitive
thinking.
• Knowledge is organized into cognitive structures or schemas.
• Learning leads to changes in both the amount of knowledge and
the arrangement of information in schemata.
• Cognition encompasses processes like perceiving, attending,
remembering, reflective thinking, creative thinking, language

5. Information Processing Model
• Information processing theory focuses on how learners receive,
store, integrate, retrieve, and use information through
perception and memory.
• Learning is considered as the input of information, which is
stored for future retrieval and application.
• The information processing view divides learning into three phases:
1) Attending to new information, and
2) Acquiring and retaining information;
3) Retrieving information from memory and transferring it to a new
situation

6. Contd.,
• Information Processing Model: The Information Processing Model
describes how information is received, processed, stored, and
retrieved in a step-wise manner.
• Sensory Register:
• Input from the senses enters the sensory register.
• Sensory data is held for a very brief duration (less than a second to
around four seconds).
• Information that is not deemed important quickly disappears
through decay or replacement.
• The sensory register actively monitors incoming information, and
relevant data is acted upon if necessary.

7. Contd.,
Short-Term Memory (STM):
• Important or interesting information is transferred from the sensory
register to short-term memory.
• Short-term memory retains information for up to 20 seconds or more if
repeatedly reviewed.
• STM has a limited capacity and can hold around 7 plus or minus 2 items.
• Chunking, grouping items into meaningful parts, can increase STM's
capacity.
Long-Term Memory (LTM):
• Long-term memory stores information from STM for long-term use.
• LTM has a seemingly unlimited capacity.
• Some information is moved into LTM through rote memorization and
overlearning.
• Deeper levels of processing, such as creating connections between old
and new information, enhance successful retention.

8. Contd.,
Comparison to Computer Processing:
• The Information Processing Model draws an analogy between
how the mind processes information and how computers
process data.
• Similar to how computers have input, processing, storage, and
output, the human mind processes information through these
stages.

9. JEAN PIAGET’S VIEW OF COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
• Schema:
• A "schema" is a cognitive framework or mental structure that
individuals use to organize and understand their experiences and the
world around them.
• Piaget used the term "schema" to describe a person's
understanding of different aspects of their world.
• A schema is like a map or an outline that helps individuals make
sense of their experiences.
• Schemata are developed through experiences and observations,
and they influence how new information is perceived and integrated.

10. Contd.,
• Assimilation:
• Assimilation involves incorporating new information or
experiences into existing mental frameworks (schemata).
• It's the process of interpreting new information in a way that fits with
one's current understanding of the world.
• Accommodation:
• Accommodation is the process of adjusting or modifying existing
schemata to incorporate new information or experiences that don't
fit.
• It's about adapting one's cognitive structures to accommodate new
learning.

11. Contd.,
• Equilibration:
• Equilibration is the process of balancing assimilation and
accommodation.
• It's a drive to maintain a balance or equilibrium between existing
schemata and new information.
• Children and individuals strive to achieve a cognitive balance by
adjusting their schemata based on new experiences.
• Equilibration drives cognitive development and is seen when learners
refine their strategies to improve their understanding.

12. Contd.,
• Piaget's theory highlights that cognitive development involves a
continuous cycle of assimilation, accommodation, and
equilibration.
• Through this cycle, individuals refine their cognitive structures,
leading to higher levels of understanding and complexity.

13. Four stages of cognitive development
• Sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years): In this stage,
children learn about the world through their senses and their
motor skills. They learn about objects by touching, tasting,
smelling, seeing, and hearing them. They also learn about
cause and effect by moving objects around and seeing what
happens.
• Preoperational stage (2 to 7 years): In this stage, children
begin to use language and symbols to represent their
thoughts. They also develop the ability to think about things
that are not present, such as imaginary objects and past
events. However, their thinking is still egocentric, meaning
that they have difficulty taking other people's perspectives
into account.

14. Contd.,
• Concrete operational stage (7 to 11 years): In this stage,
children develop the ability to think logically about concrete
objects and events. They can also solve problems by using
mental operations, such as reversibility and transitivity.
However, they still have difficulty thinking about abstract
concepts.
• Formal operational stage (11 years to adulthood): In this
stage, children develop the ability to think abstractly and to
reason about hypothetical situations. They can also think
about multiple perspectives and to consider the implications
of their actions.

15. Educational Implications
• True learning as discriminated from verbal learning involves the
acquisition of new structures of mental operations that permit the
child to assimilate new experiments. Hence experiential curriculum
is advocated.
• Emphasis on discovery approach in learning.
• Curriculum should provide specific educational experience based
on children’s development level.
• Arrange classroom activities so that the assist and encourage self-
learning.

16. Contd.,
• Do not treat children as miniature adults; they think and learn
differently from adults.
• Co-curricular activities have equal importance as that of curricular
experience in the cognitive development of children.
• Fruitless pushing beyond a child’s cognitive stage as well as needless
delays should be avoided. Sufficient time should be provided to the
child to internalize the experience.

17. Contd.,
• Moral and intellectual growth go together and only after the age of 11, can
the child evaluate actions in the light of motives.
• Activity approach at the primary classes and concrete methods of
illustration (like use of aids, demonstrations, etc) at the middle school level
are advocated. Verbal method of teaching should be practised only from
high school classes.

18. Source: IGNOU study material
Role of the
learner
Passive and
reactive
Active and
engaged
Role of the
teacher
Director and
controller
Facilitator and
guide

19. Bruner's discovery learning
•Jerome Bruner was an American psychologist
who made important contributions to cognitive
psychology and educational psychology.
•His theory of cognitive development is based on the
idea that the goal of education should be intellectual
development as opposed to just memorization of
facts.
•He also believed that education should aim at creating
an autonomous learning environment with learners
essentially learning how to learn.

20. Contd.,
• Ausubel introduced the concept of advance organizers, which
are introductory materials or frameworks that help learners
connect new information to their existing knowledge.
• Ausubel emphasized meaningful learning, which involves
connecting new information to the learner's existing cognitive
structure or "schema."
• He contrasted meaningful learning with rote learning, where
learners memorize information without understanding its
underlying concepts.

21. Principles of Bruner's theory
• Learning should be active, not passive.
• Learners should construct their own knowledge, not be
told what to know.
• Learning should be meaningful, not arbitrary.
• Learning should be progressive, building on what
learners already know.
• Learning should be challenging, but not too difficult.

22. Human brain: Three modes of representation
Enactive Mode (0-2 year):
Enactive mode involves representing knowledge through actions
and direct experiences. They learn by doing, by touching, tasting,
and moving.
Example: A child who can ride a bicycle based on their physical
actions, but might struggle to verbally explain the procedure.
Iconic Mode (2-7 years):
Iconic mode is characterized by internal imagery, where knowledge
is represented by mental images, graphics, or drawings.
Example: A learner uses images or diagrams to represent a
concept, like drawing a triangle to convey the idea of
"triangularity," without fully explaining it.

23. Contd.,
Symbolic Mode (7 + years):
• Symbolic representation is the most advanced mode,
involving the use of words and symbols to describe
concepts or experiences.
• Symbolic representation relies on an abstract, arbitrary,
and flexible system of thought.
• Language becomes crucial as a means of receiving and
expressing ideas.
• Example: At this stage, a child can explain the concept
of "triangularity" using words or describe the
mechanics of bicycle operation.

24. Educational Implications
• Learning should be active and experiential. Bruner believed that
learners should be actively engaged in the learning process, rather
than passively receiving information (learners to explore, experiment,
and make mistakes).
• Instruction should be organized in a spiral curriculum. This
means that concepts should be introduced in a way that builds on
prior knowledge, and that they should be revisited and expanded
upon throughout the learner's education.
• Instruction should be tailored to the learner's level of
development. Learners should be presented with material that is
appropriate for their stage of development.

25. Contd.,
• Learning should be collaborative. Learners should be
encouraged to work together to solve problems and to share
their ideas. This helps to promote understanding and to
develop critical thinking skills.
• Teachers should be facilitators of learning. Teachers
should not be the sole source of knowledge in the classroom.
They should instead create a learning environment where
learners can explore, discover, and make mistakes.

26. References
• https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/46576/1/Unit-2.pdf
• https://egyankosh.ac.in/handle/123456789/44768
• https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/8507/1/Unit-10.pdf
• Eysenck, W. Michael. 1994. Perspectives on Psychology. United
Kingdom: Psychology Press.
• Carr, Alan. 2012. Clinical Psychology: An Introduction. United
Kingdom: Routledge.
• Nevid, S. Jeffrey. 2012. Psychology: Concepts and Applications. United
States: Cengage Learning.

27. Thank You