Technology from a Cognitivist Perspective

            Back in the seventies, when I was a little boy, I remember seeing a man in an infomercial on television who could remember anything.  Someone would give him a very long list of items and he would memorize it instantly after one reading.  He could list the presidents and their vice-presidents.  He even remembered their birthdates.  I was amazed!  For a small fee he would send you the secrets to memory.  I so wanted to get his materials, but my mom would not allow it.  She must have believed in my memory.  One secret that this gentleman did divulge was word association.  Today, we can use technology to enhance learning and facilitate the cognitive learning theory.

            Dr. Orey stated that information is processed in three stages. First one receives the information, then the information is stored in short-term memory, and finally it becomes long-term memory (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a).   It takes a little work, however, to make it to long-term memory.  According to Orey, a human is only capable of processing seven bits of information at a time (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a). One exception is children with autism.  In a fascinating article by Lauren Schenkman (2009). she states that people with autism can memorize upwards to 100 pieces of information because scientists believe that autistic people are able to create stronger connections than those with a normal brain.  Schenkman describes long-term memory as a library full of books and short-term memory as a chalkboard that we take quick notes on, erase and then write something else.  I really enjoy this analogy because it makes so much sense to me.

            According to Dr. Orey, there are four types of long-term memory:  declarative, procedural, episodic, and dual coding hypothesis.  In order to store information in long-term memory, one can use elaboration.  Elaboration is the primary means of storing information into long-term memory (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a). Elaboration is the process of connecting information and making associations.  Technology can support elaboration.  Brainstorming software such as Kidspiration and Inspiration are two pieces of software that allow students to make webs.  If students are learning about The Great Wall of China, they could use brainstorming software to begin a web with a bubble containing the Great Wall of China.  From their, students could add connections around the initial bubble.  Pitler,  Hubbell, and Kuhn (2012) also suggest using brainstorming software to cue students.  A concept map could have an essential question surrounded by what the teacher is going to teach that day or for the unit. 

            Because cognitivists believe that learning is a mental process, and the only way to observe it is through outcomes.  Technology can help with this.  Rubrics give students expectations for their learning.  Critical thinking and knowledge acquisition are key components of the cognitive approach.  Sites like Rubistar give teachers the tools to create rubrics that get students ready for learning. I have also found it beneficial to allow students to help me create rubrics for their culminating projects.  I believe this supports both procedural and episodic long-term memory development.

In terms of episodic memory, I believe field trips are a way to develop episodic long-term memory.  Often field trips are not feasible due to location, money, or accessibility.  This is where technology comes into play.  Orey believes that virtual field trips are a great way to give your students episodic experiences to build upon (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011b).   If I am doing a unit on the Seven Wonders of the World, I could present a virtual field trip, which visits all seven of the sites.  Virtual field trips also support the cognitivist dual coding theory because it provides students with a visual to accompany the text.  According to Obey, Paivio found that images were far better than text and when images were used, the brain did not just store the image, but also stored the text to go along with it.  According to Pitler et al. (2012), Marzano found that illustrations can lead to a 39 point increase in student learning (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a).  

            Summarizing and note taking can lead to acquiring information and storing it in long-term memory.  Technology can assist in this process.  Pitler et al. (2012) claim that summarizing must be done in classrooms.  One recent activity I just completed with my class was a movie trailer for a book they completed in their book clubs.  Pitler et al. (2012) recommends multimedia to present summaries.  My students were given a packet prior to filming.  In the packet was a planning page, storyboard pages, a table, and a rubric.  One of the concerns with multimedia presentations can be that presentation becomes the focus over content.  With a clear rubric, students should be able to accomplish both.  Note taking is also an area that  Pitler et al. (2012) feels is a necessity in our classrooms.  Combination notes make a lot of sense to me.  It is also something that can be easily done in PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, or Kidspiration.  It consists of an inverted T.  On the left side of the inverted T students take notes.  On the right side students illustrate their notes.  On the bottom of the page students summarize their notes in a few sentences.  Attaching a graphic to the notes stimulates dual coding.  Summarizing addresses declarative memory.  Together the notes integrate multiple senses which Orey states is important in order to get information from short to long-term memory.

            So, it turns out that guy on television all those years ago was on to something.  He used word association and elaboration to remember strings of information.  Teachers must know the process of moving information from short-term to long-term memory. The cognitivists have a lot to offer in the way of learning. We must understand how the brain stores information so that we can plan lessons and integrate technology to best meet our students needs.

           

Resources

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program five: Cognitive learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program six: Spotlight on technology: Virtual field trips [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that works (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Schenkman, L. (2009, December 6). In the Brain, Seven Is A Magic Number. Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/brain-memory-magic-number/story?id=9189664