Reflections on Cognitivism

Cognitivism is a teaching approach that is teacher-centered. The learner recieves the information, stores it in short-term memory, and with fluency practice can transfer knowledge into long-term memory. This approach focuses on students memorizing lower level facts. These lower level facts are the foundation for learning higher-level skills.

Cognitivism differs from behaviorism in that cognitive psychology focuses on the internal processes that take place in the mind during learning. Behaviorism is strictly based upon a student's response to stimuli. Also, cognitivism tries to help develop instructional strategies that will help the student with recall and to use knowledge already learned in a different application or context.

Strategies that can help students learn and better understand the material can be graphic organizers, mnemonic devices, metaphors, chunking of information, and organizing instructional materials from simple to complex.  The computer is a great way to help with these strategies. The computer can act as a tutor to teach the new material. In this way, students can work at their own pace through the computer program and they can revisit portions of the  program when needed for reinforcement.  The computer can also offer simulations that help the student apply the new material to real-life situations. Computer games can also be used to promote group interaction and collaboration. Problem-solving programs engage students to use higher-level thinking skills such as logic, reasoning, pattern recognition, and strategies.  This differs from computer programs that are behaviorist in that they require students to do more than just memorize.

I have learned that cognitivism is one step up from behavorism. The cognitivist approach still simply transfers new material to the student, but also it helps the students create strategies for remembering the material. Just like with behaviorism, I never would have thought that I used cognitivist strategies in my teaching, but after reading the various ways we can use this approach, I realize I was using them all along. This approach certainly has its place in the classroom, especially when technology is used. What a boring class it would be if the teacher simply lectured to her students all day just to have them regurgitate it back on a test. With technology, you can make learning more interesting and fun for the students as well as helping them relate the material to real-life simulations and incorporate higher-level thinking skills. Cognitivist approaches, when used with other pedagogies can certainly be an asset in any curriculum.

Reflections on Behaviorism

After reading and discussing with my classmates about behaviorism, one thing I learned is that behaviorism is much more important than I previously gave it credit for. The last time I had a class on behaviorism, this approach was dismissed as out-dated and not an innovative practice for teachers to use. I was told that basic facts, with today's technology, are at students' fingertips. Teaching today should instead focus on the bigger concepts. And while I believe we should be focusing on bigger concepts and higher level thinking, I realize that behaviorism does in fact have a place in today's curriculum.

I want my students to learn with understanding, not just learning to then turn around and regurgitate facts, but within my curriculum there is a reason and purpose for using strategies that are behaviorist. I've learned that I can apply many computer based programs within my curriculum that can help  my students learn and retain lower level facts. In  my science class, there are many things that we require the students to memorize such as cell parts and function, systems of the body, taxonomy terms, and the steps to work genetics problems, just to name a few.  I think using tutorials, drill and practice, and simulation programs would be a wonderful way to incorporate technology in my teaching, plus there's the added benefit of helping the students learn the material in such a way that they can easily and quickly recall the information when needed.

Another thing I learned is that feedback is so important for students, and the quicker you can give them feedback the better. Not only do the computer programs make learning more fun (versus pencil and paper drills) for the students, it offers immediate feedback. This feedback can help the students assess what they need to work on at home, and I can evaluate students' progress to see what I need to focus on. Before, I would have dismissed using drill and practice computer programs as a waste of class time, but now, I know that they are a worthy addition to my curriculum.

One real life observation I have made in the last few weeks is that many of the students I am currently working with (I'm tutoring algebra I students at a local middle school) simply don't know basic addition/subtraction facts and simple multiplication/division facts. This makes it very frustrating for the student when they are trying to solve an algebraic equation. I have seen so much time being wasted because some students are literally using their fingers to count out the answer or are having to use their calculator for every single calculation they do. Many of these calculations are ones that you and I would know the answer to immediately. I can only assume that these students did not get the drill and practice they needed in elementary school, and they aren't getting it now because there is simply no time to back up and reteach those skills. Another reason to take advantage of a behaviorist approach to teach those lower level skills, because students must learn lower level skills in order to move on and learn higher level skills.