Psychology : Cognitive Learning Theories

1. Psychology : Cognitive Learning Theories Cognitive Psychology How do we store, represent, and remember information? Information Processing Sensori-Register – “The lens” Short Term, or Working, Memory – “The desktop” Long-Term Memory – “The file cabinet” Remembering & Forgetting

2. We can now see how making strong connections in your brain works The more you make connections between new material and old material the easier it will be for you to remember.

3. Cognitive PsychologyInformation Processing Model of Learning • Information Processing Model of Learning compares our brain to the computer • We take in information • We perform operations on the information • We store, and later, locate the information • We use the knowledge (information) we have to respond and solve problems.

4. Information Processing Model Executive Control Processes – Self-Regulated Learning (Attention, Strategy Selection, Monitoring Understanding) Rehearsal O U T S I D E S T I M U L I Sensory Register Attention is the Key Long Term Memory Short-Term Memory (Retaining Information) Working Memory (Chunking, Reworking, Organizing info for Placement into Long Term Memory) Elaboration & Organization Initial Processing Retrieval & Reconstruction Forgetting Lost but possible recovery Decay Permanent Loss Decay & Interference Permanent Loss

5. Information Processing ModelThe Computer Metaphor Sensory Register Memory (instantaneous) Short-Term or Working Memory (internal RAM) Long-Term Memory (Hard Drive)

6. Information Processing Model Executive Control Processes – Self-Regulated Learning (Attention, Strategy Selection, Monitoring Understanding) Rehearsal O U T S I D E S T I M U L I Sensory Register Attention is the Key Long Term Memory Short-Term Memory (Retaining Information) Working Memory (Chunking, Reworking, Organizing info for Placement into Long Term Memory) Elaboration & Organization Initial Processing Retrieval & Reconstruction Forgetting Lost but possible recovery Decay Permanent Loss Decay & Interference Permanent Loss

7. Just to remind you Here is our goal … to make connections The more you make connections between new material and old material the easier it will be for you to remember. Connections come from good learning strategies

8. Sensory Register – Attention is the Key Many students believe that they can Multi-Task but the research on this clearly shows we are not able to Multi-Task. We can only pay attention to one thing at a time. Be sure to read the examples in your textbook and on-line. There will be questions on the test on the research on Multi-Tasking Sensory Register Attention is the Key

9. Information Processing Model Executive Control Processes – Self-Regulated Learning (Attention, Strategy Selection, Monitoring Understanding) Rehearsal O U T S I D E S T I M U L I Sensory Register Attention is the Key Long Term Memory Short-Term Memory (Retaining Information) Working Memory (Chunking, Reworking, Organizing info for Placement into Long Term Memory) Elaboration & Organization Initial Processing Retrieval & Reconstruction Forgetting Lost but possible recovery Decay Permanent Loss Decay & Interference Permanent Loss

10. Short-Term Memory or Working Memory Short-Term is VERY Short Term - Seconds • Two Purposes • Retaining Information you plan on disposing • This is when the purpose is short-term memory • Working on information (working memory) • When purpose is to transfer information to long-term memory

11. Information Processing Model Executive Control Processes – Self-Regulated Learning (Attention, Strategy Selection, Monitoring Understanding) O U T S I D E S T I M U L I Sensory Register Attention is the Key Rehearsal Long Term Memory Short-Term Memory (Retaining Information) Working Memory (Chunking, Reworking, Organizing info for Placement into Long Term Memory) Elaboration & Organization Initial Processing Retrieval & Reconstruction Forgetting Lost but possible recovery Decay Permanent Loss Decay & Interference Permanent Loss

12. Short-Term Memory or Working Memory • Short-Term Memory is Limited in 2 Ways • How long un-rehearsed information can be held in short-term memory (20-30 seconds) • How much information may be held in short- term memory. (5-9 bit of information) • The 7+or-2 dictum can be overcome with Chunking Short-Term Memory (Retaining Information) Working Memory (Chunking, Reworking, Organizing info for Placement into Long Term Memory)

13. Retaining Information in Short-Term Memoryvs.Using Working Memory to Solve Problems Since STM holds so little, for so short a time, we have to use strategies to “think” because this is occurring in STM. • Maintenance Rehearsal – Repeating the information in your mind • Phonological Loop – rehearsal of words and sounds in STM • Visuospatial Sketchpad – manipulating images in STM (e.g., You are traveling north, then turn right for a mile, then turn right, and then left…) • Elaborative Rehearsal – Connecting what you need to something you already know (e.g., How does CH 7 information compare to CH2 ? How can I use SRL to enhance learning in LTM by engagement in STM?) • Chunking – The 7+/-2 limits how much we can maintain in STM so how do we remember a phone number when we have to include the area code?

14. Long-Term Memory vs Short-Term Memory • Input • Capacity • Duration • Contents • Retrieval • Maintenance Organization is the key to the retrieval of information from Long Term Memory STM Fast and Automatic Very Limited (7+-2) Very brief (20-30 sec) Words, Images NO retrieval time. It is present tense High maintenance – Rehearse it or lose it LTM Slow & Requires Work Unlimited Practically unlimited Propositional network, schemas, episodes Depends on how info was organized Low Maintenance, it’s there forever

15. Explicit and Implicit Memory SystemsExtras for understanding how we remember and think Memory Implicit Memory (Unconscious) Explicit Memory (Conscious) Classical Conditioning Procedural Memory Skills, habits, tacit rules Priming Implicit activation of concepts Episodic Memory Experience Semantic Memory Facts, Knowledge

16. Remembering and Forgetting in LTM • 3 causes of forgetting in LTM • Lack of organization when information is stored • Weak connections to prior learning • Interference – We will talk about this next class Long Term Memory

17. Storing and Retrieving Information Elaborationis adding meaning to new information by connecting it to existing information. Organizationadds a structure to new information which will guide the learner to individual parts. Contextin which we learn can impact retrieval by adding physical and emotion cues.