Other Views on Cognitive Development

1. Other Views on Cognitive Development Neo-Piagetian Computational Model Componential Analysis Framework Theory Seigler Overlapping Waves Theory

2. Align with Piaget in that • “Children think about any particular topic in only one way at most points in development” • “A major goal of developmental theory should be identifying the way of thinking used by children at particular ages” (p. 204). • But, they add that thinking is information processing.

3. Neo-Piagetian • Who: Robbie Case • Key elements: Stages like Piaget • Stage progression shifts are from automaticity of problem-solving processes • Also has a likely biological component – mylination. • “There are general processes – within and across culturally-defined disciplines and content areas” (p. 206).

4. Computational Model • Who: Klahr & Wallace • Key elements: Quantitative Development • Quantity via subitizing, counting, and estimating. • Over time – regularities in quantification generalize. • Over time – develop increasingly abstract rules.

5. Componential Analysis • Who: Sternberg • Key elements: Intelligence – 3 kinds of information processing components • Meta-components • Performance components • Knowledge acquisition components • Developmental changes through feedback, self-monitoring, and automatization • Developing child is seen as novice becoming an expert (gaining knowledge and automaticity).

6. Framework Theory • Who: Carey • Key elements: subject specific reasoning • People have intuitive models (theories) • Provide elements to change and replace those theories such as construct mapping across domains and thought experiments.

7. Siegler’sOverlapping Waves Theory • Key elements: Rules & combination of rules • Older children attend more selectively to critical features • Select appropriate dimensions of rules and combine to successfully solve problems • 5 dimensions – variability, rate of change, path of change, breadth, & source • Explains why old strategy use can persist after new strategy has been learned.

8. Differences • They have disagreed minimally with Piaget. • Rather than logical operational structures as Piaget proposed, these theorists see children’s knowledge representation as the same types of representations as adults. • They differ most from Piaget in the mechanisms of development. Only Case includes step-like stages, and none retains Piaget’s view of the child as a biological organism that allows for qualitative shifts • According to the Info-Processing developmentalists, learning plays a more significant role.

9. InstructionGiven Developmental Views • Piaget • The learning environment should support the activity of the child • Children’s interactions with their peers are an important source of cognitive development (move beyond egocentric thought), others provide information/feedback about the child’s logical constructions • Adopt instructional strategies that make children aware of conflicts and inconsistencies in their thinking

10. InstructionGiven Developmental Views • Information-processing view • Role of rules – to help overcome memory limits • Identify the ways the child oversimplifies the problem • Show why their strategy will not work and what they are ignoring • Be taught and practice new strategy that incorporates the new rules • Promote conceptual change – set the stage • Have dissatisfaction with current conception (this can be created) • New conception can be grasped (use analogies, metaphors, physical models, etc.) • New concept seems plausible (relates to beliefs and can account for anomalies) • New conception opens up new areas of inquiry