Cognitive learning theory is hinged on the idea that
learners can only hold around seven pieces of information easily in the mind at
one time (Laureate Education Inc, 2011).
When considering the depth and breadth of knowledge that a learner must
internalize and recall in any given school year, obviously seven pieces of
information is not going to be sufficient. In order to move these seven pieces of
information from the short-term memory part of the brain to the long-term
memory part of the brain, which makes them permanent, learners need to be
taught a variety of strategies and partake in a variety of experiences.
In the
cognitive learning theory, the primary model of memory is a network model—this model
explains that different pieces of information are stored in different parts of
the brain, and the real work of memory is being able to find the connections between
different pieces of information. When a
learner forgets a piece of information, he or she has not been able to find the
connecting pieces or paths of information in the brain. Dr. Orey (Laureate Education Inc., 2011)
explains that students learn best when
there are a variety of medias for input—for example sight, sound, and scent are
all strong inputs that store information effectively. Dr. Orey shares that the stronger the
connection between the pieces of information, the more easily the student will
be able to recall those connections and remember the content, which is
ultimately the goal of a successful lesson.
As a
teacher, I need to be thinking about the kinds of activities I provide for my
students and consider the kinds of connections I am helping my students
make. One thing I learned from Dr. Orey
(Laureate Education Inc., 2011) is that concept maps can help students make
these strong connections. A concept map
is a tool that allows students to visualize their thinking path and move around
the different words and concepts until they have created a map with a hierarchy
that makes sense to them. In my
classroom, I use Inspiration concept maps, which I obtained as a free app on my
iPad (Inspiration Software Inc, 2013). I
have since upgraded to the purchased version, which allows me greater
flexibility and transferability with the concept maps that my students
create. Another type of activity that
can help students build deeper, stronger connections when learning new material
is to take them on a virtual field trip (Laureate Education Inc., 2011b). I have taken my fifth graders on one or two
virtual field trips each year, and this past year we did our virtual fieldtrip
to the Jamestown colony
(Dunn, 2002), where students could select from a variety of variables to see
which choices would make the colony most successful. This
allowed my students to be able to interact with each other, experience critical
thinking activities in a fun, collaborative environment, and made the
information be cemented more deeply in their brains.
These are my experiences with concept maps and virtual field
trips, but I know that these are only some of the many exciting activities that
help reinforce the Cognitive Brain Model—what resources or activities do you
use?
Resources:
Dunn, B. (2002). The
jamestown online adventure.
Retrieved from www.historyglobe.com
Inspiration Software, Inc. (2013). Retrieved from
http://www.inspiration.com/
Laureate
Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011a). 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
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteFor starters, I wanted to say I am impressed. I was surprised to read that you have already using virtual field trips and concepts map within your classroom. I find, teaching math, it is a little more challenging to find valuable virtual field trips at the high school level, but ended up finding a few that were useful using this week's resources. The hardest trouble I had was creating my own concept map that connected to my field trip. The one thing I was able to relate it to was something I did in fifth grade math called "The Big Idea" map that had me literally cutting and pasting these word boxes and gluing them to the right location. Now with new advancements, it can be down at home or in school on the computer where resources are at hand to assit and eliminates the actual cut and paste.
I was curious to know about the students reaction to the virtual field experience. Were they excited, did they stay focused throughout the experience and so forth. What was your follow up from the experience either during or after the event. Thanks for sharing.
~Nicole A
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI am sure your students fully enjoyed their experiences with the virtual field trips that you have provided as a learning experience. When you presented the virtual field trips, did you have students using a concept map to help them organize the new information they were encountering? I have never delved into the world of virtual field trips. I am a ninth grade English teacher and was a little disappointed to see that many of the field trips revolved around science and history. I might have to post a few suggestions for a virtual field trip site devoted to the arts. I can see how the use of a concept map in conjunction with the virtual field trip experience would be absolutely necessary in order for students to organizes, sort, and synthesize the information they are encountering. Many of these field trips provide so much information that even an adult would find it difficult to walk away with an organized way to take in this information. Thank you for your post!
Dina Fleming