This chapter describes how
information is received and processed in the mind, how memory and loss
of memory work, and how teachers can help students understand and remember
critical information, skills, and ideas. This chapter also presents cognitive
theories of learning, theories that relate to processes that go on within the
minds of learners, and means of helping students use their minds more
effectively to learn, remember, and use knowledge.
Information constantly enters our minds through our senses.
Most of this information is almost immediately discarded, and we may never even
be aware of much of it. Some is held in our memories for a short time and then
forgotten.
Information processing theory: Cognitive theory of learning that
describes the processing, storage, and retrieval of knowledge in the mind. Sensory register: Component of the
memory system in which information is received and held for very short periods
of time. The first component of the memory system that incoming information
meets is the sensory register. . Sensory registers receive large amounts of
information from each of the senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste) and hold it for a very short time, no more
than a couple of seconds. If nothing happens to information held in a sensory
register, it is rapidly lost
The existence of sensory registers has two important educational implications. First, people must pay attention to information if they are to
retain it. Second, it takes time to bring all the information seen in a
moment into consciousness. For example, if students are bombarded with too much
information at once and are not told which aspects of the information they
should pay attention to, they may have difficulty learning any of the
information at all.
Perception: A
person's interpretation of stimuli. Perception of stimuli is not as
straightforward as reception of stimuli. Instead, it involves mental
interpretation and is influenced by our mental state, past experience,
knowledge, motivations, and many other factors.
Attention: Active
focus on certain stimuli to the exclusion of others. When teachers say to
students, "Pay attention" or "Lend me your ears," they are
using the words pay and lend appropriately. Like money, attention is a limited
resource
There are several ways to gain students' attention, all
of which go under the general heading of arousing
student interest. One way is to use cues that indicate "This is
important." Some teachers raise
or lower their voices to signal that they are about to impart critical
information. Others use gestures,
repetition, or body position to communicate the same message. Increase the emotional content of
material. Some publications accomplish this by choosing very emotional
words. Unusual, inconsistent, or
surprising stimuli also attract attention. For example, science
teachers often introduce lessons with a demonstration or magic trick to engage
student curiosity. Informing students
that what follows is important to them will catch their attention.
"This will be on tomorrow’s test.”
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