Information Processing and Cognitive Theories of Learning

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.”