Assignment 1- Chapter Questions Hattie and Yates (2014)

PME 843: Effective Instruction

Queen’s University
Rebecca Oliver

Chapter 14:

#2 One reality of this modern world is the need to learn multiple strings of information such as your visa
number, passwords, or ID numbers. Can you recall any situation where failure to recall a string has
occasioned disaster in your life? What are some good ways to commit such strings to memory?

While I was working at Pandora, we had an employee number to log into computers in order to cash
people out. This employee number was an example of serial ordering. While I started my shift (after a
brief period of time away), I was helping a customer and went to the computer to type in their total but
forgot my login information. I panicked and kept trying to type “what felt natural” through sensory
discrimination into the keyboard to see if I could kinetically remember - but I couldn’t. I had to ask my
manager for the information. Thankfully she wasn’t upset and understood. Hattie and Yates (2014) stated
“Strings are acquired through deliberate focus and repetition” (p. 128). It is important for the person
learning strings to be focused, with a clear mind and through repetition in varying ways such as through
the speed of information (quickly, slowly). Hattie and Yates (2014) even discuss the
look–say–cover–write–check method for a good way to commit strings into memory (p. 128). Another way
to commit strings to our memory is through exposure to multiple modals of learning. For example, I have
many students who mix up b and d. I get my students to be exposed to multiple sensory opportunities to
learn the difference between the letter b and d (e.g., through play-dough, search and find, rule for b
versus rule for d - d has a diaper, b has a belly etc.).

#4 Schemata are more abstract things than ideas. Ideas can be taught quite directly (as facts to acquire).
Schemata can be taught, yes, but just why is such resultant learning so much more difficult to achieve?

Hattie and Yates (2014) stated “Schemata, or schemas, are the basic units by which we organise and
structure our knowledge” (p. 130). This means our schema is where deeper meaning occurs that the
ability to have big picture and overarching ideas truly come into play. Schema helps everyone make
sense out of our ideas and of the information we have learned and builds connections between these
ideas, thoughts and facts (Hattie & Yates, 2014, p. 130). This resultant learning is so much more difficult
to achieve because it involves complex organization and the ability for self-reflection. Schema refinement
is the ability to recognize that a person’s organizational knowledge is not complete and can be organized
through successful and non-successful ways of thinking (Hattie & Yates, 2014, p. 130). Therefore,
resultant learning doesn’t only involve learning of information but also organizing that information, making
connections to other prior knowledge and understanding what information can be used and utilized while
other information is less essential or even opinion based instead of fact.

Chapter 13:

#5 What types of learning are retained easily? What things are forgotten quickly?

I’d say that no learning is retained “easily” per say but there are types of learning that students can retain
better. The first type of learning is linked to ensure that the learning is meaningful, relevant and given
within a timely matter. We know students pay attention more and gain more knowledge when the
information is meaningful to them - like culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy. We also know this
can relate to a student’s relevancy through activating the student’s prior knowledge. Hattie and Yates
(2014) stated “The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows.”
(p. 114). By building on a student's organized existing knowledge, rather than trying to create new
information that can’t be related to previous learning would be much more difficult to retain. We know that
“Meaningfulness, or relatedness, stems directly from prior knowledge” (Hattie & Yates, 2014, p. 115).
Another powerful type of learning is one that is multimodal and active. Strong learning can occur when
multiple modalities are combined for learning like with words and images combined. Hattie and Yates
(2014) stated “ These effects become especially strong when the words and images are made meaningful
through accessing prior knowledge.” (p. 115). The mind being active is also essential for learning to be
retained. The mind needs to respond to a meaningful experience by producing a meaningful response. By
the mind actively doing something due to a stimulus, the learning becomes memorable (Hattie & Yates,
2014, p. 115). Recognition learning which means to indicate knowing of information is considered an
easier type of learning. Hattie and Yates (2014) stated “Measures of recognition pick up partial or
incomplete knowledge very easily” (p. 116) but to recall information involves more complex learning which
involves a deeper level of processing (therefore is harder to fully comprehend). Another type of learning
that is retained better is the primacy (which is the first bits of information) and the recent effect (as the
name states the information that enters the mind more recently). Students tend to remember the
beginning and the end of what they are learning but the middle can be easily forgotten. Another type of
learning that is often forgotten is the shedding of detailed knowledge of specific facts or numbers. (Hattie
& Yates, 2014, p. 117). These isolated numbers or facts can be arbitrary items and can decay over time.

#10 What are some active strategies that will help students transfer information from working memory to
long term memory? What is CRIME? For one of these strategies, identify some form of classroom
practice that is employing it.

CRIME involves active responding that uses strategies to move data from working memory to long term
memory. Hattie and Yates (2014) stated “These are chunking, rehearsal, imagery, mnemonics, and
elaboration.” (p. 123). Chunking (as the name suggests) is to chunk or group related items “to reduce
mental load by arranging related items into a meaningful pattern using prior knowledge.” (Hattie & Yates,
2014, p. 123). The next strategy is rehearsal - which is the understanding that repetition can be a
technique to accessing long term memory. The I in CRIME stands for imagery. Imagery which root word is
image is exactly that - imagining an image to remember something. I use a imagery technique in my class
for reading comprehension called Visualization. I often encourage students to create pictures in their
minds as they are reading or listening to a text. By creating these mental images, students can gain a
deeper understanding of the text, which then can be processed into their long-term memory. Hattie and
Yates (2014) stated “Mnemonics is a general word that can be used to refer to any memory device.” (p.
123) - this is the strategy used for long term memory. By using acronyms, students can remember
complicated information more simply. Finally, the E in CRIME stands for Elaboration. Elaboration is a
technique that involves adding meaning while processing information in order to bring “other data from
long-term memory into working memory consciousness.” (Hattie & Yates, 2014, p. 123).

#8 Explain why learning is not always a pleasant experience?

Learning is not always a pleasant experience because simply put - it can be tough. Learning involves
information needed to be absorbed, which can cause stress and emotional uncertainty and even to
overload. Due to students' overconfidence, students can “underestimate the amount of time and practice
it takes to master a new skill.” (Hattie & Yates, 2014, p. 119). This can cause students to feel
overwhelmed and frustrated when receiving feedback for performances or when their capacity (overload)
is exceeded. When students' “mental resources are stretched, and once an overload point is reached,
then the ability to take on board any new information is reduced severely.” (Hattie & Yates, 2014, p. 119).
This can also be difficult for students because they are overloaded without having crucial coping
strategies. Some other ways that overloading can occur is when students have lower levels of prior
knowledge, poor instruction/teaching or lack of engagement, unfavourable learning conditions and
assessment apprehension (Hattie & Yates, 2014, p. 121)

Chapter 16:

#5 Many of the curriculum tasks we expect students to master involve element interactivity. What does
this idea mean? Can you think of such tasks that demand this level of mental complexity in your
curriculum area? And, conversely, what sort of tasks are low in element interactivity?

The idea of element interactivity is the “relationships between the items placed within working memory.”
(Hattie & Yates, 2014, p. 147) - this quote shows how there can be multiple elements needed to sequence
and solve a task. These relationships to solve tasks can involve “sequences, categories, hierarchies,
specified conditions, variations in intensity, or in terms of cause and effect” (Hattie & Yates, 2014, p. 148).
Reading would be a perfect example of having to master element interactivity. While reading a new text,
students need to have an understanding of word recognition (e.g., phonemic awareness, letter-to-sound
recognition to decode unknown words), language comprehension (literacy knowledge, language
structure, vocabulary verbal reasoning, background knowledge etc.) and fluency (accuracy, prodigy,
automaticity). An example of low in element interactivity tasks would be to use a graphic organizer to help
filter thoughts and ideas before writing.

#6 Cognitive load theory says that many aspects of classroom instruction introduce extraneous load.
Often learners can tolerate a level of extraneous load. No big deal. So, just when does it become a
serious matter, and for whom?

Throughout Hattie and Yates (2014) article, they mention how novice learners in particular are the ones
who will feel extraneous loads the most. This is due to the fact that they may have no or little background
knowledge, that the sequence may be moving too fast, there is presented additional information that is
not directly related to the task and their working memory limitations.