Lesson 2:

COGNITIVISM
COGNITIVISM
Cognitivism can be defined as the study in
psychology that focuses on mental processes,
including how people think perceive and learn, to
solve problems and direct their attention to one
stimulus rather than another. It focusses on how
information is received, organized, stored and
retrieved by the mind. It uses the mind as an
information processer, like a computer.
COGNITIVISM
A theory of learning that focuses on processes of the
mind.
Helps in developing better programs for learners
because it uses research that focuses on the brain and
mental processes for acquiring and using new
information.
HISTORY OF COGNITIVISM
Cognitivist theory developed as a
reaction to behaviorism and gained
credence in the 1950s
Originated in the 1960s in a break
from behaviorism.
JEAN PIAGET
founder of Cognitivism

ULRIC RICHARD GUSTAV NEISSER

Father of Cognitivism
ENCODING
The first step in creating in memory during the
learning and memory process.
inputting of a new information in memory.

LONG-TERM MEMORY
Process in the brain that takes information from the
short-term memory store and creates long lasting
memories.
Cognitive
Processes
 How the mind takes information:

STORE >> PROCESS >> ACCESS

COGNITIVE PROCESSES
Cognitive processes are the mental
operations the brain performs to process
information. Through these operations, the
brain interacts with the information around
it, stores it and analyses it in order to make
the relevant decisions.
A. Perception
The ability to become of aware of something through senses.
Human perception occurs to five senses:
1. Sight
2. Taste
3. Smell
4. Sound
5. Touch
B. Executive Processes
Processes that modulate the operation of the other processes and that are
responsible for coordination of mental activity so that particular goal is
achieve.
Ex:
Focus
Attention
Scheduling
Planning/prioritizing
Switching or more automatic functions
C. Working Memory
The small amount of information that
can be held in mind working memory the
processes that we use to make sense of
modify, interpret and store
D. Encoding
 The first step in creating in memory during
the learning and memory process.
 Is the process of integrating new information
processed in the working memory with what is
already know.
 Input of information in memory.
E. Long-term Memory
A memory that involves the storage and recall of information over
a long period of time.
2 types of long-term memory
 PROCEDURAL- are information related to activities, learned
through practice and repetition.
DECLARATIVE- are information about facts, rules, events,
definition, and experiences.
Cognitive Theories of
Learning
1. Cognitive stage theory of Jean Piaget
One of the most widely known perspectives about
cognitive development is the cognitive stage theory of a
Swiss psychologist named Jean Piaget.
Piaget created and studied an account of how children and
youth gradually become able to think logically and
scientifically.
The long-term developments are the main focus of
Piaget’s cognitive theory.
 Assimilation
- describes how we interpret new experiences in terms of our current
understanding, so in terms of our current schemas
Accommodation
- describes how we later adjust our schemas to better incorporate new
experiences
Sequence Of Thinking Patterns
1. The stages always happen in the same order.
2. No stage is ever skipped.
3. Each stage is a significant transformation of the stage before it.
4. Each later stage incorporated the earlier stages into itself.
COGNITIVE STAGE THEORY
1.Sensorimotor stage
2.Pre-operational stage
3.Concrete operational stage
4.Formal operational stage
Sensorimotor stage
Birth to Age 2
In Piaget’s theory, the sensorimotor stage occurs first, and is
defined as the period when infants “think” by means of their
senses and motor actions.
Piaget conducted clever experiments without language to show
that older infants (18-24 months) would search for hidden objects,
while the younger infants (<6 months) didn’t. This suggests early
cognitive development in infants.
Preoperational stage
Age 2 to 7
Children use their new ability to represent objects in a wide variety of
activities, but they do not yet do it in ways that are organized or fully
logical.
One of the most obvious examples of this kind of cognition is dramatic
play, or the improvised make-believe.
Metacognition - ability to reflect on and be aware of your thoughts,
knowledge, and cognitive processes, such as problem-solving, decision-
making, and memory.
Concrete Operational stage
Age 7 to 11
Imagine a simple science experiment, for example, such as one that explores
why objects sink or float by having a child place an assortment of objects in a
basin of water. Both the preoperational and concrete operational child can recall
and describe the steps in this experiment, but only the concrete operational child
can recall them in any order (e.g., chronological, reverse chronological, etc).
Reversibility, or the ability to think about the steps of a process in any order
Decentration, the ability to consider multiple aspects or viewpoints of a
situation, rather than focusing on just one aspect
Formal Operational stage
Age 11 and Beyond
the child becomes able to reason not only about tangible
objects and events, but also about hypothetical or abstract ones
the period when the individual can “operate” on “forms” or
representations
The fourth stage in Piaget’s theory is about a particular kind of
formal thinking: the kind needed to solve scientific problems and
devise scientific experiments
 2. Information Processing Theory
These theories focus on how individuals acquire, store,
process, and retrieve information from their environment,
much like a computer processes data.
Information Processing Theory, a cognitive framework
developed by American psychologist George A. Miller 1960s
Parallel Processing - brain processes multiple pieces of
information simultaneously
3. Cognitive Load Theory
Helps you design training or learning materials that reduce the
demands on learners' working memory, so that they learn more
effectively.
Cognitive load is referred to as the amount of information that our
working memory capacity can hold at one time. Sweller J. argues
that human memory has a limited capacity; therefore, instructional
procedures need to avoid overloading it with those activities that
don't directly enhance learning.
4. Self-Regulated Learning
 Refers to one's ability to under- stand and
control one's learning environment. Self- regulation
abilities include goal setting, self- monitoring, self-
instruction, and self-reinforcement.
 The cycles are; plan and set a goal, use strategy
and monitor the performance, and last reflect and
adapt.
 Conclusion
The cognitivist approach to learning assumes that the
learner uses cognitive processes as an active participant in
the learning process. The variety in the learning objectives
and student capacities in any given situation require an
instructional designer to have a breadth and depth of
knowledge of instructional theories in order to meet the
needs of each situation.