Thursday, May 9, 2013


Cognitive Learning Theory
All the way through life is faced with many different learning experiences. Some of these experiences have prepared a better contact than others on different people. At one time in everyone’s life one has seen or has been the children who will effort to read a single page from a book and become so irritated and confused because she or he does not comprehended or cannot say again what one has just read. Same way I was also a child who struggled and just did not be aware of what I was reading. My teachers would present reading material and I would have to read it countless times and sometimes still I did not understand what the reading passage was about. However, gradually I started to develop step by step practice to help me better understand what I was reading, and lastly it all came as one. One way to help things to come together for a person is through the Cognitive Theory. The Cognitive Theory presents different theories for the way that one can be educated in different subjects, the different types of learners, and advantages of understanding.

The Cognitive Learning Theory explains why the brain is the most unbelievable set-up of information processing and analysis in the body as we discover things. When we say the word “learning”, we generally mean “to think using the brain”. This fundamental idea of learning is the main belief in the Cognitive Learning Theory (CLT). The theory has been used to clarify mental processes as they are influenced by both basic and extrinsic factors, which finally bring about learning in an individual. Cognitive Learning Theory implies that the different processes relating to learning can be explained by analyzing the mental processes first. It posits that with successful cognitive processes, learning is easier and new information can be stored in the memory for a long time. On the other hand, unsuccessful cognitive processes result to learning difficulties that can be seen anytime during the lifetime of an individual.

Summarizing and note taking is another tactic that supports the cognitive learning theory. Summarizing is the ability to remove, substitute or maintain information in order to trace important information.  Teachers may give templates and ready-made notes for students to use. Teaching and modeling summarizing plus giving students opportunities to produce their own notes. Summarizing and note taking promotes the cognitive learning theory because students are creating periodic memories through the experience of note taking. According to my experience, it is also creating an image that may help in later retrieving the information. While students try to remember information, it is more probable that their brains will be able to make relations because the visual imprint has been formerly introduced into their memory.

Practical field trips also help cognitive learning theory. These trips improve education because they make experiences that have a strong possibility to transfer into episodic memory. Successful teachers try to create experiences that will improve episodic memories because these types of experiences are important to the learner. Through practical field trips, students no longer depend on the pictures in the textbook, but are in fact able to observe the places or events in which they are learning about. From this, teachers are able to connect students in critical thinking behavior that can further support life-long learning.

In my opinion, implementing cognitive learning theories, technology can be used to fit in all of the strategies: questioning, summarizing, note taking, and practical field trips. Technology is valuable to use while implementing the cognitive learning theory because it enables students to elaborate information, tap into episodic memory. The information dealing out model allows educators to realize the importance of integrating several senses through presentations to improve learning. Teachers should offer a wide variety of visuals, audios, and other techniques to tap into students’ senses .Cognitive technologies are tools that may be provided through any medium. These tools help students in recalling, promoting critical thinking, and providing opportunities for problem solving and students will be more likely to transfer information into long-term memory, and then, have beyond doubt learned.

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