The Cognitive Perspective on Learning:Ten Cornerstone Findings
by Michael Schneider and Elsbeth Stern
As an educator working at an international school, one of our principle aims is to instill in students a lifelong schema of their knowledge to be successful individuals in life, as mentioned in the article by Michael Schneider and Elsbeth Stern with the following statement: “Once children acquire new information in
learning environments, they are supposed to use that information in completely
different situations later in life” (p.1). Our goal coincides with Schneider and Stern on cognitive learning and how learned information is to serve children later in life for actual application in real life problem situations. Knowledge is not only learned facts, but knowledge of concepts that can be applied in different contexts by the learner.
The underpinning
of this idea is taught through “knowledge acquisition and storage.” If
concepts are not taught in a manner relevant to the learner, that information
will be disposed of and forgotten. As the first Cornerstone points out, it is the “learner
who learns” (p.3). For this to happen, students must be mentally active. It is
up to us as teachers to find the right teaching method that will stimulate a
student’s mind. It is not just our pedagogical knowledge and application that
counts, but the awareness of how students construct knowledge in their minds and the transformation of it to real life solutions.
As teachers, we
become so eager to teach a new subject/concept that we jump right in to the content
material and often forget to ask what information a student holds. The second Cornerstone point is to find out what prior knowledge a
student has concerning a subject or topic. It is often assumed what information students have
retained or been exposed to on specific knowledge from the previous
grade level. This assumption may segue into students using prior knowledge not completely understood the first time and "linking" it to new knowledge and creating "incorrect and correct concepts without even noticing the contradicition" (p.4 ) in their learning.
A reminder from Stern is to assess prior
knowledge for “future competence” (p.4) in learning. Prior knowledge will lead to abstract "integration of knowledge (p.5) to string different pieces of information students receive in
math, science, language arts, and other academic subjects.
This “stringing”
together of ideas leads to “integrating [student] knowledge” just as a child
would link together plastic link pieces to form a chain. For instance in the subject
of math, a child can learn rote math e.g. 2+2=4. Sounds simple if you hold up
two fingers and count two more fingers to get to the final answer of four. And what about the concept behind 2+2? What was just taught was a procedure to count and add
numbers. The numerical concept was not explained or manipulated by students to integrate the meaning into cognative learning. This type of learning does not lead to optimal learning because it has not built a hierarchical organization that Conrnerstone five elucidates. A student first needs to know what the number two
represents numerically and quantitatively. What does it mean to add two more to
arrive to the sum of four? If a child has acquired a hierarchical organization
of knowledge, this will lead to a better procedure of number sense in relation
to math. Ultimately, this leads to point six in that structured knowledge is
checked by asking students to informally assess what a student has acquired.
It is a simple process of asking the right questions, “rephrasing, or summarizing
students’ statements” (p.8) so the teacher can gather information on the
knowledge gained/not gained by students. I agree (Winn, 2002) technological equipment
can facilitate and stimulate the thinking process and simplify learning challenges. It is not the same to write
on a white board with markers a problem and answer by the teacher, as it is to project student work with a document camera projector and show the varied ways each student
organizes and structures knowledge. Technology is not “a means in itself” (p.8), but it is the direction learning is heading into. Students
use interactive programs and create interactive assignments to show how they organize recently acquired knowledge. At the end of every project or
assignment the teacher wants to know, “Have they retained the knowledge? Has
it become integrated in their lives in a useful manner?" Only time will tell, but in the meantime student computer-based projects and the use of technology can give an educator an a momentary indication in time of how knowledge was integrated.
This idea
corresponds to Cornerstone point seven which mentions working memory and long-term
memory. The first is where information is kept for a short period of time—perhaps
for the length of a lesson. While the latter, long-term memory, is where
information will be stored in the mind for long term use. I will say not
all information needs to be meaningful. Some information might not be relevant
to a student and therefore not be stored in short term memory. Schneider and Stern
are strong advocates for making “information more meaningful and more important
to students by linking it to their prior knowledge” (p.9). For that to happen,
the load for the working memory has to be kept to a minimal. As educators we
want long-term memory for concepts that have been hierarchically structured. One
suggestion by Schneider and Stern is to reduce “unnecessary working memory load.” Most teachers feel
they have to get to every teaching point and not omit anything from a unit. This
often leads to students losing interest before the important concepts come into
play. By then, students have a difficult time integrating simple prior
knowledge and connecting it with the more complex knowledge.
Lastly, Cornerstone points nine and ten reiterate the importance of knowing when to transfer knowledge later in life by students. Knowledge
might be restricted for specific domains in life, but unfortunately does not guarantee how a student might put to practice the structures for probleming solving becuase of the diverse pathways in life. As Schneider and Stern remind us, learning
takes time and effort over the course of years. I agree earning
should always be made interesting and fun so as to connect with students. No
student wants to sit in a classroom and listen to a dry teacher explain
formulas or social studies without making it relevant to the life of a student.
We can deduce that a personal connection with applicable material makes for a
lasting impact on the life of a learner.
