What are the similarities and differneces between cognitive approaches and theory based learning?
This is a pretty advanced question….. grad school level.
Cognitive psychology is the study of how we learn, and it is based on the Piaget model which postulated learning to be a result of developing internal constructions, based on one’s ability to understand increasingly more difficult abstractions. The process is called "assimilation", and it should not be confused with adaptation. It means constructing internal models of the outside world.
It has been a while since I was in grad school, so I had no idea what "theory based learning" actually is. From scanning some articles I found this excerpt:
"Kolb (1974) proposed that learning behaviour occurred as a continuous learning cycle (figure 1). It implicitly defines a behavioural schedule that is buried within the set of phases, and indicates a set of behavioural steps that a learner will pass through (e.g. read this, do that,…). The behavioural schedule defines how a learner tackles and deals with learning material. For traditional open and distance learning materials that operate as a schedule of programmed learning, a number of steps may be defined and the learner will make an ordered selection of them."
From this I must infer that it is a behaviorist approach to learning. I think both approaches may be valid and not necessarily mutually exclusive. I’m not particularly fond of behaviorist theory, but I know those approaches can be helpful, when dealing with autistic children, though they must be used in a gentle loving way.
November 7th, 2009 at 2:49 am
This is a pretty advanced question….. grad school level.
Cognitive psychology is the study of how we learn, and it is based on the Piaget model which postulated learning to be a result of developing internal constructions, based on one’s ability to understand increasingly more difficult abstractions. The process is called "assimilation", and it should not be confused with adaptation. It means constructing internal models of the outside world.
It has been a while since I was in grad school, so I had no idea what "theory based learning" actually is. From scanning some articles I found this excerpt:
"Kolb (1974) proposed that learning behaviour occurred as a continuous learning cycle (figure 1). It implicitly defines a behavioural schedule that is buried within the set of phases, and indicates a set of behavioural steps that a learner will pass through (e.g. read this, do that,…). The behavioural schedule defines how a learner tackles and deals with learning material. For traditional open and distance learning materials that operate as a schedule of programmed learning, a number of steps may be defined and the learner will make an ordered selection of them."
From this I must infer that it is a behaviorist approach to learning. I think both approaches may be valid and not necessarily mutually exclusive. I’m not particularly fond of behaviorist theory, but I know those approaches can be helpful, when dealing with autistic children, though they must be used in a gentle loving way.
References :
http://www.isss.org/2000meet/papers/20036.pdf#search=‘theory%20based%20learning%20definition’
November 7th, 2009 at 2:59 am
Bascially, cognitive approaches look at how the brain works and how you can use this to teach children. For example, a cognitive approach may look at the child’s strengths (auditory learning, for one) and teach the child using mainly auditory means.
Theory based learning used models of child development to teach. Piaget and Freud’s stages are the most popular, but there are others.
References :