Cognitive

THE COGNITIVE LEARNING THEORY

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The cognitive learning theory is focused on understanding how students learn to cater to the learning needs in the classroom and alter teaching methods accordingly. It includes linking current and previous knowledge to develop new ideas and learning behaviours (Nespor, 1988). The different memory sources, including the episodic, semantic, and procedural memories, can be ‘tapped in’ to assist in the learning process. This teaching approach emphasises the importance of understanding the processes involved in learning and how to store information from the sensory to the long-term and retrieve it back into the working memory. Its goal is to retain information using schemas and assimilation of previous knowledge to new content (Duschesne & McMaugh, 2019).

An activity I planned for my Year 10 English class was focused on adaptations and appropriations of texts. As we were studying Macbeth, I divided the class into smaller groups and gave each group an act of the play. Students had to create and perform an adaptation of the scene by changing the characters, settings, and plot, while maintaining the same concepts found in the act. This involved students creatively thinking about how to portray their acts. I supervised each groups’ progress but didn’t interfere with the problem-solving element of the task which is part of the cognitive approach (Helle et al., 2006). Many resolved to making popular culture references or used real world events to display their acts. At the conclusion of each performance, the class discussed and completed a worksheet on what was happening in the scene and how it related to the play. The goal of understanding the plot and the importance of context was achieved at the end of the lesson.

This exercise assisted with assimilating current knowledge with new information and understanding the plot of the play in a familiar context. The concept of ‘schema activation’, in which the episodic memory is used to relate foreign knowledge with already understood content, is relevant to the theory as well (Duschesne & McMaugh, 2019). I also attempted to utilise familiar concepts to introduce new ideas, for example, by using a funny image or quote.

The implementation of this cognitive-based activity aligns with Standards 1.2 and 2.2 as it focuses on learning as a process of rehearsing and recalling memories (AITSL, 2018). The teacher decides what is necessary to be memories (for example, a scaffolding technique) and facilitates the process. It also meets Standard 4.2 as the teacher plays a role in assigning relevant classroom activities which assist in the assimilation and memorization process (AITSL, 2018).

A major disadvantage to the cognitive behavioural theory is the lack of consideration it has for other factors which may impact information retention. The students who make up the classroom have diverse learning needs and therefore may display an inability to recall information as easily as their classmates. The cognitive method heavily relies on the rehearsing information however repetition can become mundane and reduce the motivation to learn (Duschesne & McMaugh, 2019). Unlike other behavioural theories, the results of the cognitive theory cannot be observed or measured.

Rather than applying the cognitive theory to memorising specific information, it can be used to learn schemas to better equip students in future study (Young, 2005). For example, the PEEL method of writing is taught as a general scaffold. Students can take the structure of PEEL and apply it in future writing.