IDT 848: Class Notes for Week 2

Generative Strategies - Notes of Lecture by Dr. Gary Morrison

What is good instruction? Answer based on learning and instructional theories that form your theory and philosophy.

Mathemagenic Model (Rothkopf, 1970)

• Meaning not implicit in instruction
• Designer controls elaborations - orient, show what is relevant, transfer to LT memory
• Emphasis - controlling learning, by controlling learner
• Neo-behaviorist approach
• Learning outside of learner
• Control by expert information
  
• Result: shallow learning (memorization)
  

Generative Model Wittrock (1974):

• learner constructs meaning based upon prior learning - relating old to new the basis!
  
• Semantic processing (deep) versus phonemic (superficial)
  
• instruction activates prior learning.
  
• learning inside learner - meaning making by learner
• Active creation of knowledge
  
• Process: a) Selective processes, b) Constructive processes (note taking, paraphrasing, summarizing, generating questions, cognitive mapping, creating images)
  
• Sorting and retrieving from memory based on schema
• 4 key ideas 1) meaninful learning from Ausabel (relating old to new!!), 2) assimilation encoding theory (Mayer), 3) levels of processing (Craik and Lockhart), 4) schemata and scripts (guide us)
• Newman, 2001: Study comparing instructional methods to achievement
  

Cognitive Strategies:

• more connections, more likely to retain the material
• Working and long term memory

Cognitive Approach - CANNOT BE CONTROLLED BY DESIGNER!

• view learner as active
• attend to stimuli
• access / recall prior knowledge
• relate new to old
• encode to LT

Learning Strategies:

• What are they? See Rigney in H.F. O'Neil (1978). Learning strategies. New York: Academic Press.
  
• Mental operations or procedures that the student may use to acquire, retain, and retrieve different kinds of knowledge and performance.
• Jonassen - New form of educational technology 1) recall, 2) integration (with schema), 3) organizing, 4) elaboration (add information from existing).
• Two Type: 1) Detached: can be used in any class (probably used the most often) 2) Embedded not separate from the content (manipulation strategies)
• 2 Components: 1) Cognitive orienting: direct learner to activity to process content 2) cogntiive strategy: a) recall ( rehearsal, review, mnemonic), b) integration (paraphrase, metaphors, covert practice), c) organizational (analysis of key ideas and elaborate, categorization, outlining), d) elaboration (relate to what they already know (analogies, synthesis, create images)

2 Readings:
Kourilsky and Wittrock - Applied Research:

Wittrock - literative review