Cognitivism

What is a Learning Theory and an Instructional Design Theory?

A learning theory describes how we learn. We can refer to humans, animals, and a variety of other organisms depending upon the learning theory. Instructional Design Theories prescribes how we should design instruction and facilitate learning so that it is successful. Instructional Design Theories are informed by Learning Theories.

How Does Cognitivism Describe Learning?

According to Cognitivism as a Learning Theory, learning is a "relatively permanent change in mental represenations as a result of experience" (Koszalka, 2018). Cognitivism focuses on the relationship of inputing, processing, and outputting information from the senses through the mechanisms of the brain, such as working memory. Humans receive information from our senses and actively process information that garners our attention. This new information interacts with prior knowledge held within existing schemas (mental maps or models) in the long-term memory of the brain and is connected in multiple ways to strenthen the knowledge for later recall. Some of these interactions are sometimes referred to as assimilation and accomodation. Cognitivists see this as an input-processing-output mechanism.

Information Concerning Cognitivism

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