29 Dec 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
Week 4: Cognitive Models of Learning (Cont.)
Class Notes
• Large lectures typically low behavioural and cognitive activity (passive)
o Cognitive activity depends on levels of expertise and engagement
• Reading low behavioural and cognitive – why it’s not an effective study strategy
• Synchronous sessions can be very active or passive depending on the set-up
• Mayer’s conclusion in “Three Strikes” that direct instruction better than discovery learning
o Can allow for high cognitive activity which will lead to active learning, regardless of
whether students are behaviourally active – discovery learning lets them be behaviourally
active, but no promise on the standard of cognitive activity
o Pure discovery may fail to promote important cognitive processes because it may be
difficult to select relevant incoming information
• Most common study strategies are ineffective i.e. re-reading and highlighting
o Interleaved testing is best for retention
o Most effective strategies overall are practice testing and distributed practice
• Schema development central to both CLT and constructivism
o Only what varies is the approach taken for it