evolutionary status of knowledge
"cognitive load theory has taken an ________ view of human cognitive architecture"
"cognitive load theory has taken an evolutionary view of human cognitive architecture" (sweller, 2011, p. 39)
what is the sensory memory?
it is the very short term (or immediate) store for information as processed by the sensory organs. It temporarily retains sensory information about sights, sounds, smells etc.
what is the duration of the working memory?
<20 seconds
what is the long term memory?
it is the long term storage of information, stored as knowledge.
what function in the human memory system does the 'information store principle' play?
the function of storing information
what is biologically primary and secondary knowledge?
primary; knowledge we have specifically evolved to acquire
secondary; knowledge we have not evolved a specific disposition to acquire; information that must be explicitly instructed or taught
what is the duration of the sensory memory?
<2 seconds
how much information can be held in the working memory?
4 units of novel information (miller 1956, the magic number 7)
or
7 plus or minus 2 (cowan, 2012)
"From an educational perspective, the role of education is to increase knowledge held in long-term memory of particular discipline areas" true or false?
true (sweller, 2011, p. 47)
according to the "borrowing and reorganising principle", how accurately do we copy information when we learn?
the information we learn is stored as a new, reorganised set of information, rather than an exact copy of the information we learnt.
"Although information is borrowed from others, it is reorganized in a manner analogous to sexual reproduction. We combine new information with information already stored in long-term memory and it is the new, reorganized information that is stored rather than an exact copy of the information that was presented. In other words, we store information as schemas rather than as precise copies." (sweller, 2011, p. 48-9)
can you give an example of biologically primary knowledge?
language acquisition or facial recognition
is the sensory memory purely voluntary?
no, it is not always controlled voluntarily
how is information retained in the working memory?
Elaborative rehearsal (repetition and attaching meaning to knowledge)
what is the theoretical capacity of the long term memory?
unlimited
what is the randomness as genesis principle?
The randomness as genesis principle is concerned with how natural information processing systems deal with novel information not previously stored in the information store.
Information is created during problem-solving by the randomness as genesis principle, using a random generate and test for effectiveness procedure. Random generation of moves can result in an unmanageable number of possible moves. Knowledge held in long-term memory is used to reduce the range of possible moves.
The randomness as genesis principle explains how information is first generated. If we are unable to obtain needed information from others, we need to use our primary skills to generate information ourselves during problem solving
can you give an example of biologically secondary knowledge?
reading/writing or knowledge of the economy
name some of the automatic processes that occur in the sensory memory
gestalt principles (similarity, continuation, closure, proximity, figure/ground, and symmetry and order), pattern recognition, cocktail party effect, experiencing life with the information stored in the long term memory
what happens to information that is unrehearsed in the working memory?
information is forgotten - it does not become encoded in the long term memory, nor does it become knowledge/part of a schemata
what is a schemata and what role does it hold in the long term memory
an organised set of information based on your knowledge and experiences
what is the narrow limits of change principle in human memory systems?
The working memory has a limit to cognitive load, the narrow limits of change principle governs how much novel information can be processed at one time.
"Biologically primary skills are ______. Learning our native language and learning to recognize faces require quite different, unrelated processes. We may have deficits in one biologically primary area with no apparent deficiencies in another"
"Biologically primary skills are modular. Learning our native language and learning to recognize faces require quite different, unrelated processes. We may have deficits in one biologically primary area with no apparent deficiencies in another" (sweller, 2011, p. 40)
how is sensory memory moved to the working memory?
attention (or active recall)
how is information retrieved from the long term memory to the working memory?
Retrieval (‘activation’ or ‘reconstruction’) or recall
what is the difference between explicit and implicit memory?
explicit; conscious and intentional recollection of information.
Episodic memory - ‘autobiographical memory’ (episodes of your life) and Semantic memory - ‘declarative’ knowledge, propositions/propositional networks, images, schemas
Implicit memory; unconscious and unintentional influence of information on present behavior or cognition. might include fears or habits.
Conditioning effects, Procedural memory, Motor skills, Priming effects, Implicit activation of schemas in LTM
how is the narrow limits of change principle related to the randomness as genesis principle?
The narrow limits of change principle provides structure for the randomness as genesis principle in human memory.
The randomness as genesis principle dictates how human cognition deals with novel (new) information.
The human cognitive system must reduce the number of novel elements with which it deals. In the case of human cognition, the relevant structure is human working memory." (sweller, 2011, p. 54)