Theories
idea that working (or short-term) memory has a limited capacity and that overloading it reduces the effectiveness of teaching; similar to when you have too many windows open on your computer and it reduces its capability to work properly
What is Cognitive Load Theory?
the amount of information the working memory can hold at any one given time
What is cognitive load?
this principle tells us to help students focus on the information we are talking about by highlighting the important details
What is the signaling principle?
schools and classrooms must be centered around this person to be efficient
What is the learner?
ability to recognize and manage one’s emotions, to solve conflicts, to motivate oneself, and to persevere in the face of difficulty
What is emotional intelligence?
Theories drawing attention to how learners choose goals depending on their beliefs about both their ability to accomplish a task and the value of that task; learners may not engage in a task or persist with learning long enough to achieve their goals unless they value the learning activities and goals
What are expectancy-value theories?
the three types of cognitive load
What are Extraneous, Intrinsic, and Germane?
this principle involves reducing the amount of information on each slide/page/worksheet to only that that is necessary
What is the coherence principle?
this type of classroom environment directs attention to what is taught (information, subject matter), why it is taught (understanding), and what competence or mastery looks like
What is knowledge-centered?
an unconscious worry that a stereotype about one’s social group could be applied to oneself, or that one might do something that confirms the stereotype
What is stereotype threat?
when learners expect to succeed, they are more likely to put forth the effort and persistence needed to perform well
What is Self-Efficacy Theory?
when someone is subjected to new information, this is the classification the brain gives in order to store information in long term memory
What are schemas?
principle that students learn best from images and narration, rather than text and narration. Images (visual) and narration (audio) do not compete with each other, therefore they use less cognitive load, also known as the “Modality Effect”
What is the redundancy principle?
ongoing assessments designed to make students’ thinking visible to both teachers and students; are essential for the teacher to grasp the students’ preconceptions, understand where the students are in the “developmental corridor” from informal to formal thinking, and design instruction accordingly
What are formative assessments?
a psychological state that arises spontaneously in response to specific features of the task or learning environment; it is malleable, can affect student engagement and learning, and is influenced by the tasks and materials educators use or encourage
What is situational interest?
theory suggesting that images, a small amount of text and narration (visual and verbal stimuli) are the most efficient way of reducing extraneous load
What is Dual Coding Theory?
type of instruction that helps students learn to take control of their own learning by defining learning goals and monitoring their progress in achieving them
What is a metacognitive approach?
this principle involves placing labels next to the thing being described, so students don’t have to waste cognitive load juice working anything out; making the working memory’s job easier in terms of intrinsic and extraneous load allows for greater use of germane load, the ability to make those connections with previously learned information
What is spatial contiguity?
this classroom environment uses formative assessments to help both teachers and students monitor progress
What is assessment-centered?
an important tool for motivating learning behaviors, but some argue that such rewards are harmful to intrinsic motivation in ways that affect persistence and achievement
What are external rewards?
the goals that individuals construct for themselves as a result of their life, school experiences, and the sociocultural context in which learning takes place; it is fostered when learners feel they “belong” in their learning environment and when the environment promotes their sense of agency and purpose
What is motivation?
form of cognitive load concerned with the material and environment students are subjected to; excessive distractions lead to an increase in extraneous load; gives teachers the most control out of any other type
What is extraneous cognitive load?
this principle simply presents the visual images and their labels at the same time. By doing this, the working memory treats them as an individual unit rather than separate entities
What is temporal contiguity?
this approach requires the development of norms for the classroom and school, as well as connections to the outside world that support core learning values; this is because learning is influenced in fundamental ways by the context in which it takes place
What is community-centered approach?
types of goals in which learners focus on increasing competence or understanding, and performance goals, in which learners are driven by a desire to appear competent or outperform others
What are mastery goals?