Cognitive Perspectives on Learning

1.Of the following, which statement best describes cognitive learning theories?

a.Theories that explain learning in terms of changes in observable behavior that occur as a result of having experiences in the real world

b.Theories that explain learning in terms of changes in the mental structures and processes involved in acquiring, organizing, and using knowledge

c.Theories that explain learning in terms of people’s needs for autonomy and connectedness with others in a social environment

d.Theories that explain learning in terms of the interaction between genetics and the environment and the influences they have on people’s thoughts and feelings

2.Which of the following is not a principle of cognitive learning theories?

a.Learning is enhanced in a social environment.

b.Learning and development depend on learners’ experiences.

c.Learners construct their own knowledge.

d.Learning is a change in observable behavior.

3.Jeremy and Bill are trying to install a ceiling fan in Jeremy’s work area, but they’re a little uncertain about how to proceed. As they discuss what to try, Bill suggests that they ask Steve, who has installed a couple fans in his home. The three of them look at the fan and where Jeremy wants to locate it, share some ideas, and they soon have it installed. Of the following, the principle of cognitive learning theory that is best illustrated by this example is:

a.learners construct knowledge.

b.learning is enhanced in a social environment.

c.learning is a change in observable behavior.

d.learning depends on knowledge of skills and abilities.

4.Mrs. Everett is teaching her class about adjectives and has shown  students the following passage:

Tim and Sharon went to their favorite hangout to meet their best friends, Quin and Sancha. They had fun and listened to some new music.

Mrs. Everett helps them recognize that favorite, best, and new are adjectives, and the students see that each of the adjectives appears in front of the noun. Mrs. Everett then gives the students the following short vignette and asks the students to identify the adjectives:

Bill and Katie, with her brown hair blowing in the brisk wind, went in his new car to the game. The game was incredibly exciting, and their team barely won.

Anya identifies brown, brisk and new as adjectives, but she doesn’t recognize that exciting is also an adjective, since it follows the noun instead of appearing in front of it. Of the following, which principle of cognitive learning best explains why Anya would fail to recognize that exciting is an adjective?

a.Learners construct knowledge with the support of more knowledgeable peers.

b.Knowledge that is constructed depends on learners’ prior knowledge.

c.Learning is enhanced in a social environment.

d.Learning depends on practice and feedback.

5.Mrs. Everett sees that several of her students fail to recognize that exciting is an adjective, so she gives the students another passage in which some of the adjectives appear before the noun and others follow the noun.  Then, when she assesses the students she sees that nearly all of them are able to identify adjectives that appear before nouns as well as those that follow nouns. Of the following, which principle of cognitive learning theory best explains why the students would now have a better understanding of adjectives?

a.Learning and development depend on learners’ experiences.

b.Learners construct knowledge with the support of more knowledgeable peers.

c.Learning is enhanced in a social environment.

d.Learning depends on practice and feedback.

Essay Item

6.Define learning from a cognitive perspective, and explain how the definition differs from the way learning is defined from a behaviorist perspective.

7.Describe and provide an example of four of the five principles of cognitive learning theory.