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The Use of Cognitive Learning Theory

May 16, 2023

The 1920s were the time when Swiss educator, Jean Piaget, worked at the Binet Institute where he was in charge of translating English intelligence questions to French. During his time at Binet Institute, Piaget became obsessed with the fact that the children who were logically challenged got it wrong, and others got correct.

In the past, behaviorism was the prevailing theory for this. Psychologists assessed the ability of children to respond to these types of questions based on the way they interact with their environments.

It was 1936 when Piaget advocated for a distinct theory. He believed that the inner workings of a child's brain determine the way they respond to logical questions. The assumptions of Piaget on intelligence were:

  • Children's thinking develops in phases, and their behavior shift to reflect these cognitive development.
  • Children's brains are different from adults' quality-wise (not the quantity). It is due to the fact that children see the world differently than adults.
  • The children don't only communicate with their surroundings They also keep details about their world which affects the way they approach questions that involve logical thinking

Jean Piaget termed his line of thinking as "cognitive thinking theory of learning". In the past, educators worldwide have used techniques for cognitive learning that have helped their students to be better learners.

Find out:

What is cognitive learning?

"Cognitive Learning" is derived from cognition, which is the process of absorbing and retaining information through senses, thought as well as experience. Cognitive learning, in itself is a type of learning which involves maximising the brain's capabilities.

Reminisce about your days in high school. There was a topic that you just gravitated toward? One you found easy to grasp because it seemed to click for you? How about a concept or topic that you were difficult to grasp regardless of how hard tried?

Based on Piaget's cognitive-learning theory, your capacity to comprehend -- or not understand -- a certain topic will depend on how your brain process details related to the topic. However, with the help of cognitive learning strategies will allow you to tackle topics that are 'naturally' difficult for you to comprehend. These strategies make it easier to create connections between the new information as well as existing ideas. This enhances your ability to keep and recall information.

In the present, the theory of cognitive learning is divided into two types:

  • Social Cognitive Theory: This is the idea that the aspects that people are exposed to and their actions influence their behaviour and the rate at which their brains develop cognitively. In other words, a child's behavior can be affected when they look at their teachers or other students. That's why educators are encouraged to model their behavior.
  • Cognitive behavior theory: This is the belief that how an individual thinks, feels and behaves is all connected, and it can affect their ability to comprehend. For example, if students believe that they're poor with Physics and believes they'll never understand it no matter how it's explained and explained, they'll probably be frustrated and irritated during an Physics lesson -- this can result in lower results.

Strategies for cognitive learning aim to remove obstacles to learning by offering different (and more individualized) strategies for students to learn. Learning the fundamentals will make you a better (and more efficient) student and improve your chances of excelling at whatever you put your mind to.

What is the elements of Cognitive Learning?

For anyone looking to master a skill (or two), here are some crucial components of cognitive development to be aware of:

Comprehension

Memory

Learning by cramming to memorize it is not a successful method to learn, and the cognitive learning practices discourage the process. In the process of learning through cognitive processes, your goal is to get an knowledge of the subject so you can connect the concepts that are new to you with previous knowledge.

Application

Cognitive learning techniques help you think about the material in your course or lesson and work out ways to apply it in real-world scenarios. Doing so helps you develop advanced thinking and critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and qualities of leadership that you can apply at school as well as in your job.

What's the distinction between constructivism and cognitivism?

Jean Piaget's work in cognition was based on two distinct ideas: cognitivism and constructivism. The two concepts are alike in that they focus on the mental processes that play a role in learning, in contrast to observable behaviour that is only visible externally. However, cognitivism and constructivism differ.

With cognitivism, people are viewed as beings who are able to think and analyze new information without having to participate actively in it. Therefore, instead of simply responding to external stimuli and internalizing them through conditioning, learners can passively analyze the information and save it in their brains.

An excellent example of cognitive learning is through lectures. With lectures, all learners must do is sit down in their chairs (or at their desks) and listen to the instructor explain certain concepts. While note-taking can be beneficial, students can merely take in the information that the instructor imparts to them without taking notes.

Constructivism is, on contrary, encapsulates the idea that people are able to process and interpret data based on their previous knowledge and experiences. That is, they actively make their own knowledge that shapes their perspective on the world around them. Constructivists believe that, for knowledge to stay with us the learner must actively participate in the learning process.

Instead of lecturing instructors who are constructivist prefer conducting interactive group activities, providing students with problems to solve, experiments to conduct, and real-life situations to make use of their learning.

Examples of cognitive learning

There are various types of cognitive learning. Below are 10 of them.

Learning implicitly

Have you ever learned something new without actually meaning to? If you answered yes, then you've experienced the process of implicit learning. When you learn implicitly it is common to not be conscious of the whole learning process until you suddenly realize that you possess an ability or knowledge that was not there before.

Things you can learn implicitly include talking, walking and even typing fast even without having to glance at your keyboard.

Learning explicit

Explicit learning happens when you deliberately seek to learn. Unlike implicit learning, explicit training requires you to focus and dedicate the effort to become skilled in what you're learning. Examples of explicit learning would be the online courses you can take for learning about content marketing or going back to school to obtain a fresh diploma.

Collaborative or cooperative learning

This form of learning includes four elements, which include:

  • Personal responsibility: Although people collaborate in an organization, every person must have responsibilities they are personal accountable for.
  • Simultaneous interaction: All members of the group must be able to engage in discussions on the subject they're studying and how they're each applying the knowledge they've acquired.
  • Positive interdependence: Although each member in the group should have their own unique responsibility, they should also be able to get help from others when they need it.
  • Participation equal: When it comes to collaborative learning, every member of the group has equal rights. Nobody is more privileged or ranks above other members.

Discovery Learning

When you actively seek the latest information through studies on the latest concepts, ideas, or subjects, you're engaged in learning through discovery. For example, if you're writing an article that requires a tool such as Hemingway Editor to edit and proofread, you'll end up discovering more information about the editing tool itself through discovery.

Learner-centered

The process of learning that makes sense is by connecting the new knowledge to previous experiences. It is often the case that this leads to transferable skills that can be used in different aspects of life, such as education and job. One example of learning that is meaningful is when you work in the field of marketing, and you enroll in an education in marketing strategy to deepen your understanding of the subject.

Learning to be emotionally

The process of learning about emotions helps people learn how to control their emotions, be aware of the feelings of other people and enhance their ability to deal with emotions. Whatever you are doing in your job, high emotional intelligence plays an important part in the way you display the ability to communicate, show empathy, and handle interpersonal and professional relationships.

In particular, learning to be emotionally aware will help you communicate effectively with extroverts and introverts alike whatever situation that you're involved in. And if you work in customer service, being able to handle your emotions and be aware of the feelings of others will help you navigate customer interactions.

Experiential learning

Experience, they say, is the most effective teacher. The lessons you learn through experience allow you to identify and inculcate useful life lessons you can learn by interacting with other people. However, what you learn in these encounters is dependent on the way you view them.

That means two people could have the exact identical experience but take distinct lessons from it. As an example, if you work with your CEO as a shadow in the workplace, you could discover the value of leading through the example of your boss. Someone who is not in your job position could discover how to run a productive board meeting instead.

Your value from your experience depends on how you analyze the event and connect it with current or previous situations.

Observational learning

Observational learning involves imitating people with the skills or traits you want to have. Although this kind of learning is commonly found in children (as they imitate adults) but adults apply it to certain settings. You can, for instance, enhance your leadership skills through imitation of your boss at the workplace. It is also possible to become a stronger team player by observing the habits of great team players you collaborate with.

Learning that is receptive

If you are learning through lectures in which a professor is in front of the class and explains a topic while you are able to listen, you're doing receptive learning. This type of learning requires students to participate in the class by asking questions and taking down notes.

A good example of learning through receptive can be when your institution or workplace invites specialists to instruct your students or team in a classroom hall, workshop, or classroom in a workshop.

Non-associative learning

The process of learning that does not involve associative learning is the one where you have to adapt an unfamiliar situation or thing by re-encountering it. The type of learning that is divided into two categories that are habituation and sensitization.

Habituation means learning by the habit of doing something. It means that the way you react to a stimulus (or situation) reduces the longer you're exposed to the stimulus. For example, if you newly move into an apartment near a station for trains, you may be irritated by the sound of trains passing by for a while. As you get used to living there, it will not bother you so much because you'd learn to ignore it.

Sensitization On the other hand is when your response to a stimulus (or situation) gets stronger with each exposure. As an example, if you start a new job as a receptionist may notice immediately when the office telephone is ringing. As you remain longer at your job, you become more attuned to the ringing of the telephone.

Advantages from Cognitive Learning

If you'd like to explore cognitive learning strategies, here are some benefits to consider:

Improved comprehension

Learning through cognitive processes requires that students apply what they have learned into action. A hands-on approach to learning will help students gain a better understanding of the subject and their ability to use it in their daily lives.

Increased problem-solving skills

Cognitive learning provides people with the skills they need to solve difficult problems efficiently and quickly. These abilities are essential for any position of leadership regardless of the context.

Continuous learning habits

The process of cognitive learning encourages the enjoyment of learning by making the process of acquiring new knowledge fun and invigorating. Instead of merely listening to new information it helps you apply your learning, and link the knowledge you're acquiring and what you already are aware of.

Increased confidence

When you get a better comprehension of the new subject matter through cognitive learning You'll increase your skill set and gain more confidence to complete assignments.

Faster learning

As you gain new knowledge by using cognitive learning techniques You'll discover some of the learning techniques that are great for your needs. When you've figured out these techniques, you'll be able to learn things much faster in the future.

Cognitive Learning Strategies and how to apply it within the Education Industry

Spaced learning/repetition

What is different is that each of the three classes will be on the same topic, but in different methods. For example, the initial learning session could be the video of a professor discussing the subject. The second can include a quiz that tests the students' knowledge of the explanations in the first period. And the last period might require applying the new information to complete a task.

Ten minutes of breaks between each lesson prevent the overload of information that can be a problem for learners. However, these breaks don't require a lot of time as you can include distractor actions like learning words, or doing a physical exercise that is not related to the subject that you're teaching.

Studies show that spaced learning is an extremely efficient technique for learning which results in excellent performance in tests as well as long-term memory retention.

Reflection

Learning through reflection is when students record what they've learned from the lesson, the things they did not understand as well as how they believe the teacher can help them better.

This learning process typically comes at the end of a classroom session You can also incorporate a reflection activity at the end of each subtopic you teach within your online class. Students will be able to see which areas they're excelling in and what they're not, and they'll be able to revisit difficult topics. Students will also use that time to establish connections between their new and previous knowledge.

Let your students email their reflection activities to you by an email. It is crucial because they can show that they are:

  • How your students are understanding the subject
  • How effective is your method of teaching style(s) are
  • Which topic(s) you couldn't explicate clearly

Once you've this information it will allow you to modify your curriculum accordingly, as well as help students achieve higher grades.

Graphic organizers

Graphic organizers are visual diagrams showing the connections between facts, concepts as well as ideas. Examples of graphic organizers are pie charts, bar charts, flow charts mind maps, as well as spider diagrams.

These organizers allow pupils to

  • Take a deep look at a topic
  • Visualize the process and procedures
  • Organize their ideas
  • Make connections between the latest information and what they've learnt before

It is possible to use these tools to present information and help students improve their thinking skills. Making their thoughts more coherent patterns can aid students in developing more knowledge of the subject.

Note-taking

Note-taking can be one of the most effective ways for students to improve their active listening capabilities, comprehension of the topic, and memory retention. So encourage your pupils to note down important points while they progress through your course.

Not only is writing down the significance and use of concepts help them to stay longer, but those who take notes are able to have a reference that they can refer to anytime if they are unable to remember what.

Include cognitive learning strategies in your online course