PSYC 3800 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Inductive Transfer, Critical Thinking
22 Aug 2016
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CHAPTER 9
Metacognition
Metacognitive knowledge and regulation
metacognition = knowledge about our own thinking processes
three kinds of knowledge
declarative
procedural
self-regulatory
three essential skills — planning,g monitoring, and evaluating
Individual differences in metacognition
some differences are the result of development
younger children especially may not be aware of the greater purpose of learning
as they grow older, they are better able to understand strategies, etc.
some individual differences are the result of biology / learning experiences
esp. learning disabilities
Developing metacognition
younger students
KWL strategy = what do I already know, what do I want to know, at the end what will I have learned?
helps to develop metacognition
secondary/university students
self-reflective questions, e.g. how can I motivate myself, how can I set goals, have I learned everything, etc.
Learning Strategies
Being strategic about learning
learning strategies = procedural knowledge about how to approach learning tasks
incl. summaries, outlines, mnemonics, behavioural, etc.
important principles on using learning strategies
1. students should be exposed to general and specific strategies
2. students should be taught about when, where, and why to use each strategy
3. students must develop the desire to employ these skills
4. students must believe that they can learn, apply, and succeed with these strategies
5. students need background knowledge about how to use the strategies
deciding what is important
focusing attention
find the central idea
summaries
identifying big ideas, finding supporting information, and getting rid of redundant information
underlining and highlighting
it’s much better to be selective but complete
putting things into your own words also helps
taking notes
helps focus attention (unless note-taking interferes with listening and understanding)
constructing meaning — elaboration, in your own words
extended external storage
can use personal codes, find relevant sources, record verbatim information
Concept map = drawing charting relationships among ideas
Reading strategies
READS
Review headings and subheadings
Examine boldface words
Ask ‘what do I expect to learn'
Do it — read
Summarize in your own words
CAPS (for reading literature): identify the
Characters of the story
Aim of the story
Problem that happened
Solution to the problem
Applying learning strategies
production deficiencies = failing to activate a learning strategy when it is appropriate and useful
especially an issue for students with learning disabilities
appropriate tasks
kids won’t use learning strategies if they’re going to be marked by ‘learn and return’ (verbatim)
valuing learning
students need to care about their own learning, otherwise it’s easier for them to just memorize
like what I did with stats — I just wanted to pass so I didn’t have to take it anymore; I didn’t see the value in it
effort and efficacy
students must believe that the effort they put into developing their own learning strategies will be worth it in the end
and it has to be within their own limits of understanding
Learning strategies for struggling students
Six strategies to help kids 2+ years behind in reading
word identification, visual imagery, self-questioning, LINCS vocabulary strategy, sentence writing, paraphrasing
LINCS Vocabulary Strategy = using stories and imagery to help students learn how to identify, organize, define, and remember
words and their meanings
List the parts (identify vocab word and key info)
Identify a reminding word
Note a linking story
Create a linking picture (something that represents a story)
Self-test
tbh the LINCS vocab strategy reminds me 100% of the spelling/vocab textbooks we used in grade school holy crap what were
those called
Problem Solving
Identifying: problem finding
you need to begin with identifying the problem
sometimes this isn’t always the easiest thing to do
finding a solvable problem and turning it into an opportunity is the process behind many successful inventions
Defining goals and representing the problem
focusing attention on what is relevant
understanding the words
understanding the whole problem
once a problem is categorized, a schema is activated, directing attention to particular information
students then might overlook key information
direct instruction in schemas
it is very important that the teacher use the right words to activate those schemas
worked examples = reflecting all the stages of problem solving
identify the problem, set goals, explore solutions, solve the problem, and evaluate the outcome (IGESE)
self-explanation changes the learning from passive to active
Exploring possible solution strategies
algorithms = step-by-step procedure for solving a problem
heuristics = general strategy used in attempting to solve problems
means-ends analysis = problem is subdivided into miniature goal (like reading this long-ass chapter)
working-backward strategy = starting with the goal and working backwards (like write a long-ass paper)
analogical thinking = limiting the search for solutions to something you’re already looking for
Factors that hinder problem solving
examples
functional fixedness = inability to adapt tools to a new purpose
response set = rigidity: the tendency to respond in the most familiar way
some problems with heuristics
making judgments through stereotypes is dumb, and that’s the same thing
representativeness heuristic = judging the likelihood of an event on how it matches your prototypes
availability heuristic = judging the likelihood based on more recent events
belief perseverance = tendency to hold onto beliefs, even in the face of controversy
confirmation bias = tendency to seek out information that supports our choices and beliefs, and disconfirming evidence
Expert knowledge and problem solving
know where to focus their attention (what is important)
see more, and important patterns where others don’t
especially when those people are confused by unimportant details
hold more information in working and long-term memories
take a lot of time to analyze situations
have automatic procedures for solving smaller pieces
are better at monitoring their performance
Creativity and Creative Problem Solving
Creativity = ability to produce original, appropriate, and useful work
not really anything like all-purpose creativity (more like creativity in one specific area)
Assessing creativity
divergent thinking (coming up with many possible solutions)
originality, fluency, and flexibility
vs. convergent thinking (narrowing possibilities to a single answer)
Sources of creativity
creativity and cognition
restructuring = looking at the problem in a new way
this can be helped more if you take a break from the problem after a while so that you can approach it ‘fresh'
creativity and diversity
most creativity that has been studied focuses on white males
patterns of creativity vary greatly across culture (even ‘originality’ is only developed statistically based on a given norm)
Brainstorming
generating ideas without evaluating them
postponing evaluation, discussion, and criticism
defer judgment
avoid ownership of ideas
‘hitchhike’ on other ideas
encourage wild ideas
this can lead to some good aspects
incorporation of details from build brainstorming can help discover practical things as well
Revolutionary innovation — how can we encourage potential creators (e.g. ‘child prodigies’)
avoid pushing too hard
you don’t want the child to exchange passion for extrinsic reward
you don’t want them to grow up and look back on a ‘missed childhood'
avoid freezing them into a safe, technically perfect way of performing
be aware of psychological wounds
can develop when the child focuses only on perfection without creation
Critical Thinking and Argumentation
Developing critical thinking
critical thinking = evaluating conclusions by logically and systematically examining the problem, evidence, and solution
is involved in everyday life: am I buying this orange juice because it’s good? or because there’s a bikini model on the front?
one lesson is not enough for your students
critical thinkers
1. are open minded and aware of alternatives
2. try to be well-informed
3. can judge whether or not a source is credible
4. identifies conclusions, reasons, and assumptions
5. can judge argument quality, including #4
6. can develop and defend a reasonable position
7. asks appropriate clarifying questions
8. can create plausible hypotheses
9. defines terms appropriate to the context
10. is cautious about drawing conclusions
11. integrates 1-10 whenever faced with a belief
Critical thinking in specific subjects
e.g. history
sourcing, corroboration, contextualization
should be an additive to general critical thinking
Argumentation
children and adolescents focus more on their own arguments
tend to ignore being critical of their opponents'
requires metacognitive knowledge and skills for argumentation
knowing what you’re saying, what your opponent is saying, how to refute them
planing, evaluating, and reflecting, and adapting
Teaching for Transfer
What is ‘transfer’?
transfer = influence of previously learned materials on newly learned materials
using cognitive tools and motivation well
emphasis on doing something new with the tools you learned (not just repetition)
several dimension of transfer
transfer learning across subjects (math —> science)
transfer learning across physical contexts (school —> job)
transfer learning across social contexts (personal —> with family)
transfer learning across time periods (high school —> university)
transfer learning across functions (academics —> hobbies)
transfer learning across modalities (watching TV —> doing)
The many views of transfer
focusing on transfer of mental discipline
is there a benefit from one discipline (e.g. Greek)?
no, and that’s why we’re not required to learn Greek in school
the key to thoughtful transfer is mindful abstraction (= deliberately identifying what you can transfer between subjects/contexts)
part of your metacognitive knowledge
Teaching for positive transfer
figure out what is worth learning
e.g. literacy, speaking, and cooperating will all vastly transfer across different contexts
how can teachers help?
transfer can be ensured through overlearning (=learning past the point of mastery)
stages of transfers for strategies
1. acquisition stage
2. retention stage
3. transfer stage
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Document Summary
Metacognitive knowledge and regulation metacognition = knowledge about our own thinking processes three kinds of knowledge declarative procedural self-regulatory three essential skills planning,g monitoring, and evaluating. Concept map = drawing charting relationships among ideas. Six strategies to help kids 2+ years behind in reading word identi cation, visual imagery, self-questioning, lincs vocabulary strategy, sentence writing, paraphrasing. Lincs vocabulary strategy = using stories and imagery to help students learn how to identify, organize, de ne, and remember words and their meanings. List the parts (identify vocab word and key info) Create a linking picture (something that represents a story) Self-test tbh the lincs vocab strategy reminds me 100% of the spelling/vocab textbooks we used in grade school holy crap what were those called. Identifying: problem nding you need to begin with identifying the problem sometimes this isn"t always the easiest thing to do. Nding a solvable problem and turning it into an opportunity is the process behind many successful inventions.
