Information Processing Intro Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVphu
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Information
Processing
Allison Hardin, Annie Pham, Christine
Ramirez, Guny Arroyo, Holly Tillen, Kirsten
Hapsas, Morgan Holbrook, Priscilla Melgoza,
Shelly Schoenstein
 Theorists
Anderson: known for cognitive architecture, adaptive control of thought-rational (ACT-R). The focus is memory
structure and how the brain is organized in a way that enables individual processing modules to produce
cognition.

Bruner: Concept attainment model. Learning happens in steps-process, synthesize, categorize and apply

Ausubel: Focuses on how individuals learn large amounts of meaningful material and verbal/textual
presentation in school settings. Learning is based on the children of superordinate representational and
combinatorial processes that occur during the reception of information.

Gagne: 9 events of instruction. This theory is focused on different outcomes that are supported by different
learning conditions structures using the 9 events of instructions (Gain attention, note learning, connect to prior
learning, present content, offer organizational scheme, allow practice, offer feedback, assess performance,
provide varied practice.

Taba: Concept Development model. To expand the students understanding of concepts by challenging them to
categorize, develop, extend and refine their notions of the concept.

Craik & Lockhart: believed that the depth of mental processing affected the function of memory. It was the first
model to show that memory is actually improved when it undergoes deeper processing.
 View of Knowledge
Prior knowledge influences how information is processed
● Teachers build on their students prior knowledge through modeling and scaffolding.
● Prior knowledge is critical
○ determines what impact a visual representation will have on learner’s cognitive structures and
processes.
○ Can engage students into the lesson if they are able to relate the information to past
experiences.
○ allows students to make connections with acquired knowledge.

● Cognitive load theory provides a theoretical foundation for designing instructional materials to best
enhance learning.
○ it is important that a teacher makes sure that students are not overloaded with information.
○ Learning can be hindered if the instructional material overwhelms a learner’s cognitive resources.
If students are overwhelmed it will inhibit learning
It is important that the teacher gains/access previous knowledge from students. All of this will help students
build upon and establish knowledge.
 Information Processing Theory & The Big Ideas
● The close contiguity of events increases the likelihood that learners will associate those
events with one another. Information received by several senses is more likely to be
permanently encoded.

● Learners learn more effectively when they relate new

information to prior knowledge. Association of new information
with learning already encoded in long-term memory encourages
short-term memory consolidation.
 Information Processing Theory & The Big Ideas
● Learning is more likely to occur when learners pay attention to the information to be
learned. Sensory information goes into sensory memory/sensory register then to
short-term/working memory.

● Hints about how to think or behave often facilitate performance. Hints and
reminders can help us retrieve information from long-term memory.
 How do these theorists think the brain
works to make learning stick?
Bruner: learning
happens in a series of
Craik & Lockhart:
steps students need to
Memory is improved
process, synthesize,
when it undergoes
categorize and apply in
deeper processing.
order to learn new
concepts.
Ausubel: learning
occurs when students
are able to relate new
ideas to existing ideas.
 How does the brain work?
● Learning changes the physical structure of the brain
● These structural changes alter the functional organization of the brain, in
other words learning organizes and reorganizes the brain.
● Different parts of the brain may be ready to learn at different times.

Positive interactions
children experience Children develop brain
early on in their life will connection through their
lead to healthier brain everyday experiences.
development and higher
success with school.
How does this theory work to get
learning into long term memory?
The brain works similar to a computer processor.

A students receives information and codes information into electric neural activity where the
brain “stores” and “codes” the information. This information can be used by other parts of the
brain relating to mental activities such as memory, perception and attention.

1. Sensory Memory-First interaction with the information in the environment. This could
be similar to a temporary “register” of information that sense take in. Most common
would be sight and sound.
2. Working memory (short term memory)-Can hold about 5-9 seconds. This will vary
based on amount of information.
3. Long Term memory- Final stage “save” button in computer.
How does this theory work to get
learning into long term memory?
 View of knowledge in this theory

● Learner should be stimulated from outside(student interest)-capturing all learners: visual, auditory,
and kinesthetic.
● When teaching students a new topic, it is important to engage students in the lesson. To help
engage students, previous knowledge needs to be accessed. This will help students relate past
information/experiences to the new information being covered. Creating their own understanding of
concepts.
● Concept development model- building on their knowledge of the existing knowledge and helps
students allow students to gain and retain.
● To help, a lesson should consist of three blocks of learning- key concepts, organizing facts, and
specific facts.
● Keep the information minimal, and don’t overwhelm students.
Brain is a bucket...fill it up
 Role of Teacher
Role of Teacher in Information Processing

● What specific things does a teacher do to make learning stick in this theory and these lesson models?
➢ Information that can be retrieved at any time. Brain is computer: receives info., processes, stores in long term memory for
later use.
● How do you fill a bucket?
➢ Hands on: engaging activities/projects. Learners that are tactile, auditory, visual, ELL, LD
➢ Analysis: What do students already know and where do they need to be? Teacher needs to identify gap.
Example:KWL-What do they already know? What do they want to know? What did they learn?
➢ Discussion: Check for understanding
● How do you prevent decay or brain drain?
➢ Learning and Innovation Skills: The Four C’s- Lead to life and career skills(essential for life success)
➢ Critical Thinking
➢ Communication
➢ Collaboration
➢ Creativity
➢ Lead to life and career skills(essential for life success)
➢ Life and Career Skills- These skills are essential for future success
➢ Information, Media, and Technological Skills
Role of Student/Personalized Learning
Students take in information which is briefly stored as sensory storage; then
moved to the short term or working memory; and then either forgotten or
transferred to long term memory.

Students Role is to:

● Organize the information presented.
● Participate in class discussions.
● Monitor their own thinking processes.
● Focus on only a few things at a time.
● When learning something new that resembles something already known, focus one’s attention briefly
on both aspects that are similar and aspects that are different. Be sure you can tell them apart.
● Try to make sure they understand the information clearly and correctly before they practice it.
● Students must apply knowledge of their understanding and apply this knowledge by changing, or
creating other examples on the topic.
● Students also need to become active in the learning process. This means: underline, draw diagrams,
and outline important ideas when they study.
Technology with Personalized Learning
● Using engaging videos, audio clips and interactive games
● Giving students options that go beyond doing a traditional essay, poster or report; for example
multimedia slide presentation or a comic that uses animation software to convey their understanding of
the concept.
● Google classroom to help gather immediate feedback on students’ understanding
 Perfect Assignment

● Includes planning and scaffolding

● Direct instruction utilizing examples and non examples (Concept Attainment)
● Create a T-chart of examples and non examples of a concept that teacher models
and demonstrates through powerpoint slides or manipulatives to demonstrate
examples and nonexamples of a concept.
● A venn diagram or concept map modeled during whole class instruction that
includes student examples and discussion of ideas.

Example: 4th Grade: History: Geographical Features.

○ Teacher will display pictures of examples and nonexamples of a geographical feature.

○ This is a geographic feature because it is a natural resource made from the land.
○ This is a non example of a geographical feature because it is man made.
○ Teacher will use whole class participation to model putting examples and non examples of
geographic features in a t-chart.
○ Students will explain reasoning using complete sentences why each example or non
example is so.
 Perfect Assessment:
Formal Assessment: Should assess student conceptual understanding.

Focus on student response and reasoning of “how do you know”

Sample Formal Assessments: T-charts, venn diagrams, concept maps, etc. of

concepts
 Sample of perfect assessment: Concept
Attainment Model
● 4th grade history lesson on geographical features.
● Students complete their own t-chart of 5 examples and 5 non examples.
○ Students will write in complete sentences as they write the non-example or example to demonstrate how
they know this to be true.
● This is a valuable assessment because students are reasoning about examples and non examples of geographical
features. They ultimately will make generalizations and hypothesize what makes something a geographical
feature or non.
 Information Processing Model

Students learn best:

● When they are actively involved
● When the material is meaningful to them
● When the material is presented in a variety
of formats
● When the duration of lessons is limited
(teacher talk) but repetition of content
is frequent
Roles of peers in this theory and lesson
models?
Students collaborate with one to share their perspectives as well as gain
perspectives While collaborating with peers, students are discussing findings,
asking questions, and presenting any concerns they may have. Allows for
organizing thoughts

Concept development- working in small groups- explain grouping and labels

that were created

Integrative model- Student are discussing content by analyzing, describing,

comparing, to search for patterns

Inductive model- working together- Comparing examples, and non-examples-

justifying their conclusions about the patterns identified in the examples
Big Ideas What makes this theory
unique/different from the others?
Learning is more likely to occur when learners pay attention to the information to be
learned- Dual-storage model of memory

The close contiguity of events increases the likelihood that learners will associate
those events with one another- Two pieces of information are most likely to be
associated in long-term memory if they have been in working memory at the same
time.

Hints about how to think or behave often facilitate performance- retrieval cues

Learning is enhanced when learners engage in self-evaluation- comprehension

monitoring

Effective study strategies- understand the content before testing yourself, ask
questions, become active in what you are learning (outline thoughts, underline words,
draw diagrams)
 Mindset: How does this theory foster positive
mindset? Negative mindset?
Positive Mindset:

● Students engage is building skills that foster critical thinking for students to process information.
● Students will be encouraged to make generalizations of information and thinking about the “so what?” of learning.
○ Students will be encouraged to describe and share their understanding of a subject, which will promote higher understanding
of background knowledge and their ability to make connections.
● Models including concept attainment model of teaching encourage the use of conceptual understanding through
the use of students finding examples and non examples of a concept.
○ This encourages a positive mindset through encouraging students to make personal connections and background knowledge
they know from both inside and outside the classrooms. Making personal connections and connecting background knowedge
can help foster a positive mindset in students
 Motivation: External/Internal
•What motivates learners through these lesson models?

● Intrinsic: Students are internally motivated as they connect prior knowledge and beginning to make
generalizations of a concept.
■ Learners are internally motivated through making connections and generalization in whole group or small group
instructions. Conceptual understanding is better grasped through elp of peer support and students ability to make
generalizations and connections of learning.
● Learning and development are fostered when learners are challenged to perform increasingly more difficult
tasks or to think in increasingly more sophisticated ways (Omrad Article)
● Scaffolding and differentiation of instruction by teacher will help increase student engagement and motivation
as they learn material.
● Uses higher order thinking to ultimately help students make generalizations
○ Listen, Grouping, Labeling, Synthesizing, Re-grouping
 How will you make greater and more
effective use of this theory?
Educators will make a greater and more effective use of this theory by:

1. Understanding their students’ ways of learning and prior knowledge.

2. Ensuring that all lessons contain modifications and accommodations that meet all students educational
needs.
3. Modeling before expecting our students to just understand the content.
4. Being prepared for the lesson ourselves before teaching it.
5. Taking the lesson step-by-step, assuring all students are learning the content at their individualized pace
(generalize).
6. Assessing for understanding frequently throughout each lesson. Then transferring into long-term memory.
 Essential Question
Teachers need to understand that each student within their class doesn’t learn the same way. By having this
knowledge, teachers are able to differentiate their instruction that meets all students educational needs.

Knowing your students and their backgrounds will allow each student to grow within the classroom because we
are modeling, confident in our teaching, and set high expectations based on each individual students capabilities.

Educators should consistently assess their students to check for understanding of the material taught. By doing
this, the teacher can then modify their instruction and/or lesson plans.