Cognitive Learning Theory – My Perspective

The ideology of cognitive learning theory is quite appealing to me as it distinguishes the knowledge into three different categories. Declarative knowledge often place a vital role in learning understanding the verbal information and facts. Students need to understand the basic definitions and ideas of subjects to move to the higher order/ level of thinking. Eg. A student who studies economics, it is a must to learn the definition of scarcity, economics, production, factors of production etc to gain further depth of the subject matter.

Secondly procedural knowledge (knowing how to do a sum, question, problem, happenings etc) is utmost important and meaningful when it comes to higher level of achievement and application of knowledge in real-life circumstances.

More so, the third category where knowledge is divided called conditional knowledge (knowing when and why) is the highest level of knowledge of assessing and evaluating a learning objective in terms of subject matter.

Cognitive learning theory is useful in the classroom management aspect when it is applied. Teacher can motivate the students connecting the prior learning to existing learning by gaining attention and pointing out important information. In cognitive learning theory when applied students are given opportunities to elaborate their knowledge with their own critical thinking capacity and using the memory power in learning aspects. Therefore, the approach is indirect, and student lead the teaching and learning aspect and teacher merely facilitates in the classroom giving them necessary assistance and guidance. Therefore, it develops higher order of thinking and chances to acquire new knowledge are greater than behaviorisms methods.

I believe information processing theory / model plays a vital role here.  The ideas presented by Gestalt a psychologist emphasized the importance of organizational processes of perception, learning, and problem solving.

1.     Perception is often different from reality. This includes optical illusions.

2.     The whole is more than the sum of its parts.

3.     The organism structures and organizes experience.

4.     The organism is predisposed to organize experience in particular ways

Besides these, the functioning of memory (sensory memory, short-term & long-term memory) plays a predominant role in gaining the cognitive aspects of learning and this makes difference among learners. Some students who have higher thinking ability learn more than others.

However, a single theory cannot be generalized as the best learning and teaching theory but still can say in some cases the cognitive leanring theory is more useful and applicable in classroom teaching than the very conventional and old approach of behaviourism.