Learning Theory Essay: Cognitivism

Introduction

In this essay, I endeavor to identify what I consider to be the most relevant learning theory as it pertains to Electrical Trade Education. Merriam & Bierema (2014) state, “Behaviorism is particularly evident in adult career and technical education… Much of adult vocational education is focused on identifying skills needed for specific occupations, [and] teaching those skills from basic to expert levels” (p. 28). Although I don’t disagree that behaviorism plays an important role in on-the-job training, I feel the technical training portion of the electrical apprenticeship program best fits the cognitivist model.

In the following sections of the essay I will summarize cognitivist theory as it relates to adult education, provide highlights of cognitivism, and explain why I feel this particular theory fits the technical training portion of the electrical program. Afterwards, I will explore the roles of the learner and instructor in cognitivism and, finally, provide three real world examples of how I intend to use this theory in my classroom.

Cognitivism Highlights

“Known as cognitivist or information-processing, this theory represent[s] a shift in the locus of learning from the environment (behaviorists), or the whole person (humanists), to the learner’s mental processes.” (Merriam & Bierema, 2014, p. 31). This revolutionary theory gained traction in the late 1950s as “Psychologists and educators began to de-emphasize a concern with overt, observable behavior and stressed instead more complex cognitive processes such as thinking, problem solving, language, concept formation and information processing” (Ertmer & Newby, 2013, p. 50). It would seem that a central point in cognitivism is an emphasis on the thought process behind the action that behaviorism would typically assess for.

According to Merriam & Bierema (2014), key concepts in cognitivism are a “focus on insight (the moment when a solution to a problem becomes clear), information processing, problem solving, memory, and the brain” (p. 32). Key areas of research relevant to cognitive adult education are “cognitive development, memory, and instructional design theories” (p. 32).

Insight is an interesting thing as it is borne not of trial and error, but of the higher order thinking skills required to visualize a problem internally, and problem solve before taking any physical action. This process was articulated in the theory of Insight Learning by 1920s German psychologist Wolfgang Kohler. (Clause, n.d.)

Information processing ability is related to cognitive development, and for that we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention pioneering theorist, Piaget. He created a four-stage model of cognitive development containing the “infancy stage of sensory-motor response to stimuli… the early childhood stage of being able to represent concrete objects in symbols and words (called “preoperational”), to [the] understanding concepts and relationships of middle childhood (concrete operational), to being able to reason hypothetically and think abstractly called formal operational.” (Merriam & Bierema, 2014, p. 32) (Emphasis added). It is my opinion that students in the electrical apprenticeship routinely fall within the latter two stages of cognitive development.

Insight, information processing, problem solving, and memory formation are all functions of our brain. This essay will not delve into any of the deeper theory of how our brains go about these processes. Instead, it will focus on the cognitive instructional design theories of Ausubel and Gagne that attempt to align our methods of teaching with how our brains process and store information.

Why I chose Cognitivism

In my search for a relevant theory for electrical instruction, I was torn between behaviorism and cognitivism. On one hand, ultimately trades workers must produce to remain employable. It is extremely important that apprentices know how to physically perform all the tasks required of them, and assessment should reflect this. This fits neatly in the behaviorism model. Ultimately, I chose cognitivism because most of the production style learning is on-the-job.

My role in developing apprentices is in a university setting; I teach the theory behind the practice. I am interested in cognitivism because I feel it is our job as electrical instructors to elicit understanding of the theories behind how electricity works. Because electricity cannot be seen, we must rely on instruments to tell us what it is doing. The instruments are only as useful as the person wielding them, and for that reason, it is not enough to teach people how to plug numbers into math equations. We must focus on the thought process, the true understanding, leading to the mathematical answer.

Role of the Learner

In cognitivism, Schuell notes the focus is on the “mental activities of the learner that lead up to a response” (Ertmer & Newby, 2013, p. 51). For this, the student must not just answer a problem, but explain the reasoning behind their choice. Successful students will go further and teach other students the reasoning behind their work in study groups, classroom exercises, and as lab partners.

For cognitive teaching strategies to be successful, students must also be actively engaged. Theorist Ausubel suggested the use of advanced organizers to help link new knowledge to learners’ existing cognitive structure. (Mirriam & Bierema, 2014, p. 34). The learner can benefit from joining the conversation during examples and classroom discussion. This will aid in making advanced organizers such as rules, analogies, or scenarios relevant to them personally.

Role of the Instructor

Gagne’s instructional design theory includes nine Events of Instruction: “gaining attention; informing learners of the objective; stimulating recall of prior learning; presenting the content; providing ‘learning guidance’; eliciting performance; providing feedback; assessing performance; enhancing retention and transfer” (Gagne & Medsker, 1996, p. 140). These Events are very useful for adult education in particular. By bringing up examples from the learner’s history, the instructor is simultaneously getting their attention, stimulating recall of a prior learning situation, and respecting their experiences. I believe the central position of the instructor in the above Events is that of a facilitator of learning. The instructor is a subject matter expert, but acts more as a guide.

I believe it is necessary to take the role of facilitator because, in electrical theory, the student ultimately needs to develop the skills to see current flow in the Mind’s Eye. They must imagine voltage being carried, and dispersed in the circuit. This can be described with mathematics, but ultimately, students will not be successful without being able to truly understand, to see the invisible. We must facilitate that; we can’t just tell them how it works.

Three Classroom Examples

My first example of using cognitivism in the classroom is when introducing the concept of meter loading. That is, merely by using a voltmeter or ammeter in a circuit, you end up changing the circuit sufficiently that one cannot rely on the measurements the meters are taking. My approach would start with classroom discussion, recalling past lab experience using meters. In particular, we’d ponder how lab results are never 100% of the theoretical values. Why might this be? I would gain interest in the subject by putting the thought out there that: meters are not magical measuring instruments; they are electrical in nature and so must influence the circuit in some way. I would then introduce the term “meter loading” and explain the basic electrical theory behind it. I would solve circuits on the board while thinking out loud, allowing students to mirror my rationale and thought processes. After, we would proceed to the lab and perform labs specifically designed to show meter loading in effect. Students would first have to calculate the theoretical values, and then see different loading based on the meter being analog or digital. This is often a great lab to do as students frequently think they’ve made a mistake until they have the “Aha!” moment and realize they’re in a loading situation. I would reinforce this knowledge by having them draw out the circuit and explain why they’re getting the value they are.

The second classroom situation would involve teaching Edison 3-wire circuits. Edison 3-wire circuits represent a standard single phase 120V/240V service one would typically find in a residential dwelling. The theory behind which direction currents are flowing and how voltages are divided is involved and requires building on a fair bit of previous knowledge. To aid in understanding analysis of these circuits I would gain interest by suggesting that the common way we think of these circuits is wrong, and tell an anecdote about an instance where a journeyman of mine broke a neutral in a 3-wire circuit and ended up lighting a fluorescent light on fire and destroying a TV. I would then provide advanced organizers by speaking very generally about Kirchhoff’s voltage and current laws, about how current cannot disappear and how electrons are drawn from points of lower potential to higher potential. From there we would get into formal instruction on how the currents flow, voltages drop, and what happens when the neutral in an Edison 3-wire circuit is broken. This process would involve a lot of recall of previously learned information regarding series and parallel circuits. We would reinforce this knowledge with worksheets and lab time. Students would have an opportunity to help each other, thus reinforcing their own understanding, as well as access myself for guidance. The lab time would be most valuable because the students would get real time feedback on their learning by setting up Edison 3-wire circuits with lightbulbs. They would load the circuit up with different resistance bulbs, and visually see the effects of breaking a neutral in balanced vs unbalanced loads by observing lamp brightness.

The third example of cognitivism in the classroom is in teaching how to perform house calculations in the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) (Canadian Standards Association, 2015). Rule 8-200 of the CEC governs the sizing of electrical services in single family dwellings. We would start again by using Ausubel’s advanced organizers by reviewing the rule as a group and recall their experience in the field of different sizes of services they’ve built, and what kind of equipment the dwelling had. From there I would develop a scenario on the board using a students’ house as an example. I would then go through the process of how to take this basic information about building size and major loads, to come up with an ampacity number for service size. I would think out loud and allow students to mirror my thought process. While solving this problem, I would start to develop a list of steps on how to solve a house calculation for students to refer to. The last step would be to make an interactive game where the class could split into groups of two, trading details about their houses (imagined or real) and creating problems for their partners to solve. The problems could be shared about, and students would need to justify their reasoning for coming to the number they determined.

Summary

Cognitivism is a learning theory which “emphasize[s] making knowledge meaningful and helping learners organize and relate new information to existing knowledge in memory” (Ertmer & Newby, 2013, p. 53). I have shown 3 examples of how I would apply cognitivist theory to the classroom to help achieve this, as well as outline key aspects of what I believe to be the instructor’s role in being a facilitator of learning. Further, I’ve identified the role of the student as being an active learning participant by being engaged in the classroom. Because the role of an electrical instructor is primarily related to electrical theory, I believe the cognitivist approach, focusing on information processing, insight, and problem solving is the best approach to teaching the technical training portion of the electrical apprenticeship.

References

Canadian Standards Association (CSA) (2015). Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1. Mississauga, ON: CSA.

Clause, C. (n.d.). Insight Learning – Wolfgang Kohler: Theory, Definition & Examples. Retrieved from http://study.com/academy/lesson/insight-learning-wolfgang-kohler-theory-definition-examples.html

Ertmer, P. A. & Newby, T. J. (2013). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features from an Instructional Design Perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26 (2) PP. 43 – 71. DOI: 10.1002/piq.21143

Gagne, R. M., & Medsker K. L. (1996). The conditions of learning: Training applications. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

Merriam, S. B. & Bierema, L. L. (2014). Adult Learning. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.