1. Information Processing &
Cognitive Theories of
Learning
Dr. Jennifer Irwin
EDU 620: Module 6
Chapter 6

2. Brain Warm-Up!
Each item below contains the initials of words that make up a common
phrase. Identify the missing words. (For example: 26 L. of the A. = 26
Letters of the Alphabet)
► 7 = W. of the W. ► 8 = S. on a S.S.
► 1,001 = A.N. ► 3 = B.M. (S.H.T.R.)
► 12 = S. of the Z. ► 4 = Q. in a G.
► 54 = C. in a D. ► 24 = H. in a D.
► 9 = P. in the S.S. ► 1 = W. on a U.
► 88 = P.K. ► 5 = D. in a Z.C.
► 13 = S. on the A.F. ► 57 = H.V.
► 11 = P. on a side in F.
► 32 = D.F. at which W.F.
► 1,000 = W. that a P. is W.
► 18 = H. on a G.C.
► 29 = D. in F. in a L.Y.
► 90 = D. in a R.A.
► 200 = D. for P.G. in M.
► 64 = S. on a C.

3. Brain Warm-Up! answers
► 7 = Wonders of the World
► 1,001 = Arabian Nights
► 12 = Signs of the Zodiac
► 54 = Cards in a Deck
► 9 = Planets in the Solar System (okay, so I kept poor Pluto in!)
► 88 = Piano Keys
► 13 = Stripes on the American Flag
► 32 = Degrees Fahrenheit at which Water Freezes
► 18 = Holes on a Golf Course
► 90 = Degrees in a Right Angle
► 200 = Dollars for Passing Go in Monopoly

4. Brain Warm-Up! answers
► 8 = Sides on a Stop Sign
► 3 = Blind Mice (See How They Run)
► 4 = Quarts in a Gallon (or Quadrants in a Graph)
► 24 = Hours in a Day
► 1 = Wheel on a Unicycle
► 5 = Digits in a Zip Code
► 57 = Heinz Varieties
► 11 = Players on a side in Football
► 1,000 = Words that a Picture is Worth
► 29 = Days in February in a Leap Year
► 64 = Squares on a Checkerboard

5. ► So, how did you do?
►Ijust love puzzles (before I go to bed each night
you can find me working on puzzles like these—or
anything from Games magazine . . . Yes, I’m a
dork!)
► The point of this exercise was to illustrate the
“storage” and “retrieval” functions of your memory
(you needed the letters to help you “retrieve” the
meanings of the numbers)

6. On now to Cognitive
Learning Theory &
Information Processing
Theory …

7. General Principles of Cognitive
Learning Theory
► People’s
prior experiences affect what they
know and can do.
 Makes sense, right?
► People’sinterpretations of their experiences
influence the specific things they learn from
the experiences.
 Have you heard the expression “perception is
reality”?

8. General Principles of Cognitive
Learning Theory
► New learning builds upon prior learning.
 Try this. Read this sentence, then look away
from the screen and write down as much as you
can remember:
►“After walking a long time in the hot sun, we felt
thirsty and so we began to look for a cool stream”
How did you do? Did you remember all or most of the
words?

9. General Principles of Cognitive
Learning Theory
► Now, try this sentence:
 “An important coordinating center in the
hypothalamus integrates the involuntary
nervous system, which enervates smooth
muscles, cardiac muscles, and glands”
 How did you do with this sentence? Does prior
knowledge of a topic affect how well we will
remember new learning?

10. General Principles of Cognitive
Learning Theory
► Motivation affects what and how much
people will learn.
 Do you learn more when you are motivated?
► Theconsequences that follow people’s
behaviors affect their future learning and
behavior.
 Does this sound familiar? (think Behaviorism)

11. General Principles of Cognitive
Learning Theory
► There is considerable diversity in what
different people learn from any single
experience.
 Have you ever read the same book as a friend
and you loved it while he/she hated it?
 People process and interpret things in their own
unique, idiosyncratic ways.
 We interpret/learn things through our own
lenses or filters, we are necessarily influenced
by our own experiences (we just can’t help it!)

12. Chapter 6 Study Guide
► Besure that you have printed the Chapter 6
Study Guide. You can fill it in using:
 The PowerPoint
 Chapter 6
Here we go . . .

13. Cognitive Learning Theory
► Cognitive learning strategies help students learn
by making learning relevant and activating prior
knowledge. Which means: building on or
connecting with what students already know,
authentic, real like, pertinent.
► Rote learning is memorization.
► Meaningful learning is information that makes
sense to students; includes understanding
concepts, ideas, theories.

14. Information Processing
► Use these terms to fill in the 5 blank boxes
on the study guide:
 Initial processing
 Sensory register
 Long-term memory
 External stimulus
 Short-term memory
► Check your answers using chapter 6

15. forgotten
Short-
External Sensory Initial Term/
stimulus register processing Working
Memory
Pay attention to it,
it will be processed. Info will get to
If not, it will be filtered LTM from STM
forgotten out or forgotten through
repetition
and rehearsal
Long-
Term
Memory

16. Sensory Register
• Taking in information through our
senses
• We either process it or it is forgotten
► Has about a 2 sec. capacity which explains how a
Thaumatrope works (click to see one in action).
► We are able to see the bird in the cage because
our brain keeps each image for a fraction of a
second leaving both images in our sensory
register.
► (Here is another thaumatrope from a guy who
seems to have a lot of time on his hands!)

17. Sensory Register & Attention
► In order to process information, we must give it
attention.
► We have to be able to filter out certain things in
order to focus on the important information
► For example, in a classroom, students need to
ignore background noise (like a fan) in order to
hear what the teacher is saying
 Side note: One of the misconceptions about children
with ADHD is that they can’t pay attention when in
reality the problem oftentimes is that they are paying
attention to everything and can’t properly filter.

18. Things that attract our attention:
► Size (like a newspaper headline)
► Intensity (someone screaming, fluorescent colors)
► Novelty (something different, like a teacher wearing a
costume to class)
► Incongruity (something unexpected, like a elderly man
skateboarding!)
► Emotion (gawking at the scene of an accident)
► How do you gain students attention in the classroom?

19. Short-Term Memory
► Holds info for
about 30
seconds unless it
is further
rehearsed
► Has a limited
capacity, can
only hold about
5-9 pieces of
information

20. Short-Term AKA “Working” Memory
► When your short-term memory is being actively used, it is
known as “working memory” (like trying to remember
someone’s phone # long enough to dial it or write it down)
► Students use working memory, for example, when they are
asked to copy notes from the board.
► Click here to try a working memory test
► This is a simple Digits test where you are given a 2 digit
number to remember, then a 3 digit, etc.
► To challenge yourself further, go to the next slide.

21. Working memory test
► This time, look at these digits and then look
away and try to write them backwards.
► For example, if I gave you 497, you would
write 794.
► Try this:
 2961

22. Working memory test
► Now:
 83591
► Then:
 614729
How did you do? Which strategies
did you use to help you remember
► And last: and reverse the numbers? Did
you use “chunking”?
 3816527

23. Long-Term Memory
► Hasa large capacity and can hold information
indefinitely
 Think of 3 things that you have learned so far in
educational psychology
► LTM stores info and then we try to retrieve it
(which can sometimes be problematic … like trying
to remember something for a test)
 Have you ever been unable to remember the exact
word you wanted to use? This is called “dysnomia” (a
word retrieval problem).

24. 3 Types of LTM
2. Episodic memory
 Part of LTM that stores images of our
experiences (e.g. childhood, vacations, getting
engaged)
3. Procedural memory
 The ability to recall how to do something

25. 3 Types of LTM
3. Semantic memory
 Stores info in mental networks of ideas
(schema)
 I like to think of schema as a filing cabinet
where you store all of your concepts.
 Try this:
► Go to your filing cabinet and pull out your
folder/schema for horses

26. ► Do you see things like:
 Saddle
 Mane
 Horseback riding
 Wild horses
 Farm

27. Remembering v. Forgetting
► Sowhy exactly do we remember some things and
not other things?
► Usethe following list of terms to complete the
chart on page 2 of the study guide:

28. ► Inhibition ► Retroactive inhibition
► Practice/Learning ► Enactment
► Automaticity ► Facilitation
► Interference ► Proactive inhibition
► Part learning
► Overlearning ► Any other ideas you
► Massed & Distributed can think to add.
practice

29. Teaching Strategies & Student
Learning Strategies
► There are so many strategies out there for
teachers and students to use to help the
learning process
► Readthrough chapter 6 in order to
complete pages 3 and 4 of your study
guide.

30. Final note:
► Take a look at the “Cognitive Learning Strategies
Evaluation” assignment (wow, could that name be
any longer??)
► Theinformation you have learned in this module,
as well as your own classroom experience, will
help you with this assignment.
► Any questions? . . . Just let me know!