3: Cognitive Learning (Slavin, Ch. 6)
Description : In addition to behavioral theories of learning, research has been done about how the brain receives and processes information and how this impacts learning and memory. There are a variety of approaches to Instructional design that involve the connection of learning objectives, instructional technology and student motivation. These cognitive learning theories have been shaped by the research of Edward Thorndike, John Dewey, Robert Gagne, B.F. Skinner, and Benjamin Bloom among others (Wiburg). With each decade in the history of American education, a deeper understanding of brain function coupled with changing cultural attitudes about the nature and purpose of education has shifted the thinking on effective teaching. The results of this research and a deeper understanding of how information makes its way into the long-term memory has provided a variety of effective instructional practices for teachers so that they can maximize the effectiveness of their instruction an...