Cognitive Learning Theory

Cognitive Learning Theory

• Cognitivism emerged as a response to behaviorism in the 1950s
• Cognitive Learning Theory (CLT) posits that cognitive processes determine knowledge and behavior
• Mental operations such as analyzing, organizing, and storing help individuals understand the world
• Learning, according to CLT, is influenced by both external and internal factors
• Examining internal mental processes which is also known as metacognition, involves exploring innate knowledge and logical thought

Jean Piaget's Contribution

• Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, developed the foundation for Constructivism and Cognitive Learning Theory
• Learning is an active and lifelong process that evolves as we grow.

Key Processes in Cognitive Learning

• Attention is the ability to focus on relevant information while filtering out distractions for effective learning
• Information processing involves taking in information, processing, storing, and retrieving it when needed like a computer
• Memory is the ability to store and retrieve information, where both short-term and long-term memory are important in learning
• Retrieval is the ability to access and use stored information in the future, and effective strategies and strong memory connections enhance learning
• Metacognition involves being aware of one's own learning processes, strengths, and weaknesses to refine learning strategies
• Motivation is an internal factor that determines the effort and performance in learning

Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

• Children use internal processes to actively build and shape their understanding
• Piaget's model of cognitive development was developed in the 1920s and 1930s
• Piaget identified that children think and learn differently from adults

Assimilation and Accommodation

• Assimilation involves fitting new information into existing mental frameworks
• Accommodation occurs when new information doesn't fit existing frameworks and requires adjusting or creating new ones

The Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 Years Old)

• During the earliest stages memories aren't held, and information is taken in through assimilation
• Exploration of the world occurs through senses, and basic motor skills are developed
• Object permanence is achieved toward the end of this stage, where awareness develops that objects exist even when hidden
• Cognitive abilities begin to materialize, including self-recognition, deferred imitation, and representational play

The Preoperational Stage (2-7 Years Old)

• Language emerges and symbolic thinking takes root
• Words and pictures are used to represent objects
• Children start accommodating new ideas and adjusting their understanding
• Imagination is fueled, enabling cognitive growth through dramatic or make-believe play
• Young children ask almost 300 questions a day
• Thinking is egocentric, and seeing things from others' perspectives is difficult

The Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 Years)

• Children develop powerful reasoning skills and begin to think logically about the world
• A better balance between assimilation and accommodation is achieved

The Formal Operational Stage (12-15 Years Old)

• Abstract thinking blossoms, and teenagers and young adults accommodate information more readily
• People can reason about hypothetical situations and develop theories
• This paves the way for scientific thinking, allowing them to formulate hypotheses and systematically solve problems
• Adolescents can think critically and solve problems independently with deductive reasoning skills

Information Processing Theory (IPT)

• IPT explains how people process information by comparing the human brain to a computer
• IPT describes how people take in information, store it, and use it to make decisions
• Encoding, elaboration, and storing data are involved to ensure data is accessible in the future
• Key concepts includes attention, memory, problem-solving and decision-making

Social Cognitive Theory

• Albert Bandura laid the groundwork for Social Learning Theory in the 1960s, which evolved into Social Cognitive Theory by 1986
• It expands its focus to encompass the influence of social interaction on learning
• We learn by observing the actions, behaviors, and consequences of others
• Observing someone succeed or fail at a task can influence our beliefs about our capabilities
• Reciprocal determinism occurs because personal thoughts and beliefs shape how we approach a situation, our social environment influences our behavior, and our actions impact both the environment and ourselves

Benefits of Cognitive Learning Theory

• Cognitive learning requires the active processing of information which goes beyond rote memorization
• Strategies such as elaboration and retrieval practice strengthen memories
• Cognitive learning emphasizes critical thinking and metacognition
• Learners develop the ability to analyze situations, identify issues, and develop solutions
• Metacognition leads to a better understanding of learning processes and ability
• Seeing progress helps build confidence and encourages learners to take on new challenges

Metacognition Research

• Metacognition has a positive impact on learning outcomes
• Developing these skills makes learners strategic, self-directed, and successful
• Confidence plays a role in learning outcomes
• Students who actively self-explained their learning material performed better compared to those who simply re-read it
• Strong metacognitive skills impact learning and performance
• Embracing metacognitive strategies outperforms other approaches by an average of 10 points
• Metacognition and self-regulation strategies can propel learners forward by 7 months

Limitations of Cognitive Learning Theory

• Cognitive Learning Theory downplays the role of social interaction, culture, and environmental factors in shaping learning
• It doesn't fully address the emotional side of learning with curiosity, interest and mood playing a crucial role in motivation
• Assumes a universal learning process, but may not fully address the needs of learners with diverse learning styles or preferences
• Cognitive processes cannot be directly observed making concepts like metacognition difficult to measure objectively

Tips for Applying Cognitive Learning Theory to Workplace Learning and Development (L&D) Efforts

• Encourage active engagement
• Space out training to revisit key concepts
• Provide training on metacognitive strategies such as summarising, self-questioning and predicting
• Support learners in reflecting on their learning progress
• Create opportunities to learn from each other though collaborative learning projects
• Use gamification elements such as experience points, badges and leaderboards
• Evaluate the effectiveness of training using assessments, surveys, and feedback mechanisms