Chapter Seven Educational Psychology: Developing Learners 6th edition Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Knowledge Construction

Chapter SevenEducational Psychology: Developing Learners

6th editionJeanne Ellis Ormrod

Knowledge Construction

Constructive Processes

Learning involves constructing one’s own knowledge from one’s experiences.

Our current knowledge influences what we learned, what we expect to learn, what we can store, and what we can retrieve.

Jeanne Ellis OrmrodEducational Psychology: Developing Learners, sixth edition

Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

All rights reserved.

Constructive ProcessesMeaning of new knowledge is constructed

with prior knowledge.It can be an independent venture (individual

constructivism) or a social process.Different people can construct different

meanings from the same stimuli or events.Even our memory is constructive

Reconstructive error is an error in which a student constructs a logical but “incorrect” memory.




Social Constructivism

Socially constructed knowledge: knowledge jointly constructed by two or more peopleOften leads to a better understanding of the

subject matterE.g., two students working together to better

understand a homework assignmentMay be constructed by an entire culture

Literature, music, fine arts




Social Constructivism

Learners engage in distributed cognition.Students work together to share ideas and draw

conclusions or develop solutions.

There are many positives associated with distributed cognition, including:Greater understanding and increased use of

elaboration Exposure to others’ ideas and greater respect for

diversityIdentification of flaws and inconsistencies in thinkingHigher-level thinkingMore effective interpersonal skills




Organizing Knowledge

Knowledge organization occurs via concepts, schemas, scripts, and theories.

Concepts: mental grouping of similar events, objects, ideas, or people which consist of attributes or distinctive features

E.g., bird: feathers, beak, has a nest




Organizing Knowledge

ConceptsOvergeneralization and undergeneralization

are common occurrences.Overgeneralization: Including objects or events that

aren’t true members of the categoryUndergeneralization: Too narrow a view about

which objects or events the concept includes

Concepts are interconnected.




The Nature of Concepts

Concepts can be learned as a feature list, prototype, or set of examples.Defining features: Characteristics that must

be present in all positive instances of a concept

Prototypes: Mental representations of a “typical” positive instance

Exemplars: Specific examples that are part of a learner’s general knowledge and understanding of a concept




Teaching Concepts

Present examples and non-examples before discussing attributes and definitions

Show a wide variety of examples to avoid undergeneralization or overgeneralization

Have students use the concept




Teaching Concepts

Identify concrete and observable characteristics

Show students how various concepts are related to one another




Schemas & Scripts

SchemaOrganized body of knowledge about a

specific topicE.g., what is typically true about an object?

ScriptSchema that involves a predictable

sequence of events related to a common activityE.g., what happens when you go to the doctor?Culturally influenced




Theories

Students already have beliefs about how the world operates before formal schooling begins.Theory: Integrated set of concepts and

principles developed to explain a particular phenomenon

Naïve theories: Early and often incorrect theory developed by a child, based on limited knowledge and understanding




Promoting Effective Knowledge ConstructionProvide opportunities for experimentationPresent ideas of others and encourage discussionEmphasize conceptual understanding, knowledge

acquired in an integrated and meaningful fashionChallenge naïve theoriesBe organizedRelate new information to previously learned informationShow how isolated facts are part of greater wholeEncourage peer tutoring

Use authentic activitiesActivities similar to ones that students are apt to

encounter in the outside worldCreate a learning community




What Is a Learning Community?

Teachers and students consistently work to help one another learn.

Students are active participants in classroom activities.

Discussion and collaboration are necessary parts in learning.

Diversity is respected.Learning is emphasized more than grades.Both students and teachers provide guidance

and direction for classroom activities.Everyone is a potential resource.




Conceptual Change

Teachers present new information expecting it to replace any erroneous beliefs.

Students will often hold on to misconceptions even when faced with contradictory information.




Promoting Conceptual Change

Teachers should:Identify existing misconceptions before

instruction beginsConvince students that their existing

beliefs are inadequateMotivate students to learn correct

explanationsPreserve students’ self-esteem and not

ridicule them for misunderstandingsContinue to monitor students for

persistent misconceptionsJeanne Ellis OrmrodEducational Psychology: Developing Learners, sixth edition



Considering Diversity in Constructive Processes

Cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds impact knowledge base.

A community of learners values diversity and utilizes everyone’s individual backgrounds, cultural perspectives, and unique abilities to enhance the class.

Teachers can increase multicultural awareness by:Promoting multiple constructions of the same

situationBeing watchful of language usage




Documents

Chapter Seven Educational Psychology: Developing Learners 6th edition Jeanne Ellis Ormrod Knowledge Construction