learning_theories:assimilation_theory
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learning_theories:assimilation_theory [2011/07/07 11:34] jpetrovic [What is assimilation theory?] |
learning_theories:assimilation_theory [2011/07/07 11:54] jpetrovic [What is assimilation theory?] |
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| * **Meaningful learning** is learning that is well **anchored and integrated** in the cognitive structure. It occurs when learner can find meaning in the information presented. Meaningful learning won't occur unless the new ideas are presented in a clear way that enables their relating with other ideas, unless the learner already possesses those other ideas he can relate the new ones with and unless the learner actually makes an conscious attempt to do so. If those conditions are satisfied, new ideas will remain anchored in his knowledge and if not, learning will be rote. | * **Meaningful learning** is learning that is well **anchored and integrated** in the cognitive structure. It occurs when learner can find meaning in the information presented. Meaningful learning won't occur unless the new ideas are presented in a clear way that enables their relating with other ideas, unless the learner already possesses those other ideas he can relate the new ones with and unless the learner actually makes an conscious attempt to do so. If those conditions are satisfied, new ideas will remain anchored in his knowledge and if not, learning will be rote. | ||
| * **Rote learning** on the other hand represents knowledge that remains **unrelated** and unanchored to existing concepts and is therefore easily forgotten. | * **Rote learning** on the other hand represents knowledge that remains **unrelated** and unanchored to existing concepts and is therefore easily forgotten. | ||
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| + | As a result of meaningful learning, the new idea will remain anchored to a so called **subsumer** (//anchoring site// of the idea). That of course doesn't mean that the learned idea can't be forgotten: this process, referred to as //obliterative subsumption//, happens as more specific idea becomes less and less distinctive from its subsumer until it is finally forgotten. | ||
| Defined concept of meaningful learning leads to another key aspect of Ausubel's theory: **prior knowledge**. Since relating old and new knowledge is crucial for meaningful learning, prior knowledge or the existing ideas are the key enabler or restraint of what can be learned next. | Defined concept of meaningful learning leads to another key aspect of Ausubel's theory: **prior knowledge**. Since relating old and new knowledge is crucial for meaningful learning, prior knowledge or the existing ideas are the key enabler or restraint of what can be learned next. | ||
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| * "//If I had to reduce all of educational psychology to just one principle, I would say this: The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach him accordingly.//"((Ausubel, David P. Educational Psychology: A cognitive view. London: Holt, Reinhart, & Winston, 1968. p. 18.)) | * "//If I had to reduce all of educational psychology to just one principle, I would say this: The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach him accordingly.//"((Ausubel, David P. Educational Psychology: A cognitive view. London: Holt, Reinhart, & Winston, 1968. p. 18.)) | ||
| - | As a result of a successful meaningful learning, the new idea will remain anchored to a so called **subsumer**. That of course doesn't mean that the learned idea can't be forgotten: this process, referred to as //obliterative subsumption//, happens as more specific idea becomes less and less distinctive from its subsumer until it is finally said to be forgotten. | + | |
| Another important and rather controversial part of Ausubel's theory are the **//advance organizers//**: introductory material presented before the learning material "//at a higher level of abstraction, generality, and inclusiveness//"((Ausubel, D. The Psychology of Meaningful Verbal Learning. New York: Grune & Stratton. 1963.)) than the learning material. Purpose of advance organizers is to help replace the missing concepts and bridge new material to learner's established cognitive structure. They help the learner realize where the new material fits in relation to the prior knowledge about the material and should not be confused with summaries or overviews which usually present key ideas of the material. | Another important and rather controversial part of Ausubel's theory are the **//advance organizers//**: introductory material presented before the learning material "//at a higher level of abstraction, generality, and inclusiveness//"((Ausubel, D. The Psychology of Meaningful Verbal Learning. New York: Grune & Stratton. 1963.)) than the learning material. Purpose of advance organizers is to help replace the missing concepts and bridge new material to learner's established cognitive structure. They help the learner realize where the new material fits in relation to the prior knowledge about the material and should not be confused with summaries or overviews which usually present key ideas of the material. | ||
| - | Advance organizers should be of greater help to students with less organized cognitive structures, since organized cognitive structures already possess developed anchoring ideas. Organizers can be most productive when closely related topics or unitary topics need to be learned and when learners prior knowledge can be assessed. Advanced organizer can include various types of material like pictures, verbal descriptions, prequestioning techniques, and cultural background knowledge(([[http://www.jstor.org/pss/329009|Herron, C. An investigation of the effectiveness of using an advance organizer to introduce video in the foreign language classroom. Modern language Journal, 78, 190-197. 1994.]])). So far no significant differences in effects of this types of organizers have been reported(([[http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a713757529~db=all|Togo, Dennis F. Topical sequencing of questions and advance organizers impacting students examination performance. Accounting Education, 11(3), 203-216. 2002.]])). | + | [[http://cmapspublic2.ihmc.us/rid=1094487285248_442176581_5443/Ausubel%27s%20theory.cmap|{{ images:ausubel.jpg | A visual representation of Ausubels theory. Image borrowed from: http://cmapspublic2.ihmc.us/... Click on the picture to follow the link. }}]] |
| - | [[http://cmapspublic2.ihmc.us/rid=1094487285248_442176581_5443/Ausubel%27s%20theory.cmap|{{ images:ausubel.jpg?866x434 | A visual representation of Ausubels theory. Image borrowed from: http://cmapspublic2.ihmc.us/... Click on the picture to follow the link. }}]] | + | Advance organizers should be of greater help to students with less organized cognitive structures, since organized cognitive structures already possess developed anchoring ideas. Organizers can be most productive when closely related topics or unitary topics need to be learned and when learners prior knowledge can be assessed. Advanced organizer can include various types of material like pictures, verbal descriptions, prequestioning techniques, and cultural background knowledge(([[http://www.jstor.org/pss/329009|Herron, C. An investigation of the effectiveness of using an advance organizer to introduce video in the foreign language classroom. Modern language Journal, 78, 190-197. 1994.]])). So far no significant differences in effects of this types of organizers have been reported(([[http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a713757529~db=all|Togo, Dennis F. Topical sequencing of questions and advance organizers impacting students examination performance. Accounting Education, 11(3), 203-216. 2002.]])). |
| Ausubel's ideas of human cognitive structures also served as a motivation for introducing [[instructional_design:concept mapping]] and similar instructional materials.(([[http://books.google.hr/books?id=nNcoAO5Za9YC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Learning+theories,+A+to+Z&hl=hr&ei=g1jBTYLrHInpOYGHxJ0I&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-preview-link&resnum=1&ved=0CCsQuwUwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false|Leonard, David C. Learning theories, A to Z. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002.]])) | Ausubel's ideas of human cognitive structures also served as a motivation for introducing [[instructional_design:concept mapping]] and similar instructional materials.(([[http://books.google.hr/books?id=nNcoAO5Za9YC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Learning+theories,+A+to+Z&hl=hr&ei=g1jBTYLrHInpOYGHxJ0I&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-preview-link&resnum=1&ved=0CCsQuwUwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false|Leonard, David C. Learning theories, A to Z. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002.]])) | ||
learning_theories/assimilation_theory.txt ยท Last modified: 2023/06/19 18:03 (external edit)
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