key question Flashcards
key question - A01, P1
‘How can Cognitive Psychology be used to help students learn?’
description - A01, P1
the cognitive demand on A level students is high in terms of understanding, processing and assimilating large amounts of new information
qualifications are now based on a linear based course with terminal assessments, moving away from a modular based approach
this has meant that there is a demand for a high level of subject knowledge in each subject and students now have to store large amounts of information and be able to access them easily when needed
importance in society - A01, P1
society needs to know if there is a more efficient method of studying that will help students face these cognitive demands
the multistore model of memory proposes that the main processes in memory are attention and rehearsal
students need to first pay attention, not be distracted and go over material by utilising repetition, e.g., repeating the name of all the classic studies
elaborative rehearsal was later added to the model and highlighted the importance of semantic rehearsal (e.g., using imagery and colour in mind maps) in order to move information into the long term memory
application of knowledge to key question - A02, P2
many A level students utilise study methods like repeating lists without elaboration, highlighting chunks of text in booklets, copying out sections of text and re-reading material
society needs to know if these methods are effective so that students and teachers can find the most efficient study habits
the working memory model of memory proposes that short term memory consists of subsystems, each with limited capacity
if a student tries to complete multiple tasks using the same subsystem, it will become overloaded and performance will be impaired
Baddeley found this in his dual-task experiments of the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad
students need to avoid overloading any one subsystem by utilising dual streams effectively
e.g., reading text (phonological loop) while visualising the placement (visuospatial sketchpad) on a mind map
evaluation of knowledge to key question - A03, P3
the type of study habits employed by students matters to society as there are economic implications in terms of career prospects and contributions to wider society
students need to perform well in examinations in order to access higher education courses and jobs, so they need to know how to use their memory to the best advantage
linear courses require vast amounts of knowledge recall and this is quite different from the instant access that we have to information through the internet
therefore, study habits have an important impact on someone’s future
the theory of reconstructive memory proposes that memory is active and is reconstructed based on the schemas someone has
Bartlett showed the reconstructive nature of memory (effort after meaning) in his War of the Ghost study
students can utilise this knowledge by ensuring that their current schema are accurate as any future knowledge will be based on these foundations
conclusion - P4
therefore, it is clear that there is evidence to suggest that some study habits are more effective than others in knowledge retention and recall and that students should learn more about the cognitive theories behind them, however the extent to which they choose to implement them is hard to control
