Willingham - 1

Question 1

Willingham’s Learning Theory

Answer 1

1. Knowing facts help when building the skills of problem-solving and reasoning.
2. An issue with learning and developing skills is that previous knowledge is often needed.

Question 2

Working Model of a Memory

Answer 2

A model of memory made up the central executive, visuo-spatial sketchpad and phonological loop

Question 3

Working Memory

Answer 3

Working memory has different parts for processing information coming in from our senses including visual and sound data and also involves a decision making part

Question 4

Knowledge and Working Memory

Answer 4

1. Knowledge can also free up space in out working memory to allow us to use mental skills such as problem solving..
2. Working memory involves different processes working on information that comes in through our senses.
3. Willingham suggest that what someone already knows leaves them more processing power to solve a problem and aids understanding

Question 5

Practice and Effort

Answer 5

1. Practice and effort enable us to master knowledge and skills.
2. It is important to practise enough to be able to do things automatically.
3. This is necessary in order to leave enough working memory for learning new things.
4. Practice is not the only thing that’s important - a skill must be repeated many times and kept up

Question 6

Rehearsal/Drilling

Answer 6

Another word for practice. Can lead to the behaviour/thought becoming automatic.

Question 7

Short - term memory

Answer 7

Our initial memory store that is temporary and limited

Question 8

Long term memory

Answer 8

A memory store that holds potentially limitless amounts of information for up to a lifetime

Question 9

Motor Skills

Answer 9

actions that involve muscles and brain processes resulting in movement

Question 10

Importance of practice and effort to build knowledge

Answer 10

1. Short term memory involves practice which means rehearsing what is to be remembered.
2. What is learned then goes into the long term memory where material has to be reviewed and practised in order to remember it.
3. There comes a time when there has been enough practice and effort and is fixed in the long term memory making it less likely to be forgotten

Question 11

Importance of practice and effort for building skills

Answer 11

1. Problem solving and creative thinking are skills a student needs to learn and these skills use working memory.
2. Skills need to be developed so that they become automatic and use little space in working memory. e.g. reading

Question 12

Strategies to develop cognitive development

Answer 12

Willingham proposed teaching strategies are

1. use problems that are new and within a students ability but still requires effort
2. understand a students likely stage of development when planning activities
3. remember that a students abilities are variable and can change from day to day
4. consider factors other than developmental level (e.g. a student may not understand the task)

Question 13

Strategies to develop physical development

Answer 13

Practice and effort would improve physical developments. He related muscle memory to brain processing,

1. Focus on what movements will be suitable and in what order they should be carried out
2. Practise the movements in that order enough times to make the muscle commands automatic
3. Use conscious effort

Question 14

Strategies to develop social development

Answer 14

1. Build on a child’s ability to take the view of someone else. Willingham disagrees with Piaget’s view that children show decentration until about 7 years old
2. Demonstrate appropriate social behaviour to help the child to use social learning
3. Help a child to stop impulsive behaviour which means behaving without considering the consequences and without thought.
4. Encourage practice which requires self regulation.
5. Delay giving a reward for a task to encourage children to keep working at it

Question 15

Social Learning

Answer 15

Learning by observing and copying others

Question 16

Self-Regulation

Answer 16

1. An individuals ability to manage their own behaviour.

2. Willingham suggests delaying reward can help this develop.

Question 17

Nature

Answer 17

Explanations of behaviour that focus on innate factors (things we are born with)

Question 18

Nurture

Answer 18

Explanations of behaviour that focus on environmental factors (the things that happen to us)

Question 19

Strengths of Willingham’s learning theory

Answer 19

1. Can be applied to education and other situations to promote a child’s development in a positive way.
2. There are other studies that support Willingham’s work and his arguments against Piaget’s view that development is in stages
3. Experimental evidence because experiments are carried out in a controlled way however they may not reflect reality so the results may lack validity

Question 20

Weaknesses of Willingham’s learning theory

Answer 20

1. Did not really emphasise the importance of individual differences for learning - his theory aims to give universal strategies for change even though he acknowledges genetic contributions.
2. He draws evidence from other theories which means his ideas are not really one singular theory that can be tested by gathering data.

Question 21

Chunking

Answer 21

Condensing large amounts of information into smaller more concise unit of information