This post is based on some ideas that were covered in the #profchat on Twitter that took place on April 7th, (for more, read the archive here).
Initially, any learning environment is cognitive. But in schools, colleges and universities, teachers don't push students to memorize, associate, analyze, assess, apply, synthesize, create and reflect. When this happens, learning becomes cognitive-UNfriendly.
My takeaway from the discussion has to do with how we can foster cognitive learning. By:
- chunking information
- scaffolding activities
- using cognitive dissonance
- making connections between multiple concepts
- adopting an interdisciplinary approach
- applying new knowledge to old
- de-constructing and re-constructing knowledge
- using Socratic questioning
- providing directed feedback
- maximizing emotional readiness to learn
- using music and TPR activities to stimulate mental exercise
One practical tip I loved was the idea of using Twitter to get students to write about how they are learning. The 140-character limit forces them to be concise and to think carefully about their learning.
In the end, the range of procedures and tips above can be summed up into a basic tenet that must be around, no matter what path education takes in the future:
Learning must take students to a tangible and meaningful goal
