Cognitive

West Farmer,and Wolf (1991) define “cognitive” in two ways:

1- “coming to know”:

This definition includes internal processes such as learning, perception, comprehension, thinking, memory and attention.

2- “...a perspective or theory in contrast to one which has an emphasis on observable behavior.”

In other words, according to the second definition cognitive theorists emphasize internal processes in knowledge representations which are impossible to observe directly but which are inferred.

Stimulus Error

Compare West and his colleagues' definition of cognitive with what E.B. Titchner (1910) referred to as Stimulus Error. According to Titchner and behaviorists that followed him, stimulus error occurred when subjects reported previous knowledge rather than the objects or events they observed.

Prior Knowledge

If you thought (in the last exercise) that they would view a learner's prior knowledge differently, you'd be on the right track.

To Behaviorists, prior knowledge intrudes on learning. It is to be avoided.

To Cognitivists, prior knowledge is seen as the basic nature of perception and comprehension.

This notion that learning should be built on individual learner's prior knowledge led to the concept of schema.

*** Stop now and go back to the course site and complete the application 1.1.