1 Teaching Cognitive Learning Strategies to College Students Shirley L. Yu Department of Educational Psychology University of Houston

2 Outline  Activity  Some principles of information processing theory  Defining cognitive learning strategies  Issues in teaching college students to be self-regulated learners  Integrated cognitive strategy instruction

3 Activity  Rate the sentences I will read according to the scale on your handout.

4 Some Principles of Information Processing Theory

5 Levels of Processing  Deeper processing focused on meaning of information results in better recall than does  Shallow processing focused on superficial aspects of information (Craik & Lockhart, 1972)

6 Effortfulness in Processing  The more difficult decisions and thinking required during learning, the better the learning  (related sidebar) Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives

7 Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives – Cognitive Domain  Knowledge  Comprehension  Application  Analysis  Synthesis  Evaluation (Bloom, Engelhart, Frost, Hill, & Krathwohl, 1956)

Bloom’s Taxonomy – Revised (2001) The Cognitive Process Dimension The Knowledge Dimension Remember RememberUnderstandApply Analyze AnalyzeEvaluateCreate Factual Knowledge Conceptual Knowledge Procedural Knowledge Metacognitive Knowledge

9 Elaboration in Processing  Generating more information and adding it to the target information helps in learning  Links target information to prior knowledge

10 Encoding Specificity  When trying to recall information, cues start the retrieval (search) process  When same cues are present at time of presentation (encoding) AND at time of testing/use (retrieval), recall is better (Tulving, 1983; Tulving & Thomson, 1974)

Defining Cognitive Learning Strategies 11

12 Teaching Strategies vs. Cognitive Learning Strategies  Teaching strategies –Utilized by the instructor/teacher to teach  Cognitive learning strategies –Utilized by the student to learn

13 Cognitive Learning Strategies  Conscious behaviors and mental activities used by students in order to learn (Alexander, Graham, & Harris, 1998; Weinstein & Mayer, 1986)

14 Rehearsal  Repeating information over and over  E.g., Re-read textbook; Review lecture notes

15 Cognitive Learning Strategies Rehearsal Organization Elaboration Mnemonics Organization  Making connections between and among information  E.g., Make outline; Create concept map

16 Elaboration  Generating more information and adding it to the target information  E.g., Create an example; Restate into own words; Relate information to own experience or something learned previously; Use a mnemonic strategy

17 Mnemonic Strategies  Memory tricks  E.g., Rhymes and songs; 1 st letter technique; Keyword method

18 Keyword Method  For vocabulary; foreign language; etc. pato = duck 1) Acoustic link pato sounds like pot (keyword) pato sounds like pot (keyword) 2) Visual link duck sitting in a pot duck sitting in a pot

19 Issues in Teaching College Students to be SRL (Hofer, Yu, & Pintrich, 1998)

General Assumptions of a Self- Regulated Learning Perspective  Active construction  Potential for control  Use of goals/criterion/standards  Mediates between personal and contextual characteristics and actual achievement (Pintrich, 2004) 20

21 Integrated vs. Adjunct Course Design  Adjunct course –Stand-alone course –Example at University of Houston HDFS 1311: Development of Self- regulated Learning (Cr. 3)  Theory and research on cognitive, motivational, and behavioral factors related to academic success; emphasis on application to students' development.

“Learning to Learn” Course  Lectures – principles, concepts, research findings  Laboratories – demonstrations, group work, activities to enhance application and practice (Hofer & Yu, 2003; Hofer, Yu, & Pintrich, 1998; Pintrich, McKeachie, & Lin, 1987; Weinstein, Husman, & Dierking, 2000)

23 Advantages - Adjunct Course  Dedicated course time  Instructor interest, knowledge, expertise  Improvements in Self-regulated learning –Motivation –Cognitive learning strategy use –Metacognition Achievement

24 Integrated into Course  Strategies instruction embedded in curriculum (metacurriculum)  Example –HDFS 1300: Development of Contemporary Families  A multidisciplinary integration of historical, psychological, and sociological approaches to the study and understanding of diversity in family forms and influences that shape a family's values, beliefs, and behaviors.

25 Advantages - Integrated into Course  Communicates value of strategies in context  Provides opportunities for immediate and authentic use  May increase probability of transfer of strategy use

26 Transfer of Learning  Learning in one context enhances performance in another context (Salomon & Perkins, 1989)  Both integrated and adjunct courses – issue of transfer of strategies to other disciplinary courses (Hofer, Yu, & Pintrich, 1998)

27 Components and Design of Intervention  Definition of self-regulated learner  Components to include –Cognitive strategies –Metacognitive strategies –Motivation –Behavior

Integrated Cognitive Strategy Instruction 28

29 Direct Explanation Approach  WHO? Teachers teach students to use cognitive learning strategies  WHAT? Variety of different strategies  WHEN? When to use different strategies for different tasks/information  WHERE? In a variety of contexts; for different subjects  HOW? Model and give students practice  WHY? Importance/value of using cognitive strategies (Pressley & McCormick, 1995)

30 State Those Objectives Specifically  On syllabus, in class, by TAs  E.g., Active learning; Students will become more effective in their learning processes

31 Label and Discuss Strategies Explicitly  Make metacognition and strategies part of classroom discourse  Learning is not “something that happens mysteriously” (Pintrich, 2002)

32 Model and Explain Strategy Use  Demonstrate your own use of strategies and explain why it is useful  E.g., While solving a problem, provide mental modeling by talking aloud about your thought process; Provide a mnemonic for hard-to- remember information (Duffy & Roehler, 1989; Pintrich, 2002)

Provide Opportunities for Student Practice  Embed cognitive learning strategies as assignments –Conveys the importance –Encourages participation

34 Organization  Assignment example: Write an outline for one of the textbook chapters Write an outline for one of the textbook chapters –Jigsaw method  Students get in groups of 4-5  Each student writes outline for 1 chapter  Students distribute and review copies of their outline to group members

35 Elaboration  Assignment example: Generate examples of concept X; Relate course concepts to your own experience

Writing Strategies  Teach procedural knowledge related to writing papers  Break down task into smaller subgoals (and collect for feedback) prior to due date –Peer review –Revise, edit 36

Final Thoughts  Cognitive strategies (as part of self- regulated learning) improve performance  College students can be taught to use strategies  Faculty can begin this process on a small scale and build up