Cognitivism Theory
By Jaishree
Because of all the limitations of behaivouristic theory, a new theory of Cognitivism came into existence. Obviously it is reaction to behaivouristic theory. Cognitivism is a theory of language learning emerged after 1960’s.
S---------R
The Behaviourist said that if there is a stimulus, there should be response. But according to cognitivist, something must mediate between the stimulus and response i.e cognitive function.
S-------------------------R
Cognitive Function
Cognitive means thinking ability. It is connected with mental process of understanding.
Cognitive theory assigns central role to mind. So mind is a cognitive map. When the learns mind react to the teaching then learning takes place. Though there is stimulus, the learners think about that for sometime, the learners give response to that. So Cognitivism theory doesn’t have mechanical approach towards learning. That’s why it modifies behaivouristic theory and give crucial importance to persons mind.
Experiment:-
There are monkey in the cage. They all are very hungry. Bananas are suspended to ceilings, but at very high point. The monkeys don’t know how to reach to bananas.
There is a popular phrase “set back thought” same like that one of the monkeys go back, think about that and solve the problem.
Only monkeys mind wants to solve the problem, only thy put the pieces of woods together and reach towards the bananas. From this experiment psychologist conclude that if animals can think to solve their problems, then human being also can do. So they conclude that human minds play very important role in solving the problem i.e learning.
If you observe the cat, before jumping from a wall, or from high positions, they do first observe spot carefully and think and then jump.
Dictionary of Applied Linguistic gives definition of Cognitivism as,
“Branch of psychology which deals with study of nature and learning of system of knowledge, particularly those involved in the thought, perception, comprehension, memory and learning.
Perception- attitude, comprehension, understanding.
For Cognitivism only stimulus is not important but all other factors i.e thought, perception, comprehension, memory and learning are very important. So other name for Cognitivism theory are mentalist or rationalistic approach.
Noam Chomsky made this theory very popular. He is interested in studying the relationships between language and human mind. According to Chomsky whenever there is a problem, a lot of transaction takes place into the mind.
In a very short span of time human brain is very active. So several thoughts, ideas come to human mind, into very short time i.e. very important.
Input-------------------------- ------------------Output
(utterances that the child produces)
(Utterances that a child hears)
See in this diagram, with limited amount of input, a child can produce unlimited utterances . So his mind plays a very important role.
Implications of Cognitivism theory to the Teachers and Learners:
1) In Cognitivism theory there is a great appeal to the learners intelligence. There is a lot of scope for creativity. In this theory learners are motivate to do experiments with language. They have given the opportunity to discover meaning everything was not told by the teacher.
2) Cognitivism theory believes that learning is a matter of perception and insight formation. The learner is motivated to discover new rules, do experiments so the learners’ role/there contribution is very important. In this theory teachers have to follow the inductive method, no deductive method. In inductive method of teaching, students are encouraged to find rules from given examples, but in deductive method teachers proved ready made information. But teachers always think that students are very weak to analyze the rule. Cognitivism theory gives a lot of scope to enrich the learner’s intelligence, thinking ability. In modern education system teachers are givers of and students are takers. So there is need to modify this method. Behaviourist believes that teaching is a stimulus but Cognitivism think it as creative process, so human mind has to be considered and motivated.
3) Errors are welcomed in Cognitivism theory. Mistake is stepping towards success. So everything you learn by committing mistake, they are considered to be inevitable. If you want to master something then you have to make mistake. By using trial and error method, learners can learn. So get multiple interpretations. There is no punishment to the students. The student also can use problem-solving method. If they have problems, then they can reach to the solutions.
4) According to Cognitivism theory learns should be active, or they should not be passive or only recipient student mind should be involved in the process. If the students involved in the process of teaching and learn then they can easily understand the text. If the discussions are on the students’ problem, then they should be involved in the discussions.
5) Motivate to form hypothesis: According to Cognitivism theory, students/learns have to play the role of monitor means they have to do self-corrections and generalizations, which is very important. This theory believes that mere drilling is mechanical or unproductive; students can’t learn everything by drilling/repetition/repeated exercise. So it will be mechanical/unproductive. In this theory teachers have to play the role of a coordinator and students have to understand errors and correct them. According to Cognitivism theory students have to understand or be satisfied with teaching and if he/she feel, they should be allowed to make self-corrections.
6) According to Cognitivism theory teachers have to play multiple roles i.e co-coordinator, facilitator (to help), motivator, counselor, friend and guide etc. In modern days teachers are only lecturers but Cognitivism expands the role of a teacher.
7) In behaivouristic framework learners are expected to learn language item by item. But Cognitivism believes that, human mind is very sensitive, so lots of thinking is going on in the mind so they don’t move from item to item. IN this theory teachers try to establish links and connections among topics so Cognitivism helps to make teaching more flexible. According to Cognitivism human mind can go at one point and again return back old point. So while teaching new topics teacher can return or revisit old topics
Limitations of Cognitivism theory:
1) Time consuming method. It gives lots of importance to students, their thinking ability, students are motivated to do experiment with language. So a lot of time is needed for this.
2) Cognitivism theory is not useful in larger classes. If there are large numbers of student, then it is not possible to think about every individual student to do experiment.
3) Adopting Cognitivism theory is very difficult, because this theory expects a lot from teachers. For this theory teachers have to creative. Unfortunately our teachers are not more creative and well equipped. Cognitivism theory is ideal but the problem is with our teachers it demands more from teachers. But as a teacher we have to follow the right approach and combine both theories.
By Jaishree
Because of all the limitations of behaivouristic theory, a new theory of Cognitivism came into existence. Obviously it is reaction to behaivouristic theory. Cognitivism is a theory of language learning emerged after 1960’s.
S---------R
The Behaviourist said that if there is a stimulus, there should be response. But according to cognitivist, something must mediate between the stimulus and response i.e cognitive function.
S-------------------------R
Cognitive Function
Cognitive means thinking ability. It is connected with mental process of understanding.
Cognitive theory assigns central role to mind. So mind is a cognitive map. When the learns mind react to the teaching then learning takes place. Though there is stimulus, the learners think about that for sometime, the learners give response to that. So Cognitivism theory doesn’t have mechanical approach towards learning. That’s why it modifies behaivouristic theory and give crucial importance to persons mind.
Experiment:-
There are monkey in the cage. They all are very hungry. Bananas are suspended to ceilings, but at very high point. The monkeys don’t know how to reach to bananas.
There is a popular phrase “set back thought” same like that one of the monkeys go back, think about that and solve the problem.
Only monkeys mind wants to solve the problem, only thy put the pieces of woods together and reach towards the bananas. From this experiment psychologist conclude that if animals can think to solve their problems, then human being also can do. So they conclude that human minds play very important role in solving the problem i.e learning.
If you observe the cat, before jumping from a wall, or from high positions, they do first observe spot carefully and think and then jump.
Dictionary of Applied Linguistic gives definition of Cognitivism as,
“Branch of psychology which deals with study of nature and learning of system of knowledge, particularly those involved in the thought, perception, comprehension, memory and learning.
Perception- attitude, comprehension, understanding.
For Cognitivism only stimulus is not important but all other factors i.e thought, perception, comprehension, memory and learning are very important. So other name for Cognitivism theory are mentalist or rationalistic approach.
Noam Chomsky made this theory very popular. He is interested in studying the relationships between language and human mind. According to Chomsky whenever there is a problem, a lot of transaction takes place into the mind.
In a very short span of time human brain is very active. So several thoughts, ideas come to human mind, into very short time i.e. very important.
Input-------------------------- ------------------Output
(utterances that the child produces)
(Utterances that a child hears)
See in this diagram, with limited amount of input, a child can produce unlimited utterances . So his mind plays a very important role.
Implications of Cognitivism theory to the Teachers and Learners:
1) In Cognitivism theory there is a great appeal to the learners intelligence. There is a lot of scope for creativity. In this theory learners are motivate to do experiments with language. They have given the opportunity to discover meaning everything was not told by the teacher.
2) Cognitivism theory believes that learning is a matter of perception and insight formation. The learner is motivated to discover new rules, do experiments so the learners’ role/there contribution is very important. In this theory teachers have to follow the inductive method, no deductive method. In inductive method of teaching, students are encouraged to find rules from given examples, but in deductive method teachers proved ready made information. But teachers always think that students are very weak to analyze the rule. Cognitivism theory gives a lot of scope to enrich the learner’s intelligence, thinking ability. In modern education system teachers are givers of and students are takers. So there is need to modify this method. Behaviourist believes that teaching is a stimulus but Cognitivism think it as creative process, so human mind has to be considered and motivated.
3) Errors are welcomed in Cognitivism theory. Mistake is stepping towards success. So everything you learn by committing mistake, they are considered to be inevitable. If you want to master something then you have to make mistake. By using trial and error method, learners can learn. So get multiple interpretations. There is no punishment to the students. The student also can use problem-solving method. If they have problems, then they can reach to the solutions.
4) According to Cognitivism theory learns should be active, or they should not be passive or only recipient student mind should be involved in the process. If the students involved in the process of teaching and learn then they can easily understand the text. If the discussions are on the students’ problem, then they should be involved in the discussions.
5) Motivate to form hypothesis: According to Cognitivism theory, students/learns have to play the role of monitor means they have to do self-corrections and generalizations, which is very important. This theory believes that mere drilling is mechanical or unproductive; students can’t learn everything by drilling/repetition/repeated exercise. So it will be mechanical/unproductive. In this theory teachers have to play the role of a coordinator and students have to understand errors and correct them. According to Cognitivism theory students have to understand or be satisfied with teaching and if he/she feel, they should be allowed to make self-corrections.
6) According to Cognitivism theory teachers have to play multiple roles i.e co-coordinator, facilitator (to help), motivator, counselor, friend and guide etc. In modern days teachers are only lecturers but Cognitivism expands the role of a teacher.
7) In behaivouristic framework learners are expected to learn language item by item. But Cognitivism believes that, human mind is very sensitive, so lots of thinking is going on in the mind so they don’t move from item to item. IN this theory teachers try to establish links and connections among topics so Cognitivism helps to make teaching more flexible. According to Cognitivism human mind can go at one point and again return back old point. So while teaching new topics teacher can return or revisit old topics
Limitations of Cognitivism theory:
1) Time consuming method. It gives lots of importance to students, their thinking ability, students are motivated to do experiment with language. So a lot of time is needed for this.
2) Cognitivism theory is not useful in larger classes. If there are large numbers of student, then it is not possible to think about every individual student to do experiment.
3) Adopting Cognitivism theory is very difficult, because this theory expects a lot from teachers. For this theory teachers have to creative. Unfortunately our teachers are not more creative and well equipped. Cognitivism theory is ideal but the problem is with our teachers it demands more from teachers. But as a teacher we have to follow the right approach and combine both theories.
1 comment:
Thanks for the post! It really helped me a lot! Keep up the good work..! (^_^)
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