Have you ever thought about measuring the quantity of information our brain absorbs during life?
To think of it, this small muscle is the most complex part of the human body, functioning like a computer with its sophisticated algorithms and formulas and launching multiple mental processes like thinking, understanding, learning, and retaining. This is exactly how cognitivism describes the learning process, which is all about understanding and mastering skills through the development of critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and the application of knowledge to new situations. And it's a truly exciting process to be part of!
So what are the definitions, strategies, and benefits of cognitive learning? What theories underlie this concept, and how to implement it in practice? This article will help learners, teachers, and educational institutions enhance their understanding of cognitive learning and improve educational outcomes.
What is Cognitive Learning?
Our brain can receive and retain information through senses, experience, and thinking, and this ability is called cognition. So cognitive learning is an educational approach focusing on more effective use of the human brain's potential through active engagement in mental processes. It offers strategies aimed at encouraging learners to create connections between new knowledge and the existing one, as well as deepen comprehension and ability to implement the obtained skills in various circumstances. This helps reinforce the information and expand the mental schemes of the brain.
Cognitive Learning Theory
The idea of cognitive learning theory belongs to Piaget, who, during his work at the Binet Institute, decided to explore why some children gave wrong answers to questions that required logical thinking. According to him, incorrect answers can reveal the differences between how children and adults think. Cognitive learning theory focuses on the processes involved in learning and states that the way a learner observes, understands, and retains the information influences one’s behavior - either external or internal. There are several branches of cognitive learning theory, including implicit and explicit learning, social learning, and cognitive behavioral approaches; however, today we’ll describe the last two types that are the most significant ones.
Social Cognitive Theory
Social cognitive theory, or social learning theory, was developed by Albert Bandura, who believed that learning occurs in a social context through observation or direct instruction, i.e., we learn from interactions with friends, teachers, parents, or relatives. This theory highlights the importance of observational learning, imitation, and modeling, which can be both positive and negative. For example, a child whose parents regularly help the homeless will likely act the same way and learn empathy; on the contrary, someone who hates animals will be a model for one’s followers to show the same attitude. This theory can be applied to life situations and educational or professional processes.
Cognitive Behavioral Theory
According to cognitive behavioral theory, our emotions, sensations, thoughts, and actions are interrelated, and a change in any of them will cause changes in others. For example, the distress or anxiety of a person leads to negative emotional responses and vice versa. This theory indicates that mental processes play a crucial role in the development of an individual’s emotional state. It is widely used in therapeutic settings for the treatment of a variety of psychological problems and the improvement of learning outcomes.
How Does Cognitive Learning Work?
The goal of cognitive learning is the development of cognitive skills that separate good learners from average ones. Along with other educational approaches, it also forms the basis of a learning curve, involving several interrelated processes to help learners acquire, retain, and apply knowledge effectively. Let’s take a look at the key aspects that cognitive learning focuses on.
Comprehension
Comprehension is a cognitive function that is responsible for the ability to understand and interpret information. It is the comprehension that connects processes like perception, attention, encoding, integration, deduction, and monitoring. In cognitive learning, the ability to comprehend indicates the need and purpose for exploring this or that aspect and establishes connections between new skills and prior knowledge and experiences, facilitating deeper learning.
Memory
While traditional learning styles don’t exclude rote learning or cramming, cognitive learning focuses mostly on memory by allowing learners to store and retrieve information. This is an inseparable component of immersive learning that allows for organizing information in meaningful ways, using helpful devices, and engaging in regular review and practice.
Application
The next logical stage after successful comprehension and memorization is the ability to use the acquired knowledge and skills in new and diverse situations. This process is called application, which promotes the development of problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and leadership. Educators implement cognitive learning to teach learners to apply what they have learned to real-world scenarios.
Benefits of Cognitive Learning
Cognitive learning is an effective way of instilling love and motivation toward learning and improvement among students or employees. Below are the major benefits of cognitive learning that contribute to a more meaningful education.
Enhances Comprehension
Cognitive learning adheres to hands-on methods by actively engaging learners and facilitating critical thinking. Thus, learners acquire the necessary skills to establish connections between the older and newer materials, which automatically enhances overall comprehension.
Improves Problem-Solving Skills
The development of critical thinking and analytical skills is very important in today’s automatized world, where the simplicity of getting the required information reduces cognitive functions to nothing. Bearing this in mind, cognitive learning prepares learners to handle complex situations and develops the ability to identify, analyze, and solve problems effectively.
Increases Confidence
The link between education and confidence is obvious. The deeper is understanding of a material, the higher the confidence. When learners feel comfortable facing challenges because of the intensity of their knowledge and problem-solving skills, they translate their confidence into improved performance and a greater willingness to take on new tasks.
Encourages Continuous Learning
As mentioned, cognitive learning focuses on the connection between old and new knowledge, which promotes continuous learning. This ongoing process lays significant groundwork for learners to get excited and motivated in their educational journey. Witnessing own progress fosters a commitment to continuous improvement, which is essential for success in today's rapidly changing world.
Cognitive Learning Strategies
Studies help psychologists develop a concept of cognitive learning strategies that can maximize the effectiveness of this approach. The following strategies proved to be successfully implemented in a learning environment:
Learner-centered strategy
As proposed by Piaget, every learning process starts with some basic knowledge, which then accumulates and proceeds deeper. The 3 main components that make this process more engaging are
Accommodation: getting new information by modifying the previous knowledge,
Assimilation: placing the new knowledge in our heads next to the existing one,
Equilibration: balancing the new skills with the existing ones.
So to get the most out of the learning process, educators should design new courses by taking into account the learners’ previous knowledge; provide analogies to create links between experiences; divide learning into manageable portions, including practical tasks and examples, and encourage feedback sharing.
Meaningful experience strategy
American psychologist David Ausubel offers a clear distinction between meaningful learning and rote learning. According to him, material that could be related to the learners’ prior knowledge was meaningful and showed good outcomes. So it is essential to fill each learning session with meaningfulness, provide background information, and encourage learners to build new knowledge based on what they already have.
Learning through discovery strategy
This strategy belongs to psychologist Jerome Bruner, who urged that children should have the opportunity to discover for themselves. That happens through certain actions, visualization of images, and using symbols or words to describe experiences. He offered to allow learners or employees to obtain new skills through new tasks or challenges and practice their knowledge in real-life situations.
Cognitive Learning Examples
Now let’s take a brief look at some of the examples of cognitive learning to deepen our understanding of this interesting concept.
Collaborative Learning
In cooperative or collaborative learning, students are united by working together and achieving common goals. This approach encourages the sharing of ideas and mutual support and reveals the best skills of each participant. It boosts positive interdependence, enhances individual responsibility, and allows equal participation.
Discovery Learning
Discovery learning is about the desire of learners to explore and discover information on their own through researching, thinking deeply about secondary subjects, and adapting new skills to their current tasks. This method promotes active engagement, curiosity, and understanding of the concepts by establishing interconnections between them, as well as ensuring the development of problem-solving skills.
Social-Emotional Learning
Social-emotional learning (SEL) focuses on developing emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and interpersonal skills that help students handle their emotions, set and achieve goals, and establish positive relationships. As a part of cognitive learning, SEL enhances overall well-being and academic success based on satisfaction and self-efficacy.
Experiential Learning
There is a saying “to learn from one’s mistakes” that is traditionally used in negative contexts but, in our case, can be positively applied to experiential learning, as it allows us to take valuable life lessons and build an improved experience through reflection. However, since this approach is subjective and people tend to interpret life lessons in different ways, depending on whether the experience was good or bad, it is important to encourage learners to properly apply their knowledge in real-world contexts to improve understanding and retention.
Observational Learning
Observational learning, a key component of social cognitive theory, involves learning through imitation. Learners acquire new skills and behaviors by watching and imitating role models. You can become a better player by watching senior teammates, or perform better academically by watching your peers and shaping up. Observational learning is particularly effective in teaching complex tasks and social behaviors.
Conclusion
Cognitive learning is a perfect way of achieving professional mastery after creating learning objectives. This powerful approach to education optimizes the potential of the human brain, emotions, thoughts, and experiences. The integration of the listed cognitive strategies and examples will transform the learning process into an exciting journey where past knowledge intersects with future experiences. By focusing on mental processes and active engagement, cognitive learning enhances comprehension and memory and improves academic outcomes alongside fostering a lifelong love of learning.