Module 4: Information Processing - Validating Immutable Truths

For me, the genius of James resides not just in what he said, but his conviction and accuracy of what he said relative to the era in which he said it. There were few sophisticated quantitative methods and no real prior frameworks on which to hang one's theoretical hat. Moreover, he eschewed an over-reliance on science for teachers, telling them that there are many correct applications informed by the understanding of science:

"A science only lays down lines within which the rules of tlie art nrust fall, laws which the follower of the art must not transgress; but what particular thing he shall positively do withinthose lirles is left exclusively to his own genius. One genius will do hisis work well and succeed in one way, while another. succeeds as well quite differently; yet neither will transgress the lines" (p.8).

I believe this to be true of all of the seminal theorists with which we are acquainted. Yet how do such thinkers become validated? In the case of the myriad constructs which comprise the theories of information processing, innovations in technology produce a shared construct and cultural awareness. These advents allowed us a unified understanding through the conceptualization of metaphors. Last week, the Mayer (1996) article presented some common metaphors relative to the act of encoding, storing and retrieving information. As information technology has captured both the imagination and the lion's share of the American labor force, we have a concept that is widely understood and accepted to which we may compare ourselves. It is almost as if we have anthropomorphized computers as we make these comparisons relative to the information processing frameworks presented this week.

The information processing theory movement has given operational and quantitative credence to James, Thorndike, Skinner, and others. We can now point to studies in which we know the mind creates schematic, systematic linkages which demand a routinized operationalized methodology for delivering instruction (Kirschner, Sweller and Clark, 2006).

However, it also uncovers another immutable truth- The act of processing information, encoding these data into existing structures and then recalling it relatively far into the future, is a very complex process for which there are human consistencies and commonalities but not absolutes. In my opinion, this is the chief reason it is so important: It explains and validates the theory of James (who defies classification by embracing good pedagogy in light of associationist and constructivist purviews) and the orientation of behaviorists toward the stimulus-response model of learning. It then serves as a bridge to the now popular constructivist leanings by showing us that the business of memory and association and deep connections, at least the methods by which information is internalized, may be highly individualized and are not fully understood.

This leads us to the concept of storing memories for long durations. My own personal connections to the information deal with times in my life when I knew I knew something. I am talking about those touchstone moments where I have felt validated in my knowledge of a given topic or realized that I am better now than I used to be; I have grown.

Spanish was my first love and I tried for years to achieve what I considered a perfect fluency. Of course, there is no such thing for a non-native unless he or she has been taught at a very early age. In fact, when I think of fluency, I think of the word fluidity, which can be defined as a changeable quality within a given thing (Princeton Word Net). Perfect linguistic fluency is not static or set in non-native speakers unless they have constant exposure to the language.

I was in Guatemala during Christmas one year and we were going out to buy firecrackers. Firecrackers are about as Guatemalan on Christmas as "Jingle Bells" is American for us here at home. As we are getting ready to leave, I excitedly call out, "vamos, pues!" which simply means "well, let's go!" It was automatic. I had never said that before ever or had really even been in a context where I might say it. Yet the girlfriend of our host asked him what Spanish speaking country I was from. Though I have lost much of my automaticity with regard to the language, I know at one time I had arrived.

The process of storing information is complex, but we do know several truths that lie therein.

Firstly, the intentional long term storage of information for most is not had by simply deciding to remember.  Marsh and Butler (2011) present scores of works which point to specific practices which may facilitate information processing, Chiefly among these is the concept that performing memory tasks which require more mental effort will ensure that information is retained for longer periods:

"The main idea is that introducing difficulties during learning will result in superior long-term retention because the greatest gains in storage strength occur when retrieval strength is low." (p. 5)

Second, Kirschner, Sweller and Clark (2006) validate James' concept of apperception and the association of ideas by presenting the concept of schema as it applies to cognitive load theory. Moreover, they posit that providing guidance during the instructional process will ensure better learning outcomes because teachers can provide ready linkages to concepts already held by students, thus decreasing mental taxation:

"...cognitive load theory suggests that the free exploration of a highly complex environment may generate a heavy working memory load that is detrimental to learning. This suggestion is particularly important in the case of novice learners, who lack proper schemas to integrate the new information with their prior knowledge" (p. 80).

Lastly, due to these easily accessible metaphors as presented by Mayer (1996), we see a number of effective evidence-based methods designed to assist students maximize the potential of their memories. We even go as far as seeing people compete in memory contests effectively using these methods, the origins of which began over a century ago.

We have in this module not only a bridge, but also perhaps an addition of lanes on the highway. For beginners in any field, it is necessary to show the differences between concepts. Placing like things in one pile and those which exemplify contrasting characteristics in yet another. However, what I think we are seeing is that the study of the brain shows that there can be harmony between constructivist and  associactionist views, not on a pure epistemological level, but rather as James posited within the purview of the art of teaching.

References

Fluidity (2011) wordnetweb.princeton.edu Retrieved November 22, 2011, from wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn.

James, W. (1962). Talks to teachers on psychology and to students on some of life's ideals. New York: Dover. (Original work published 1899).

Kirschner, P. A., Sweller, J., & Clark, R. E. (2006). Why minimal guidance during instruction does not work: An analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery, problem-based, experiential, and inquiry-based teaching. Educational Psychologist, 41, 75-86. Retrieved November 20, 2011 from http://www.uky.edu/~eushe2/2010/KirschnerSwellerClark2006.pdf.


Marsh, E. J., & Butler, A. C. (in press). Memory in educational settings. In D. Reisberg (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of cognitive psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved November 19, 2011 from http://www.uky.edu/~eushe2/2010/MarshButler2011.pdf.

Mayer, R. E. (1996). Learners as information processors. Educational Psychologist, 31, 151-161. Retrieved November 20, 2011 from http://www.uky.edu/~eushe2/2010/MayerEP1996.pdf.