1

Unit 7: Instructional Approaches for Activating Prior Knowledge

Haleema Humayun Awan

University of the people

Course: EDUC 5210 Learning Theory and Implications for Instruction

Instructor: Neverson Heatley

December 29, 2021

 2

Approaches to Activating Prior Knowledge in the Classroom

Student performance was heavily influenced by prior knowledge. Prior knowledge is linked to

reading comprehension, study speed and accuracy, and student enthusiasm in the subject

(Strangman et al., 2004). Strangman et al. examined a few ways for activating prior knowledge

and found that they were effective in enhancing student performance. The tactics of "reflection

and recording" and "interactive conversation" will be covered in this paper.

Students are asked to recall, state, write down, or record what they know about the issue using

the reflection and recording technique. According to the findings, activating relevant prior

information about the issue is more successful than activating irrelevant prior knowledge or not

activating at all in increasing text memory and understanding. Another study found that during

text reading, conversational elaboration and reflection are more successful than taking notes.

Students' capacity to recall material is also improved by using a brainstorming strategy in prior

knowledge activation by assisting them in creating a semantic map (Strangman et al., 2004). All

of these research suggests that using the previous knowledge technique to activate reflection and

recording can increase student performance.

In class, students might practise reflecting and recording to activate prior information. The first

technique is to begin class by asking students to state things that are related to the topic.

When the topic is acids and bases, for example, teachers can begin the class by asking students if

they have heard of acids and bases previously. It can be followed up with questions about where

and when they heard it, what it informs them of, and so on. This practice will help them connect

their existing knowledge to the new material they will be learning. Because the new material is

relevant to students' lives, it will be more meaningful to them. This is in line with cognitive
 3

neuroscience theory, which claims that learning occurs when new information is relevant

(Schunk, 2012).

It's also a technique for a teacher to learn about a student's prior knowledge and correct them

earlier in the learning process. It's critical to make this adjustment since research suggests that

discrepancy between existing knowledge and new information stymies learning (Strangman et

al., 2004).

The second approach, as used by UoPeople, is to ask students to write reflective essays about

what they have learnt from reading resources. Students must learn by reading the text

themselves, and reflecting is more successful than taking notes, therefore this practice acts as an

exercise to help students become independent learners (Strangman et al., 2004).

Students' reflective essays can receive feedback in order to help them improve their writing.

The essay will also tell the teacher about the student's abilities. When learning about the periodic

table, for example, the teacher will describe how Mendeleyev organized the components. The

teacher then invites pupils to respond to questions as a guide to writing the reflective essay. The

queries inquired as to what elements they are familiar with, and so on. Because the essay is

reflective, students must recall their prior understanding of the issue, activating their prior

knowledge so that it can be linked to new material later.

Time is a constraint when it comes to reflection and recording strategies. The procedures

outlined above take time to complete. It takes time to begin the class by questioning students

about their prior knowledge.

Even the discussion can veer off into a completely different direction at times. The teacher is

responsible for keeping the conversation on course. The time spent can also be viewed as time

spent learning more about students, which can help to strengthen the teacher-student relationship
 4

and create a happy learning environment. Making a reflective essay takes time as well, but the

onus is on the teacher this time. Because providing great comments takes time, don't ask students

to submit too many essays. Only request an essay if the subject is difficult to grasp.

The goal of the interactive discussion strategy is to use interactive discussion to activate

preexisting knowledge. The student is asked to think on and record their past knowledge of the

issue before participating in an interactive discussion. Students' prior knowledge can be used to

complete a semantic map during the talks. This strategy is more successful than no pre-reading

education in boosting reading comprehension, but it is less effective than direct instruction on the

facts needed to comprehend the text, according to a study.

According to the research, this method may aid a novice but not an expert. The success of this

tactic may be influenced by students' experience with the interactive approach (Strangman et al.,

2004).

These research' findings aid in determining the most effective interactive discussion technique.

This method is put into effect by having students participate in an interactive conversation. The

most critical factor in keeping kids engaged is to make the issue intriguing. One of the reasons

that students find a topic interesting is if they can apply it to their own lives. It's also critical to

make the discussion dynamic and involve as many pupils as possible after they've been engaged.

When teaching pupils about relativity, for example, teachers can link the movie "Star Wars" to

the notion of relativity.

The teacher may inquire as to whether it is conceivable for humans to travel to another planet as

depicted in the film, despite the fact that the distance is only a few thousand light years. The

teacher can then directly provide students the essential material after checking students' prior

knowledge and ensuring that they are interested. Direct information is more beneficial than
 5

participatory dialogue, according to the study. Nonetheless, the interactive conversation can

interest students and personalize the lecture to their specific requirements. It also gives students

the opportunity to clear up any misconceptions they may have.

The difficulty in using an interactive discussion technique is making it interactive. The theme

must pique the kids' interest. Frequently, what a teacher considers to be intriguing for students

does not pique their attention. This necessitates the teacher's knowledge of adolescent thought as

well as the student's background. The teacher will also require a broad knowledge base in order

to determine what is appropriate for the interactive conversation. This technique can give

students with a more delightful learning experience if the teacher can overcome this barrier.
 6

References:

Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning theories: An educational perspective (6th ed.). Boston, MA:

Pearson. Strangman, N., Hall, T., & Meyer, A. (2004). Background knowledge instruction and

the implications for UDL implementation. Retrieved from

http://aem.cast.org/about/publications/2004/ncac-background-knowledge-udl.html