POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Polangui, Albay

MODULE 10:
INFORMATION
PROCESSING

I. LEARNING OUTCOMES

After this module, the students must have:

1. Describe the processes involved in acquiring, storing and retrieving knowledge.

2. Cite educational implications of the theory Information processing.

II. CONTENT DISCUSSION OR ABSTRACTION

A. INTRODUCTION:

Information processing is a cognitive theoretical framework that focuses on how knowledge enters
and is stored in and is retrieved from our memory. It is one of the most significant cognitive theories in the
last century and it has strong implications on the teaching-learning process.

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

B. ABSTRACTION

INFORMATION PROCESSING THEORY

Relating how the mind and’ the computer work is a powerful analogy. The terms used in the
information processing theory (IPT) extend this analogy. In fact, those who program and design
computers aim to make computers solve problems through processes similar to that of the human
mind. Read on to know more about IPT.
Cognitive psychologists believe that cognitive processes influence the nature of what is
learned. They consider learning as largely an internal process not an external behavior change (as
behaviorist theorists thought). They look into how we receive, perceive, store and retrieve information.
They believe that how a person thinks about and interprets what s/he receives shape what he/she will
learn. All these notions comprise what is called the information processing.
IPT describes how the learner receives Information (stimuli) from the environment through the
senses and what takes place in between determines whether the information will continue to pass
through the sensory register, then the short term memory and the long term memory. Certain factors
would also determine whether the information will be retrieved or “remembered” when the learner
needs it. Let us go into the details.

“Types” of Knowledge”
 General vs. Specific – This involves whether the knowledge is useful in many tasks, or only in
one.
 Declarative – This refers to factual knowledge. They relate to the nature of how things are.
They maybe in the form of a word or an image. Examples are your name, address, a nursery
rhyme, the definition of IPT, or even the face of your crush.
 Procedural – This includes knowledge on how to do thing. Examples include making a lesson
plan, baking a cake, or getting the least common denominator.
 Episodic –This includes memories of life events, like your high school graduation.
 Conditional –This is about "knowing when and why" to apply declarative or procedural
strategies.

Stages in the Information Processing Theory

The stages of IPT involve the functioning of the senses, sensory register, short-term
memory and the long-term memory. Basically, IPT asserts three primary stages’ in the progression
of external information becoming incorporated into the internal cognitive structure of choice
(schema, concept, script, frame, mental model, etc.).

These three primary stages in IPT are:

a. Encoding – Information is sensed, perceived and attended to.
b. Storage – The information is stored for either a brief or extended period of time,
depending upon the processes following encoding.

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

c. Retrieval – The information is brought back at the appropriate time and

reactivated for use on a current task, the true measure of effective memory.

What made IPT plausible is the notion that cognitive processes could be described in a
stage-like model. The stages to processing follow a trail along which information is taken into the
memory system, and brought back (recalled) when needed. Most theories of information
processing revolve around the three main stages in the memory process

Sensory Register
The first step in the IP model holds all sensory information for a very brief time:
 Capacity: Our mind receives a great amount of information but it is more than what our minds
can hold or perceive.
 Duration: The sensory register only holds the information for an extremely brief period in the
order of 1 to 3 seconds.
 There is a difference in duration based on modality: auditory memory is more persistent than
visual.

The Role of Attention

 To bring information into consciousness, it is necessary that we give attention to it. Such that,
we can only perceive and remember later those things that pass through our attention “gate”.
 Getting through this attentional filter is done when the learner is interested in the material
when there is conscious control over attention, or when information involves novelty, surprise,
salience and distinctiveness.
 Before information is perceived, it is known as ‘precategorical”
 information. This means that until that point, the learner has not established a determination of
the categorical membership of the information To this point, the information is coming in as
uninterpreted patterns of stimuli.
 Once it is perceived, we can categorize, ,judge, interpret and place meaning to the stimuli. If
we fail to perceive, we have no means by which to recognize that the stimulus was ever
encountered.

Short-Term Memory (STM or Working Memory)

 Capacity: The STM can only hold 5 to 9 “chunks” of information, sometimes described as 7+/-
2. It is called working memory because it is where new information is temporarily placed while
it is mentally processed. STM maintains information for a limited time, until the learner has
adequate resources to process the information or until the information is forgotten.
 Duration: Around 18 seconds or less.
 To reduce the loss of information in 18 seconds, you need to do maintenance rehearsal. It is
using repetition to keep the information active in STM, like when you repeat a phone number
just given over and over.

Long-Term Memory (LTM)

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The LTM is the final or permanent storing house for memory information. It holds the
stored information until needed again.
 Capacity: LTM has unlimited capacity.
 Duration: Duration in the LTM is indefinite.
Executive Control Processes
The executive control processes involve the executive processor or what is referred to as
metacognitive skills. These processes guide the flow of information through the system; help the
learner make informed decisions about bow to categorize, organize or interpret information.
Examples of processes are attention, rehearsals and organization.

Forgetting
Forgetting is the inability to retrieve or access information when needed.

There are two main ways in which forgetting likely occurs:

 Decay -- Information is not attended to, and eventually ‘fades’ away. Very prevalent in Working
Memory.
 Interference -- New or old information ‘blocks’ access to the information in question.

Methods for Increasing Retrieval of Information

 Rehearsal - This is repeating’ information verbatim, either mentally or aloud.
 Meaningful Learning - This is making connections between new information and prior
knowledge.
 Organization - It is making connections among various pieces of information. Info that is
organized efficiently should be recalled.
 Elaboration - This is adding additional ideas to new information based on what one already
knows. It is connecting new info with old to gain meaning.
 Visual Imagery - This means forming a "picture" of the information.
 Generation - Things we ‘produce’ are easier to remember than things we ‘hear. ‘
 Context - Remembering the situation helps recover information.
 Personalization - It is making the information relevant to the individual.

Other Memory Method

 Serial Position Effect (recency and primacy) You will remember the beginning and end of a
‘list’ more readily.
 Part Learning - Break up the ‘list’ or “chunk” information to increase memorization.
 Distributed Practice - Break up leaning sessions, rather than cramming all the info in at once
(Massed Practice)
 Mnemonic Aids - These are memory techniques that learners may employ to help them retain
and retrieve information more effectively. This includes the loci technique, acronyms,
sentence construction, peg-word and association techniques, among others.

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

Information is received through the senses and goes to the sensory memory for a very
brief amount of time. If not found relevant, information may decay. It goes to the STM’ and if given
attention and is perceived and found to be relevant, it is sent to the LTM. If not properly encoded,
forgetting occurs. Different cognitive processes applied to the information will then determine if
information can be retrieved when needed later.

III. LEARNER’S EXPERIENCES OR ACTIVITIES/EXERCISES

A. Describe the processes involved in acquiring, storing and retrieving knowledge.

B. Cite educational implication of the theory on information processing.
C. Essay. From the Module on Information Technology, I learned that...

IV. ASSESSMENT/REFLECTION TOOLS

1. Essay
2. Reflection
3. Rubrics

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 POLANGUI COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Polangui, Albay

V. MATERIALS/REFERENCE LINKS

a. Book:
Facilitating Learning: A Metacognitive Process
- Maria Rita D. Lucas, Ph.D.
- Brenda B. Corpuz, Ph.D.
b. Internet

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