Lecture 4

Basic Cognitive Processes

PGDP 5401 Psychology of Learning & Teaching
Dr. Alan Cheng

1
 Recap - Questions / comments from
Google Forms
• https://gocuhk-
my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/alantzechamcheng_cuhk_ed
u_hk/Ee5NYZt52OhBqrtzgDKld7cBydgeD3JLMvYW_RZO3Y7r
ag?e=rR7ei6
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
 Learning Outcomes
1. Identify factors of why we forget.
2. Describe the 3-component Information-Processing theory.
3. Analyse strategies to help students remember better with
reference to your own subject.

4
A story to share

5
 6

Good morning
class, so what
did we learn
yesterday?
How quickly we forget

https://securityawarenessapp.com/forgetting-curve/

7
 8

Why do we forget
so quickly?
 Why we forget
1. Not paying attention i.e., did not encode → did not
remember
2. Natural decay due to lack of retrieval
3. Misremembering (reconstruction error)
4. Did not store or consolidate in LTM
• no chance to process
• cognitive overload of information
• unable to connect to existing knowledge (i.e., irrelevant)

9
 Only information
that draws attention
is encoded;
Not encoded = not
remembered
10
 11

How do we
capture students’
attention better?
What you think

12
 Getting and keeping students’
attention
1. Understand Ss' interest + use photos related to topic to get
Ss emotionally engaged e.g., happy, surprised, scared (?)
2. Create stimulating lessons that are connected to the real-
world
3. Using a variety of methods in each lesson e.g., adding
movement
4. Encourage Ss to take notes*
5. Manage their cognitive load (see next slide)
6. Restrict Ss’ access to electronic devices when tasks don’t
require them

13
 Managing Cognitive Load
1. What happens when Ss are overloaded cognitively?
2. How much can students reasonably handle?
3. Consider pace of lesson → thinking and processing time
4. Include brain breaks or times where Ss can move around
5. Minimise irrelevant information
6. Repetition is important!

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

14
Information-Processing
Theory

15
Try to remember the following
numbers

16
 Role Play (Preview)
Show your understanding of the different memory systems in a 1-2
min role-play.
Roles:
• Information (anything that you might teach to Ss)
• Sensory register
• Central executive & working (short-term) memory
• Long-term memory
Tips:
• Show different situations
• Information is lost in sensory register
• Information overload in working memory
• Did not process deeply to get into long-term memory
17
Human Memory System

Ormrod et al., 2020,

p.200

18
 Short-Term Memory (STM) / Working
Memory (WM) & Central Executive
• Executive functioning – controls behaviour and thought
processes
• Inhibition – control oneself
• Working memory (limited capacity) – used to attend to current task
• Store 7 +/- 2 items for up 5 – 30 seconds (Miller, 1956)
• Enhancement of working memory e.g., being able to focus on most
important aspects
• Cognitive flexibility - understanding different ways to tackle the same
problem
• Predictor of many positive outcomes e.g., academic achievement
(Siegler et al., 2020)

19
 Activities to Improve Executive Functioning

• Board games
• Computer games
• Sports
• Riddles & Brain Teasers
• Playing musical instruments
• Goal setting & Planning
• See Blackboard handout for
more ideas
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

20
 Long-term Memory (LTM)
• “Unlimited”
• Not 100% accurate
• Memory decay
• Stores various forms of information
• Declarative (general world knowledge + life experiences)
• Explicit knowledge – conscious of what we know
• Procedural (how to do things e.g., ride a bike)
• Implicit knowledge – can’t consciously recall / explain it (as well)
• Attitudes
• Connects new information w/ information stored in LTM
• Use information by retrieving from LTM back into WM
21
 Role Play
Show your understanding of the different memory systems in a 1-2
min role-play.
Roles:
• Information (anything that you might teach to Ss)
• Sensory register
• Central executive & working (short-term) memory
• Long-term memory
Tips:
• Show different situations
• Information is lost in sensory register
• Information overload in working memory
• Did not process deeply to get into long-term memory
22
 Critiques of 3-component model
• Oversimplification
• Attention a part of WM or separate entity?
• WM and LTM distinctly different entities or activation states of a
single memory?

This Photo by Unknown Author

is licensed under CC BY-NC

23
Little Experiment

Ormrod et al., 2020, p.204

24
 25

How to Teach so
Student
Remember
Better
 Attendance Taking & Break
Make sure someone is sitting in front / behind you!

Login: CUHK computing ID

Password: CWEM
password 26
 How to Teach so Students
Remember Better Activity
Look at the following 9 ideas:
1. Which one do you do best in? What examples can you share
of doing this?
2. Which one do you find most difficult? Why?

27
 28

1. Lesson structure
– recap and
consolidation
Reflect:
• Do you leave adequate
time for consolidation?
• How about between-unit
consolidation? This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC
BY-SA
 Your responses
• Linking contents between chapters

• Keep on repeating the same content every time or putting significant

linkage between each lessons might help the student to link the
lessons thus to have a better memory.

• Key concepts can also be revisited from another perspective.

• A wrap up/recap in probably every lesson. Keep recycling the things

they have just learnt

29
 Have you tried?
1. At the end of the lesson
• Asking Ss to write Qs about the lesson content.
2. At the start of the next lesson This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-
NC.

• “Random” picking Qs to use for your recap Outer

wheel

A twist
Inner
• Here’s the answer, what’s the question? wheel
• Double wheel of knowledge (for smaller classes)
• Pass the paper (for bigger classes)
• [See “Resources to Explore” for more formative assessment /
consolidation ideas]

30
 2. Activate their prior 31

knowledge (schema)
• What might Ss already
know about this topic?
• What prior knowledge do
Ss need to remember to
learn this new knowledge?
Reflect:
• How often do you check
Ss’ prior knowledge before This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

starting a new topic?

 3. Guide Ss to make 32
associations while
learning
• What is XXX similar to?
How is YYY different from
XXX?
• Use of mind-maps & visuals
Reflect:
• How can you guide your Ss
to see connections between
different words / topics / This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

subjects?
 Your responses
• Combine visual and verbal instruction. Using multiple senses improves
retention. Showing visual aids to students while verbally teaching a
lesson helps to illustrate and cement the message for students.

• some visual tools(mind maps, storyboard, thinking process maps)

• Some children will make a song/or poem/or acronym to remember some

historical events. Some children like drawing diagrams to remember a
concept, e.g. water cycle.

33
 Your responses
• In the aspect of students, I will use different activities to raise
students' interest in the subject's content. For example, instead
of showing vocabulary in the books, I will show them
pictures relating to the vocabulary and ask students to
name them.
• I will prepare interesting teaching materials such as playing
cards or posters to motivate students' learning and help them
memorize the content easier and better. Of course, there should
also be a reward system to encourage students to remember
the content.

34
 4. Connect learning w/ 35
real-life
• Using mathematical principles
to measure something in the
classroom / at home
• Using language in authentic
situations
• Use people they know in
examples
Reflect:
• How can you connect the This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

subject to the world more often?

 Your responses
• I think students get interested and remember better when extra materials
outside of the classroom is introduced. This can be through field trips or
real life experiences. For example a visit to the zoo if the topic is animals.
Even a simple trip to the super market when learning about "Eating
Healthy" could be a lot of fun for students.

• I will try to link up the content taught with our life experiences and try to
list out more examples in our daily lives which are also related to the
content.

• As a Mathematics teacher, remembering the reasons behind of the

concepts if of vital importance. The most effective way to let the students
remember is to understand by themselves. Thus, I recommend to design
class activities that the students involved in it in personal aspect. 36
 5. Allow students to do
hands-on activities 37

• Creating models and posters

• Getting ss to create their
own vocab lists
• Getting ss to teach one This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

another
Reflect:
• What opportunities are there
to do hands-on activities?
• Do your ss work as hard as
you? This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-
SA
 Your responses
• For learning vocabulary, I find that showing the word as a picture or
using a certain action to mime the word is very helpful. Even better
when the students act out the word along or have the chance to draw
out their own version of the picture card. I also find that singing
songs to learn new words is good with young learners.

• Students learn better by experience, for example, if I want them to

remember some fruit vocabularies, I can ask them to do a role play
game in the class, pretending they are the staff in a grocery store
and need to help an old lady to get her grocery, but she is too old to
remember what she needs, can students help the elderly to memorize?
In this case, students will be more willing to learn new words or have
better memorization, they can achieve more than they could normally
do.
38
 Your responses
• For teaching music, I help students to remember rhythm by
body movement, like clapping hands, stepping or knocking.
They can feel the rhythm by learning in this way.

• Sometimes, I read aloud or recorded myself and listened to

the content whenever I was free.

39
 Your responses
• upper primary: asking students to tell their partners what they've learnt
at the end of each lesson

• I would encourage peer discussion and group-based learning. Not only

listen to the teacher, but if students can tell what they have learned, and
even teach others, it will help them remember what they have learned
more comprehensively and longer.

• I would leave the last 5 minutes in the lesson to allow students to re-
teach their neighbors. By reteaching others, students first need to
organize what they have learned in the lesson, then, they need to
use their words to express themselves based on their understanding.
So, here's the third chance for them to re-learn. The first time is to
digest what I have taught. The second time is to do the practice
questions in the lesson. Last but not least, students re-learn by re-
teaching to others. 40
 6. Emotionally- 41
engage Ss
• Use of humour, shock,
excitement, etc.
• Use games, songs & stories

Reflect:
• How often are students
shocked, excited or
laughing in your lessons This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

(that is related to the lesson

content)?
 Your responses
• hopefully by using games. hv been designing and making different
kinds of game for my p.2 english class and they love them, like word
search, competition. they perform weaker in english so hopefully with
games, they can hv fun while learning sth that is difficult for them. I
know its bad to drill students but i still drill them a tiny bit cuz they are
so bit bit lazy so i cant only use games.

• Promoting Positive Affect. Mare sure they love What they Learn.

• Another way I find useful to remember hard or difficult concepts is to

tell a short story behind it. This works better for older students, not so
good for younger students as they can get confused even more-so.
42
 Your responses
• lower primary: songs, actions and animation;

• I think something novel and amusing help primary students to learn

new knowledge, like through games or stories or videos.

• I think to conduct some games/short quiz at the end of the lesson

can help students to remember content better. Actually, It is hard for
students to remember the key concepts by just listening once in
class. I believe that practice makes perfect. When students
participate in the games and short quiz, they have to recall those key
concepts and try to apply them. Such application can deepen their
understanding of the content. Moreover, when students can check
their scores in real time, they will be more motivated.

43
 Your responses
• One of the ways to make students remember the content better
is by linking the content to experiences with an emotional
valence so that students can recall the content better by being
able to recall that emotional event.
• I think the teacher can embed the content in a unique activity in
which students need to engage in, i.e. have a group perform in
front of the class, such that they feel excited or slightly
embarrassed so that they can remember the event, along with
the content, well. The teacher can also include the content
when they share their own experience, which can be fun or
awkward, so the students can not only know more about the
teacher but remember the critical content along with that
teacher’s sharing.
44
 45
7. Feedback giving
Reflect:
• Do you give both verbal
and written feedback?
• How do you ensure you
don’t overload your Ss w/
feedback?
• Do Ss read and act upon
your feedback?
• Do ss get to self-assess /
peer-assess?
 8. Myth busting 46
• Clearing up common
misconceptions
e.g.,
Is homework countable?
Is Pluto still a planet?

Reflect:
• Do you “collect” your ss’
mistakes?
• Do you raise ss’ This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

awareness of common
mistakes?
 Your responses
• showing common mistakes and asking students to help correct
them, pair work and group activities

47
 9. Mnemonic Devices 48

https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Js5Tm1y0igY
Mnemonics: Memory Tricks
(Examples)
• Which months have 31
days?
• Never Eat Shredded
Wheat

https://www.developgoodhabits.com/ https://www.postconsumerbrands.ca/wp-
content/uploads/2016/09/28770_1708_SBB_6_CDN_279G_N5_EN_30
mnemonic-devices/ 0.png
 Your responses
• Be precise and make things easier to remember e.g. mnemonic
phrase

• Use abbreviation to help

49
Teaching Concepts

Ormrod et al., 2020, p.209

50
Peak-end Rule (Fredrickson & Kahneman,
1993)

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

51
Key Concepts

Ormrod et al., 2020,

p.200

52
 Connection with previous lectures
Effective
Classroom
Environment

Helping Ss
Student Motivation
Remember Better /
Forget Slower

Better Learning Outcomes

53
Summary, Caveats and Food for
Thought

54
Exit Ticket (will close 1 hour before
the next lecture)

https://forms.gle/eqzH8fRL3qrzxDr27
55
 References
• Fredrickson, B. L., & Kahneman, D. (1993). Duration neglect in retrospective
evaluations of affective episodes. Journal of personality and social
psychology, 65(1), 45-55.
• Miller, G. (1956). Human memory and the storage of information. IRE
Transactions on Information Theory, 2(3), 129-137.
• Ormrod, J. E., Anderman, E. M., & Anderman, L. H. (2020). Educational
psychology: Developing learners (10th ed.). Pearson.
• Siegler R., Saffran J., Gershoff E., Eisenberg N., & Deloache J. (2020). How
Children Develop. [VitalSource Bookshelf]. Retrieved
from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781319324490/.

56
 Resources to Explore
• https://practicalpie.com/free-memory-test/ Free Memory Test (5 Mins) – Short
Term and Long Term
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo – Selective Attention Test
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkrrVozZR2c - NOVA | Inside NOVA:
Change Blindness
• https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-executive-function-skills-
for-life-and-learning/ Executive Function: Skills for Life and Learning

Article
• https://www.edutopia.org/article/what-do-teachers-need-know-about-memory
• https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-review-activities-kids-actually
• https://www.edutopia.org/article/7-smart-fast-ways-do-formative-assessment
57
Extra Slides

58
Key regions for memory

http://agewellbraincenter.com/cognitiveenhancer.html
59
 Can You Pass This Multitasking Test? |
Psychology of Attention
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-8JdsNWZiM&t=206s

Follow-up video:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=356&v=_emBM
N3a-LQ&feature=emb_title
• selective attention
• inattentional blindness
• change blindness
• Take-home message? Multi-task = rapid attention switching

60
 Enhancing Students’ Brain
Functioning
• Regular intellectual stimulation (new challenges and learning
opportunities)
• Give brain time for rest and reflection
• Encourage physical exercise
• Encourage (and enable) students to get enough sleep
• Talking about sleep hygiene
• Reasonable homework load

61
 Sleep & Learning
https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_walker_sleep_is_your_superpo
wer

Save button Sync button

http://clipart-
library.com/

62
 Sleeping Tips
10p.m. - 12a.m. ~18c room temperature

Consistent sleep Limit caffeine (and

routine energy drinks) after
3p.m.
Avoid electronic
gadgets 1 hour
before
Leave your bed and do
something “boring” if
you can’t sleep
63
Have breakfast
https://guardian.ng/features/bo
osting-brain-power-part-1/

Choose
certain types
of food
https://www.health.harvard.edu/hea
lthbeat/foods-linked-to-better-
brainpower
64
https://i0.wp.com/www.mummyalar
m.co.uk/wordpress/wp-
content/uploads/2014/09/brainfood-
to-eat-during-exam-
preparation.jpg?resize=850%2C11
71
65