Cognitivism is a psychological theory that focuses on understanding mental processes and how they contribute to learning and behavior. It emphasizes the role of cognitive activities such as thinking, perception, memory, and problem-solving in shaping human experience, knowledge acquisition, and decision-making.
Cognitivism is based on several key principles:
Cognitivism views the human mind as an information processing system, akin to a computer. It emphasizes the importance of internal mental processes that occur between a stimulus and a response. These processes involve perceiving, interpreting, organizing, storing, and retrieving information.
Cognitivism emphasizes the significance of meaningful learning, where learners actively construct their understanding of new information by connecting it to their existing knowledge and experiences. It emphasizes the role of prior knowledge in learning and underscores the need for relevant and relatable instructional strategies.
Cognitivism posits that individuals organize and structure knowledge in their minds in the form of mental frameworks called schemas. These schemas help individuals make sense of new information and enable them to notice patterns, categorize ideas, and create connections between concepts.
Cognitivism proposes that human cognition involves processing information through various cognitive processes such as attention, perception, memory, and problem-solving. According to this theory, individuals actively engage with stimuli, filter and interpret information, store it in memory, retrieve it when needed, and use it to solve problems.
Cognitivism underscores the importance of instructional strategies that facilitate the development of cognitive skills and meaningful learning. It suggests the use of techniques like chunking, scaffolding, and the provision of clear goals to support learners in organizing information and constructing knowledge.
Cognitivism has found applications in various fields, such as education, psychology, and human-computer interaction. It provides a foundation for curriculum design, instructional methods, cognitive therapies, and the development of intelligent computer-based learning systems.