FACILITATING LEARNING MODULE 1: INFORMATION PROCESSING

OBJECTIVES: At the end of this module, the students can:

· Describe the process involved in acquiring, storing and retrieving knowledge; and
· Identify educational implications of the theory on information processing.
ABSTRACTION/GENERALIZATION
(Please refer to your book Facilitating Learning: A Metacognitive Process for further discussion of
concepts.)
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. Cognitive
psychologists believe that cognitive processes influence the nature of what is learned. They consider
learning as largely an internal process, not external behavior change (as behaviorists thought).
Information Processing Theory emphasize that information is expanded upon (processed) in various
ways (perception, attention, labeling, and meaning) which affect the ability to access the information
later on (how well the information was learned).
Types of Knowledge
1. General vs Specific – knowledge is useful in many tasks, or only in one
2. Declarative – factual knowledge
3. Procedural – how to do things
4. Episodic – memories of life events
5. Conditional – knowing when and why
Stages in the Information Processing Theory
***Please see the illustration of “The Information Processing Model” on page 120 of your book.
The three primary stages in IPT are:
§ Encoding – information is sensed, perceived and attended to.
§ Storage – information is stored (brief or extended) depending upon the process
§ Retrieval – information is brought back and reactivated; true measure of memory
Three main stages in the memory process:
1. Sensory Register – holds all sensory information for brief time – 1 to 3 seconds
2. Short-Term Memory (STM) – working memory; can hold 5 to 9 chunks of information for around 18
seconds or less
3. Long-Term Memory (LTM) – warehouse of knowledge; final and permanent storage; unlimited
capacity; indefinite
Methods for Increasing Retrieval of Information: rehearsal, meaningful learning, organization,
elaboration, visual imagery, generation, context, and personalization
Barriers to Effective Memory (Brownell, 2002)
§ Repression and Distortion – we sometimes distort or give inaccurate information that contradicts
our beliefs; one reason is our selective attention when we focus only on things we choose to hear or
things we want to perceive.
§ Retroactive Inhibition – when two bits of information we are trying to store are confusing, there is a
backward interference of new learning on what has been stored already in the memory system.
§ Primacy and Recency Effects – the information that is integrated first in our memory system has the
likelihood to be remembered easily.
The Seven Sins of Memory (Daniel, 1999)
1. Transience – gradual forgetting of information over time (old memories)
2. Absent-Mindedness – failure to fully attend to the actual encoding process that causes us to forget
3. Blocking – accounts for our memory that is present but inaccessible, probably due to an
inadequate or misleading cue
4. Misattribution – memory is present but it is attributed to the incorrect source
5. Suggestibility – incorrect information that is unknowingly incorporated into the memory
representation; information might be introduced by a leading question during discussion or the
imparting of a false belief about an event in our life
6. Bias – when memory is distorted by our prior knowledge that is mingled with specific memory,
there is bias already
7. Persistence – memory that is highly intrusive or obsessive
Educational Implications of Information Processing Theory
§ Analyze and plan what you intend to present to your class in terms of pupil/student characteristics
(knowledge and skills possessed by the learners) and the nature of the learning task (material to be
learned).
§ Develop and use a variety of techniques to attract and hold attention.
§ For students who are easily distracted, use behavior modification and other techniques to
encourage increase span of attention.
§ You can improve pupil/students’ long-term memory encoding through use of imagery, verbal
encoding and by encouraging them to think about the meaning of what they are being asked to learn.
§ Make use of students’ past experiences to form cognitive schema in their effort to master new
materials, solve problems, and look at subjects more creatively.
References:
Lucas, M.R.D. & Corpuz, B.B. (2014). Facilitating Learning: A Metacognitive Process 4th Edition.
Lorimar Publishing, Inc. Quezon City, Philippines.
Aquino, Avelina M. (2015). Facilitating Human Learning 2nd Edition. Rex Books Store, Inc. Quezon
City, Philippines