What Science Shows About Concept Attainment

What Science Shows About Concept Attainment:

        Learning is far more than memory. Learning is thinking about something and making connections to prior experiences and knowledge (Schmidt, 2012). In our brain, we develop schemas. A schema is defined as a cluster of knowledge about a concept or object (Martinez, 2010). As we encounter new information, our brain decides whether or not this new information fits into our existing schema (Schmidt, 2012). Our brain will then do one of two things with the new information. Our brain will either perform accommodation, the learner will change knowledge, beliefs, and actions in order to make sense of the new experience (Martinez, 2010). Or our brain will perform assimilation, the new experience fits into our existing schema, and the information is simply added to it (Martinez, 2010). This process of organizing and reorganizing information is how people develop an understanding of something (Schmidt, 2012).
       
What are the implications for educators? According to Schmidt we must acknowledge the following:

1. We need to recognize that every student has the flawless ability to learn.

2. We need to understand that learning is a constructive process, not a memory process.

3. We need to acknowledge that students, like adults, have things that are more important to them and prefer to direct their attention to those things.

4. We need to recognize that some students have not often been asked to think critically in school.

5. Students may not have the positive dispositions and habits of mind needed for learning when they enter the classroom.

6. Students have tenacious beliefs and perceptions, some of which may not be alterable if they conflic with personal beliefs.


                                                          References

Martinez, Michael. 2010. Learning and Cognition: The Design Of the Mind. Pearson Education.

                    Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Schmidt, Diane. Stephans, Joseph. 2012. Models, Methods, and Strategies for a New Era. Shifting

                     Emphasis from Teaching to Learning.

What is the Concept Attainment Model?

What is the Concept Attainment Model?

       The concept attainment model is a teaching model that instructors can use in order to help educate students on a subject. In this blog I will explain how concept attainment models can help students learn in the classroom, and also focus on how concept attainment models can help specifically in language arts instruction. Let's first start with a little background information on what the concept attainment model is.
      The goal of the concept attainment model is to help students gain an in depth understanding of a more general and broad concept (Joyce, 1990). The phases of the model look a little something like this:

Phase 1:  The teacher presents data to the students. For a concept that is concrete, the teacher may provide actual objects or examples and non-examples. If the concept is abstract, the teacher may provide examples in the form of scenarios or case studies (Johnson, 1992).

The students then generate and test hypotheses from the data that they have been given.

Phase 2: Students have the hypothesis confirmed, they then begin to identify the characteristics of the concept. Typically in a group or as a class, students discuss the characteristics that were present in the examples that made them create the concept. Out of the characteristics that they have identified, they are then sorted in essential and non-essential characteristics for that concept (Johnson, 1992).

Students will then generate a definition of their concept. This definition will be shared as a class or to other members in a group so that they are able to compare and contrast their definition with others (Johnson, 1992).

Phase 3: The third phase of the model allows students the opportunity to test their new concept (Johnson, 1992). The teacher will provide more examples and the students will determine whether or not they fit into their definition of the concept.


                                                 References

Johnson, Julie M. Carlson, Susan. Kastl, John. 1992. Developing Conceptual Thinking: The Concept

             Attainment Model. Clearing House. Volume 66.

Joyce, B., and M Weil. 1990. Models of Teaching. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice-Hall.