THE COGNITIVE APPROACH AS A BASIS FOR
ENHANCED CURRICULA
UOBRC - Dec. 8, 2005
Georges N. Nahas
SUMMARY
„
Based on constructivism, personal development, and the
mastering of communication tools, the cognitive
approach is characterized by integrated curriculum,
situated learning and application to real world settings.
„
Improving the productivity of higher education (HE) is
an ambitious objective, especially worthy in developing
countries. Innovation at the level of the curriculum can
have a major impact on HE productivity.
„
In many countries HE suffers from a lack of
contextualization. Developing countries imported their
academic programs, only to realize, often too late, that
these programs did do not correspond to their needs nor
do they meet their expectations.
„
The end of the twentieth century witnessed a
breakthrough in cognitive psychology that had
enormous repercussions in the educational world.
„
Educators in developing countries have been more
skeptical when it came to applying the cognitive
approach to secondary or university education.
OBJECTIVE
My premise in this article is that the cognitive
approach is a promising framework for enhancing
productivity through substantial curricular changes.
However, it requires comprehensive review and
revision of teaching strategies and curriculum design
policies and the development of cross-disciplinary
programs.
THE COGNITIVE APPROACH (1)
„
The cognitive approach described here is based on the
original works of Gérard Vergnaud whose main
innovation was the introduction of the “conceptual field”
notion, an important starting point in the reconsideration
of curricular practices.
„
According to Vergnaud, a concept is defined by:
- the set of situations in which it operates,
- the set of “invariables” (specific vocabulary or
theorems or functions) that make it operational,
- and the set of symbols that allow communication and
expression related to the concept.
„
The mastery of a concept is cumulative and interactive.
It needs time to develop, and it must be related to other
domains of knowledge and other concepts.
„
The concept thus becomes an integral part of a more
general knowledge entity called a conceptual field.
According to Vergnaud there is no way to separate
specific concept acquisition from conceptual field
building: they are interrelated in time and content (Fig.
X-1).
THE COGNITIVE APPROACH (2)
„
Figure X-1: The Relationship between Conceptual
Fields. Each conceptual field is represented by an
inverted cone; solid cones, labeled in bold font,
represent the intersections of fields. Calculus
intersects with the more theoretical domain of
Topology in Applied Topology. Calculus also
intersects with Physics in Applied Mathematics.
THE COGNITIVE APPROACH (3)
„
The process of envisioning any curriculum content in
terms of conceptual fields is far from being exhausted
theoretically.
„
However, as a practical matter, we need to know to what
extent a conceptual field may be developed in a specific
moment of knowledge construction, and in relation to
which other conceptual fields. (For example, while
introducing the concept of “integration” at the freshman
level we need to know with which other concepts we
have to link it and how this linkage is going to be
developed and stressed from the freshman to the senior
years.)
„
Thus there will never be a universal curriculum for
any major. Any knowledge construction has to take
into consideration scientific, cognitive, and
educational components.
THE COGNITIVE APPROACH (4)
„
Such an approach must call into question not only the
independence of the concepts involved in building the
learner’s knowledge, but also the foundations of didactic
techniques and curriculum building.:
- Techniques used in university teaching have often been
questioned,
- but rarely have educators questioned the independence
of the different disciplines or of the different domains of
a particular discipline.
„
Utilization of the conceptual field theory has two
direct impacts on curriculum design:
- First, the experience of the learner must serve as a
cognitive base for knowledge construction.
- Second, educational planners must consider the
interdisciplinary nature of knowledge.
AN INTERDISCIPLINARY CURRICULUM (1)
„
Scientists, professors, and researchers in different
domains share their expertise and problem solving skills
to answer complex scientific questions.
Such
interdisciplinarity has proven productive in “real world”
professional settings, but it has not yet become an
important component of our academic undergraduate
programs.
„
Programs are usually set up as follows. In order to meet
the requirements of students majoring in a given domain
(A), the curriculum specifies a course (X) offered by a
“service department” in domain (B). Such a course (X)
is not specific to a well-defined group of students, and
learners from either domains (A) or (B) (or sometimes,
even more domains) take it.
„
Application of the conceptual field theory raises the
following questions:
- Does the content of course (X) have the same value for
knowledge construction for students belonging to
domains (A) and (B)?
- What restructuring does course (X) need to meet the
requirements of efficient knowledge construction?
AN INTERDISCIPLINARY
CURRICULUM (2)
The following two examples illustrate the difficulties
that can arise:
„
Basic calculus courses are usually offered by the
mathematics department and are regularly taken by
students from various departments, such as
mathematics, physics and engineering. Whereas a
theoretical approach is extolled by mathematicians,
it is difficult for physicists and engineers to integrate
such an approach into their need for problem
solving.
„
A course in developmental psychology offered by the
psychology department is taken jointly by psychology
and education students. Whereas psychologists who
teach this course minimize the sociological and
educational issues compared to the relational ones,
educators prefer to stress physical and mental
development aspects that complete the relational
dimension.
AN INTERDISCIPLINARY
CURRICULUM (3)
„
In both cases, the assumption behind a classical
approach to curriculum design is that theory by itself
is sufficient for problem solving. For non-major
users of the mathematics and developmental
psychology courses, the objectives are weakly
achieved and redundant courses are offered to fill
gaps (Fig. X-2).
„
Figure X-2: Traditional Curriculum Design. A
redundant course contains the same content as a course
offered previously but with a specific “flavor” related to
an applied field of knowledge. As represented by the
cylinder shape, the intersection of domains and the
horizontal enlargement of the field of knowledge are
impossible.
AN INTERDISCIPLINARY
CURRICULUM (4)
„
In contrast, the cognitive approach claims that we must
differentiate between information and knowledge.
- “Information” (such as the definition of an “integral” in
calculus, or “stage of development” in developmental
psychology) is treated out of context,
- While, treated with the proper tools and set of
invariables (schemes, theorems) to ensure its
“operationality”, and with the symbols indispensable to
its communicability (proper language”information”
becomes “knowledge”.
„
Information regarding a specific concept becomes
knowledge when it can be applied in new situations.
AN INTERDISCIPLINARY
CURRICULUM (5)
„
Fig. X-3 represents a curriculum design based on the
cognitive approach. The shaded area of domain
overlap can be accomplished through various
instructional methods such as common lectures,
specific sections for different domains, and
integrative seminars. The applied “flavor” common
to both fields is used as the basis for generalization
and theoretical development. Such a design avoids
redundancy.
„
New academic options must drive curriculum design
towards new choices based on cognitive tools and
curricular interfaces.
CONTEXTUALIZATION OF THE
CURRICULUM CONTENT (1)
„
In traditional lecture based teaching approaches, the
student is often left alone to find the path from
theory to application. Physicists and engineers, for
example, are asked to learn mathematical
information in an artificial classroom environment
and to apply it later to real world problems (Fig. X4).
„
Figure X-4: Traditional Teaching Approach. Instruction
focuses on teaching theoretical information in advance of
application, leading to difficulty in future real life problem
solving.
CONTEXTUALIZATION OF THE
CURRICULUM CONTENT (2)
„
Conceptual field theory considers the preparation phase
of knowledge construction as very important.
„
The objective of any preparatory phase is to help the
learner master different cognitive schemes that lead to
the ability to put concepts and theorems into action.
„
A student centered approach linked with a
communicative method of teaching in which the
instructor is the manager of learning will:
- promote critical thinking,
- and incorporate the successive steps needed to change
information into knowledge.
„
In such a process, productivity is not measured in
terms of time, but in terms of ability to respond to
the market, which often complains that the newly
hired graduates need intensive training to become
productive. The cognitive approach provides for
contextualization of the curriculum content by
adopting an “experimental” basis for knowledge
acquisition.
CONTEXTUALIZATION OF THE
CURRICULUM CONTENT (3)
„
Figure X-5: Cognitive Teaching Approach. Acts in
real life situations are the main source of knowledge
acquisition. The theoretical development that
follows is reinforced within a dialectical process.
When conceptualization is achieved, the learner is
able to use his knowledge to deal with new
situations.
„
The difference between the traditional and cognitive
approaches is a difference in depth between
acquisition of information that is applied too late to
real life situations, and knowledge building anchored
from the very beginning in real life situations.
CASE TO ILLUSTRATE THE
COGNITIVE APPROACH (1)
„
Traditional Curriculum Design
A traditional teacher education program prepares future
elementary school teachers in a four-year program—
three years for the Bachelor of Arts (BA) plus one year
for a supplemental Teaching Diploma (TD). This
curriculum relied upon stand alone classes, without
integration or application (Table X-1).
CASE TO ILLUSTRATE THE COGNITIVE
APPROACH (2)
The Cognitive Approach to Curriculum Design
„ The cognitive approach will adapt the curriculum design to
address teacher preparation from a totally different
perspective.
„ The cognitive approach insures cross-disciplinarity in
presenting the different conceptual fields that intersect with
the main conceptual field, the education major (Fig. X-6).
„ The integration of the BA and TD curricula creates a three
year program that highlights integrated knowledge building
and application, through courses, class observation,
training, personal and communication skills building and
competence mastery.
„ The time required to obtain a degree is reduced by one
year, representing a substantial productivity increase.
CASE TO ILLUSTRATE THE
COGNITIVE APPROACH (3)
„
One criticism that could be leveled at the cognitivebased curriculum is that it is more intensive and
compact, and therefore requires more concentrated time
and effort on the part of students.
FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE
IMPLICATIONS
„
University administrators sometimes advocate the
traditional approach for reasons of financial efficiency,
since it avoids seemingly redundant course offerings.
„
In fact, the traditional approach can be redundant, and
the development of common interest courses based on
the cognitive approach can provide a significant
financial benefit.
„
Such curricular reorganization requires two main
administrative changes:
● Faculty must work together in teams. For example, a
course in Psychology based on educational situations
and on class observations requires multiple faculty to
work together to design the course, and possibly to offer
it also.
● Course offerings must be organized by program,
rather than by department. The Program Coordinator
must be more concerned with organizing crossdisciplinary teams than with allocating courses to
faculty members within various departments.
CONCLUSION
„
„
„
„
The cognitive approach, based on constructivism, is a
promising framework for enhancing productivity
through substantial curricular changes.
Cognitive-based approaches require a drastic review of
teaching strategies and curriculum design policies and
the development of cross-disciplinary programs.
The limited financial resources of developing countries
allow little room for wasting time and effort. The costs
are too great, and the benefits too large, for these
countries to continue to base instruction on inefficient
and outdated approaches.
For these countries, the cognitive approach is best for
linking HE to their immediate human and
developmental needs.
Thank you.