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Information Processing Theory Overview

This document provides information about the information processing model of learning. [1] It explains that the information processing model describes how information moves through various stages in the brain during learning - from sensory memory to working memory to long term memory. [2] A diagram labels the key stages as sensory memory, attention, working memory, encoding, and long term memory. It also explains what happens at each stage, such as only information we pay attention to moves from sensory to working memory. [3] Several examples are given to show how breakdowns at different stages, like not paying attention or not encoding information into long term memory, can prevent learning from occurring.

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Meredith Stewart
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104 views

Information Processing Theory Overview

This document provides information about the information processing model of learning. [1] It explains that the information processing model describes how information moves through various stages in the brain during learning - from sensory memory to working memory to long term memory. [2] A diagram labels the key stages as sensory memory, attention, working memory, encoding, and long term memory. It also explains what happens at each stage, such as only information we pay attention to moves from sensory to working memory. [3] Several examples are given to show how breakdowns at different stages, like not paying attention or not encoding information into long term memory, can prevent learning from occurring.

Uploaded by

Meredith Stewart
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Information Processing Model

This activity is intended to help you encode key concepts and terms about the Information
Processing Model.

First, answer the following questions based on the information we covered in class ON YOUR
OWN. You may then talk about it with your classmates. Tweak your explanations as
necessary, but make this your own.

1) What is learning? How do you when learning has occurred? (Use your own words)

Student Response:

2) Use the diagram below to label each part of the Information Processing Model. Be sure to
explain what is happening at each point in the process. At the end, this explanation should
tell a clear “story” about how learning happens so that a kindergarten student can
understand it.

Label and Explanation of Model Component


A Sensory memory: information that comes into via the senses
B Attention: only the things we pay attention to make it from sensory to working memory
C Working memory: it is what you are thinking about right now
D Encoding: moving information from the working memory to the long-term memory
E Long term memory: this is where we store an infinite amount of information
F Retrieval: moving information from long-term memory to working memory
G G is not labled on any of the pictures in the slides.

3) You will see a series of vignettes labeled a-d below. Based on the information you have
learned about the Information Processing Model, think through each point of the Information
Processing Model and provide a feasible explanation as to what happened that led to the
breakdown in learning for each of these scenarios. Be sure to use the vocabulary of the
information processing model to explain where the breakdown occurred in the learning
process.

a.) Ms. Campbell was teaching a lesson on adding double digit numbers. Camala was zipping up
her hoodie because she was cold when Ms. Campbell asked her to explain how Jamal arrived at
his answer to 12 + 11 = 23, which was posted on the SmartBoard. Camala just looked blankly at
Ms. Campbell.

Student Response: While Jamal was giving his answer Camala was more focused on her
hoodie than the was him giving his answer and the teacher going over it so she wasn’t giving
the lesson her attention. While she may have heard what was said in her sensory memory her
attention was broken so the information never made it to her working memory.

b.) Ms. Jackson gave her kindergarten students very explicit directions about the afternoon’s
activity – a birthday celebration with cupcakes. At her “GO!” command, Ms. Jackson instructed
her students: 1) stand up, 2) push their chairs in, 3) starting with table 1 and going in order
(from table 1 to table 6), students were to walk around the back of the room to the cupcake
table, 4) pick up a cupcake, 5) pick up a napkin, 6) return to their seats walking around the front
of the room, 7) drop off their cupcake 8) walk to the side of the room and pick up a copy of the
nights homework 8) deposit it in their homework folder 9) walk to their cubby and put their
homework folder in their backpack 10) pick up their backpack and jacket and place them under
their chair so that they would be ready for dismissal after the birthday celebration and 11) sit
down and wait for everyone to get their cupcake before beginning to eat – all while not talking.
Ms. Jackson said, “GO!” All the students made a dash for the cupcake table at one time, chairs
clattered to the floor, and she had to yell “STOP!” to be heard over the din.

Student Response: There were far to many directions for the students to remember while
they heard it all and it made it to sensory memory and they were paying attention the
working memory can only hold 5-9 items and only for 5-20 seconds. By the time Ms. Jackson
got to step 10 the students had already begun to forget steps 1-9.
c.) Mr. Smith’s 4th graders to a weekly spelling test, given every Friday. Brittany paid close
attention when Mr. Smith introduced the word list on Monday. After class, feeling confident she
would remember how to spell each word, she jammed her word list in her backpack where it
remained crumpled at the bottom for the rest of the week. She was sure she aced the test but
when she got her score back, she had spelled them all wrong!

Student Response: It takes more than hearing something one time to remember it. Brittany
listened and the words made it into her sensory memory she did not take the time to
continue to practice the words encoding them into her long-term memory.

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