Trainers must understand the mechanisms that power the human learning process, in order to design effective training programs. By understanding those mechanisms trainers understand the type of training they need to deliver. But, how do trainers discover the best way to educate their employees? There are lots of learning theories, but they are not one size fits all. Therefore, it is crucial for learning professionals to decide which ones match the training program they need to implement and the company culture they’re trying to create. In this article, we’ll talk about cognitivism and its application in training.

What is Cognitivism?

Cognitivism is a learning theory that focuses on how information is received, organized, stored, and retrieved by the mind. It focuses on the processes involved in learning rather than the observed behavior, it views learning as an internal mental process. In this respect, learners are active participants in the learning process; they are no longer considered receivers of information. According to the theory learners use various strategies to process and construct their personal understanding of the content to which they are exposed.

Origins of Cognitivism:

c theory developed as a reaction to Behaviorism by Jean Piaget and gained importance in the 1950s. Cognitivists disagreed with behaviorists because they felt that behaviorists thought that learning was simply a reaction to a stimulus and ignored the fact that thinking plays an important role. Rather than simply responding to stimuli, cognitivists argue that learners think about and analyze their responses. The theory looks at individuals as separate entities with independent cognitive domains and ways of understanding. What this means is that our ability to effectively absorb, understand, and apply certain concepts and theories is directly related to our cognitive abilities. In other words, we all learn differently.

Major key points underpinning the cognitive learning theory:

1. Learning is a process of organizing information into meaningful models
2. Instructions should be organized, patterned and presented in a way that is understandable to the learner
3. Retention and recall are important to build kind of a strategy in the brain
4. Memory is supported by organizing learning material in the brain
5. Trainers must provide tools that will help the learner to process information.

Application of Cognitivism in Training:

With that being said, trainers can use examples of cognitivist strategies during their training by:

1. Starting the session with a hook to grab learner’s attention – a lesson hook creates a sense of eagerness to know more within students. The reason why lesson hooks work efficiently is because they focus on the concept at hand and give learning objectives context and so they sort of frame the thinking process. Lesson hooks make connections between existing knowledge and future learning.

2. Asking thought-provoking questions – thought-provoking questions will challenge your learners and will spark provocative discussions whereby the learners will share and explore different thoughts and reflections.

3. Use graphic organizers – graphic organizers are a beneficial learning tool because it guides learners to categorize learning objectives, understand the interconnection of ideas, or helps learners construct knowledge.

Those interactive activities spark the thinking potential of learners as it guides their brains to look deeper into their present knowledge to find solutions. Activities involving interaction are some ways to enforce cognitive learning in a training session.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, cognitivism explains the role that the human brain plays in helping learners understand new and complex concepts. On the contrary to more traditional beliefs, learning is no longer perceived as a response to stimuli but rather as an active way of analyzing information using one’s cognitive abilities to effectively absorb and understand this information.