The ABCs of How We Learn (Core Mechanisms) – Flashcards

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core mechanism: analogy
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similarity between different examples; the goal is to find the common principle or rule underneath the surface-level differences
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surface features
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parts of an analogy that can be easily inferred
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deep structure
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the relationship between the parts of an analogy
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prior knowledge
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ideas that are familiar and already part of your mind model
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negative transfer error
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use something memorized but in the wrong context
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positive transfer
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apply learned rule in a new context
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core mechanism: belonging
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the perception of being accepted, valued, and included; the goal is for students to put in more effort when they feel like they fit in
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self-indentification
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an "I am" label in a group (acceptance from the self)
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others' attributions
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a "you are" label in a group (acceptance from others)
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stereotype threat
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based on what others say about whether you are a member of one group and excluded from another group
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setback
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short-term failure
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core mechanism: contrasting cases
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juxtaposition of close examples; the goal is to learn what a thing is by what it is not
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sensation
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picking up energy from the environment and signaling the brain
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perception
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meaningful interpretation of signals from senses
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Meno's paradox
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where to begin looking for answer if you don't know what it is you are looking for
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core mechanism: deliberate practice
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develop beyond current abilities through focused effort on improving specific skills and concepts; the goal is to to rise above performance plateau by automating old processes
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performance plateau
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repeating the same action over and over again, not developing ability
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chunking
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relating information to each other by grouping them so that you can remember more bits of information at the same time
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working memory
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a system that is responsible for storing and controlling information temporarily (it can store up to seven pieces of information at a time)
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proceduralization
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verbalizing each guiding step to explicitly retrieve information into working memory in order to complete task
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automatization
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the chunk of smaller steps so that the entire task can now be done without further thought or verbalization
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knowledge reorganization
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when meeting new problems, existing categories are ordered to accommodate new information
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the power law
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also known as 80/20 rule over a small amount of time at the beginning, without deliberate practice, a person can learn about 80% of content and plateau
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core mechanism: elaboration
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make connections between new pieces of information and prior knowledge; the goal is to improve memory with recall, not just by familiarity
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declarative information
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the things that people can talk about: statements, facts, claims, opinions
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long term memory
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a system of indefinite storage in which pieces of information can be encoded and later retrieved
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cognitive overload
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undesirable effect when working memory is being asked to work with too many ideas
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core mechanism: feedback
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learners are informed about the quality of their ideas and behaviors; the goal is to make adjustments based on constructive criticism
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informative feedback
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advice/reasons why the current outcome doesn't match the desired goal
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reinforcement feedback
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reward structure to change behaviors
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negative feedback
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the specific change one needs to make to meet the goal
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positive feedback
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no change is necessary; one continues the same behavior
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STUN-R feedback
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specific, timely, understandable, nonthreatening, revisable
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goals
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standards of performance
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core mechanism: generation
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a memorization technique to improve recall by recalling over and over again; the goal is to slow memory decay of what you have already learned
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expanded practice approach
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a procedure to recall all prior information and new piece of information each time that you recall
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free recall
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remembering without needing hints or cues from outside sources
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core mechanism: hands-on
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the incorporation of kinetic and other senses in the learning process; the goal is to make sense of symbols and abstract information
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embodied cognition
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the theory that our bodies can help us experience an abstract thought in a physical way
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core mechanism: imaginative play
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the use of fantasy and metaphors to create a story with a different world; the goal is to improve executive functioning so that being proactive rather than reactive becomes a habit
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executive function
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cognitive processes for thinking to control behavior
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symbolic skill
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a specific executive function of representation, that one thing can stand for something else
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development
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natural changes in maturity
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learning
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adjustment of thinking to specific contexts that vary for individuals and individual cultures
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performance
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the completion of specific tasks and how well the task is done
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problem solving
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a subset of performance in which the task is to figure out the solutions to a challenge
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core mechanism: just-in-time telling
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the experience of problems before being given the solutions and explanations; the goal is to understand the context and the solutions' importance
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regency
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things that someone just heard can be easily retrieved
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primacy
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things that someone heard first in a list of things can be easily retrieved
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the if/then in just-in-time telling
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the if is the problem or situation; the then is the expert verbal explanations
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transmission theory
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the somewhat faulty idea that you can just pour ideas into someone's minds for them to learn
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constructivism
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the theory that students learning by making connections themselves
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inert knowledge
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a quantity of theoretical knowledge that cannot be applied to real situations
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double-flipped instruction
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one application of just-in-time telling: posing a problem to students and then students watch video lectures explaining the solution
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the goals of education
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a combination of innovation and efficiency so that students first engage in exploration and inquiry before deliberate practice to automate procedures
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efficient knowledge
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pragmatic and practical knowledge that is characterized by quick retrieval of information, accurate application of solutions, and high consistency in performance
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innovative knowledge
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expertise that is adaptive and flexible because it embodies variation and the willingness to learn new ways of doing things
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insight
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understanding by not being stuck on the first reactions and assumptions made
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core mechanism: listening and sharing
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collaborative learning so that people learn the information better; the goal is to learn how to cooperate as a solution to problems
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the five elements of collaboration/cooperation
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joint attention, listening, sharing, coordinating (taking turns), and perspective-taking
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interdependence and accountability
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the idea that everyone in the collaborative group need each other to solve the problem and that each person has a responsibility to the group to participate and carry out actions
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core mechanism: making
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the creation of products that can be shared with others; the goal is to combine ideas and practical knowledge to produce
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productive agency
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the motivation someone gets from seeing their ideas becoming a concrete object in the world
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appropriation
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the body of knowledge that makes up who we are is from consuming others' ideas and objects
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production
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the contribution to society by building ideas and products and putting it into the social matrix
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situational interest
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temporary enthusiasm based on someone's circumstances in that particular moment
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individual interest
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sustainable enthusiasm that is extended by context, resources, expert advice, and a sharing community
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islands of expertise
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the network of facts and practical skills to one's knowledge
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productive agency cycle
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a natural order in which building contributes to society gets feedback that influences improved creations
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core mechanism: norms
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the informal rules of social interaction and how one should conduct themselves in society; the goal is to coordinate effective exchange of information and ideas
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values
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beliefs about the traits that are important in society
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laws
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critical rules or norms that become part of system enforced by the government
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consistency
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reinforcement that is explicitly done the same way each time
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norm expectations
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the following of rules by the group and by the individual depends on trust that each will abide by rules
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IRE
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initiate-response-evaluation that is teacher-driven inquiry (there's a right answer that the teacher is looking for)
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productive disciplinary engagement
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rules that are specific to a field and how domain experts authentically behave within the field
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core mechanism: observation
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learning by watching other people's attitudes and behaviors; the goal is to imitate complex procedures or appropriate cultural reactions
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mirroring/mirror neurons
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a type of brain cell that turns on when someone does something or see another person doing the same thing (as though mentally experiencing the same performance/behavior)
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behaviorism
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the debatable theory that people can learn only through reinforcement
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vicarious reward
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an outcome of observing others receiving a positive reward
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affective states
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feelings or behaviors from imitating how models or people around you react to a situation (social referencing)
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core mechanism: participation
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engagement in cultural activity that already exists; the goal is to jump start in a new activity or skill
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zone of proximal development (ZPD)
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the mental space in which an activity is too difficult to do on your own but it is achievable with some help
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apprenticeship
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guided participation
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scaffolding
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support that is faded once someone can do something on their own
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testing for potential
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the opportunity to learn is part of the summative assessment
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remixing
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copying a completed work but modifying a part of it as a way of scaffolding
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crutch
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scaffold does not fade so learner does not eventually complete task independently
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core mechanism: question-driven learning
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inquiry-based learning in which a problem is posed; the goal is to instill intellectual curiosity and intrinsic motivation
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goal decomposition
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a composite objective is split into steps
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anchored instruction
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centering lesson on a narrative that develops a complex problem
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Socratic dialog
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guiding student reasoning through question-asking and answering that stimulates critical thinking
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project-based learning
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the emphasis of production usually through collaboration and by solving a problem
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core mechanism: reward
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learner receives appropriate returns to behavior; the goal is to get a learner to adopt a new behavior even if they're not sure why
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Thorndike's law of effect
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reward trumps rationality and relevancy
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extrinsic reward
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the desirable outcome that comes after performing an action that isn't important to the desire of doing the action itself
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intrinsic reward
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the desirable outcome that comes with performing an action; self-reinforcement
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variable reinforcement
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occasional rewards reinforcing behavior so that learner doesn't stop doing the behavior when there isn't a reward
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autonomy
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the feeling of control over your own actions and decisions
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competence
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the feeling that achievement is attainable because of your ability and that you can improve and gain skill mastery
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social relatedness
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a psychological need and desire to connect with others
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optimal challenge
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flow from intrinsic motivation where the activity is not inducing anxiety or boredom in a way that makes someone lose sense of time
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primary reinforcers
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rewards pertaining to basic unconditioned needs such as food, drink, and affection
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secondary reinforcers
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rewards pertaining to conditioned wants that are cheap, easily delivered, and nondisruptive; making of token economy
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gamification strategy
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the creation of an environment that uses secondary reinforcers/a token economy to drive behavior in a particular setting
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core mechanism: self-explanation
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"talking it through" instruction; the goal is for readers to make connections when encoding and improve comprehension of expository materials
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comprehension failures
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gaps and inconsistencies in mental models
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metacognition
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the explicit monitoring and regulating of thoughts and learning; thinking about thinking
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mental models
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an representation of the world that people consider within themselves to help solve problems
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core mechanism: learning by teaching
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a strategy to accept the responsibility to develop other people's understanding of something; the goal is to get better at understanding that thing yourself
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protege effect
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the idea that people put in more effort to learn to teach others
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three phases of teaching
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preparation, action, and observation of student performance
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core mechanism: learning by undoing
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the strategy to weaken fallacies that are difficult to change; the goal is to find points of confusion and learn to accommodate rather than assimilate
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probabilistic reasoning
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using fundamental statistics to think a problem through by calculating combined outcomes especially when making judgments under uncertainty
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heuristic reasoning
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judgmental shortcut or stereotyping, immediate but not reasonable
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regression to the mean
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slipping back toward the average
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assimilation
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people make new information fit their current ideas
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accommodation
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people change their ideas to fit the new piece of information
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pedagogical content knowledge
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expert insight on how students think about domain-specific ideas
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confirmation bias
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a fallacy in which people use reasoning to prove their ideas correct rather than disproving them
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ad hoc reasoning
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a fallacy in which people maintain their faulty beliefs by making a special case for why it works
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core mechanism: visualization
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a process of creating outward spatial representation; the goal is to decrease cognitive load when making connections and relations between ideas by making thought process visible
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verbal overshadowing
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the blocking of interpretations by relying on less precise word memory instead of visual memory
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core mechanism: worked examples
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models of expert solutions; the goal is to decrease cognitive load when encoding a procedure
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cognitive load
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what your working memory can handle at a time (about 7 pieces of information); the amount of information necessary to think about at the same time in order to accomplish a task
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core mechanism: excitement
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a mental state of increased alertness: heart rate, blood pressure, moist palms, attention, emotion; the goal is to combine arousal with proper attention in order to consolidate memory
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the effects of an arousing event
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adrenaline causes stress response, sending hormones to the amygdala or the emotion-processing center, which then sends the memory to be processed in other regions of the brain for long-term storage
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choking
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the consequence mixing arousal and anxiety which triggers the prefrontal cortex to interfere with usually automatic behaviors
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core mechanism: yes I can
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self-efficacy or people's belief that they have what it takes to accomplish a goal; the goal is to combine self-regulation with task strategies in order to achieve effective growth mindset
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fundamental attribution error
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blaming others or environment or schema when met with failure rather than a specific instance
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schema
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the general representation for a set of behaviors in a situation
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fixed mindset
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the type of thinking that people can't really change their intelligence
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growth mindset
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the type of thinking that people can improve intelligence and abilities with effort
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self-regulated learning
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a set of skills targeted towards will: setting personal goals, organizing, metacognitive evaluating
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learned helplessness
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the feeling of having no control over negative external disturbances and the collapse of self-efficacy
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core mechanism: Zzzzzz
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sleep; the goal is to consolidate memory by getting enough sleep
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REM
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dream-filled rapid eye movement
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SWS
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deeper slow wave sleep in which your subconscious does a fast forward replay to move memory from hippocampus to other brain areas for long-term storage and thereby consolidating memory
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secretion of melatonin
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most teenagers feel drowsy between 11pm-8am
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