Educational Psychology

Exam 2 Study Guide

 Chapter 2

• Describe the importance to teachers of understanding cognitive development.

• Compare and contrast maturation and learning.

• Describe the differences and similarities between theories classified as continuous versus stage.

• Describe the mechanisms of cognitive development according to Piaget's theory.

• Describe the main characteristics and accomplishments for each of Piaget's stages.

• Evaluate Piaget's theory according to current research.

• Give examples of Piagetian or neo-Piagetian ideas for teaching.

• Describe Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of cognitive development.

• Give examples of internalization.

• Describe the zone of proximal development.

• Describe scaffolding.

• What are the implications for teaching using Vygotsky's theory?

Chapter 8

• Discuss the importance to teachers of understanding cognitive approaches to learning.

• Describe the standard memory model.

• Explain the process of encoding knowledge into three memory stores.

• Describe the different types of storage in long-term memory.

• Describe the levels-of-processing model of memory.

• Describe the various tasks used to assess students' memories.

• Discuss how to facilitate students' retrieval.

• Describe the 12 memory principles and how to use them to improve memory.

• Describe retrieval failure, and the theories associated with forgetting. 

Chapter 9

• Discuss the importance to teachers of understanding the process of thinking.
• Define "concept."
• Describe the defining features of concepts.
• Describe the characteristic features of concepts.
• Define "reasoning."
• Discuss how reasoning skills are developed.
• Describe the problem-solving cycle.
• Discuss different types of problems.
• Discuss different strategies for solving problems.
• Describe the impediments to problem solving.
• Discuss expertise in problem solving.
• Define "transfer."
• Describe types of transfer
• Discuss teaching for transfer.
• Discuss how teachers can teach students to think more effectively.
• Describe the use of groups to enhance student thinking.
• Discuss how to model and explicitly teach thinking skills.