Cognitivism

Cognitivism (or cognitive information processing) is the idea that learning is primarily thought processes.

It assumes that students have some knowledge of the subject that they can use as a basis for learning more. Students are proactive in learning.

If learning is thinking, behavior only indicates what people are thinking.

A cognitive approach may be most useful when:

• Students already have some experience or the subject
• You have adequate resources
• Students need well developed understanding
• You have enough time

Your methods will more likely be:

• Discussions and reasoning
• Solving problems
• Analogies or imagery
• Classifying information into logical groups