Unit3 DB Cognitivism: The Thinker: Firing Up Neurons

 
Graduate Programs Discussion Boards
Discussion Boards (DB) are a key component of online learning. They foster active participation of learners and dialog with fellow learners and instructors. Graduate-level courses require learners to create original posts to course DBs and to engage in dialogue by responding to posts created by others throughout the course. Original posts and responses should be substantive, and if references are made to the works of others, APA guidelines for in-text citations and references apply.
Minimum Weekly DB Expectations

Post an original and thoughtful Main Post to the DB prompt.
Respond to at least 2 other posts from learners and/or the instructor (Response Posts).
The first contribution (Main Post or Response Post) must be posted before midnight (Central time) on Friday of each week.
Two additional responses are required after Friday of each week.
For DB assignment prompts with a Part One and Part Two, Part One should be addressed in the first week of the unit with a Main Post and minimum of 2 Response Posts, and Part Two should be addressed in the second week of the unit with a Main Post and a minimum of 2 Response Posts.

More on DBs
At the end of each unit, DB participation is assessed based on level of engagement and the quality of the contribution to the discussion. DBs allow learners to learn through sharing ideas and experiences as they relate to course content. Because it is not possible to engage in two-way dialogue after a conversation has ended, no posts to the DB are accepted after the end of the unit. Learners must demonstrate an appropriate depth of understanding of course content to receive credit for having submitted substantive posts. Typically, this is achieved with 5–7 strong paragraphs for Main Posts and 2–3 strong paragraphs for Response Posts.
Assignment Specifics
Read the “Kermit and the Keyboard” story and the three different cognitivist approaches to this story.
Part One
Once you have completed the unit reading assignment related to the “Kermit and the Keyboard” story, do the following:

Compare and contrast the 3 different cognitivist theories in this situation.
Discuss elements and characteristics that are unique to each viewpoint and theory.

Part Two
Scenario: Harry is your 7-year-old son, and Sasha is your 11-year-old daughter. Harry is having trouble with vocabulary and reading. Sasha is having a problem converting fractions to decimals and with converting numbers to percentages. Refer to Piaget’s theory of genetic epistemology and to Bruner, Vygotsky, or other cognitive theories, and describe the ways in which you would help these two children in their school studies.
Answer the following questions based on the scenario:

How can you apply what you know about cognitive theory to these two different situations?
What limitations, if any, do you find in confining your solutions to cognitive theory?

For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.