Human Memory and the New Science of Learning - New Science of Learning - page 80

the results of the task are the same each time, a form of cognitive equilibrium exists,
and developmental theory suggests that the drive for equilibrium is fundamental in
humans (Piaget, 1970, 1980). This principle also helps us understand why we are
bothered by inconsistency and why we are motivated to resolve the inconsistency if
possible.
Learners Construct Knowledge
In attempts to understand their experiences, people—instead of recording infor-
mation in their memories in the exact form in which it is presented—construct
knowledge that makes sense to them (Greeno, Collins, & Resnick, 1996; Mayer,
2002). As a result, individuals are likely to construct different meaning from the
same experiences, and individual students will differ in the way they understand the
ideas they are being taught based on what makes sense to them.
Knowledge that Is Constructed Depends on Learners' Prior Knowledge
People do not construct knowledge in a vacuum; their knowledge constructions
depend on what they already know. For example, a child who has traveled with
his/her parents is more likely to find geography meaningful than is someone who
has not traveled, since she will have more experiences to which new knowledge can
be related.
Prior knowledge can also lead to misconceptions. For instance, some children
mistakenly believe that a fraction with a larger denominator, such as 1/5, is greater
than one with a smaller denominator, like 1/3. Knowing that 5 is greater than 3, they
conclude that 1/5 should be greater than 1/3. Other examples exist in most content
areas. For example, people often conclude that adverbs are words that end in ly ,
but many adverbs do not end in ly . People make this conclusion because many of
the adverbs people encounter do indeed end in ly. Also, most people believe that
the force on an object moving at constant speed, such as an automobile, is greater
in the direction the object is moving than it is in the opposite direction. In fact
the forces are equal. People construct these misconceptions because the misconcep-
tions make sense to them, and the people have prior experiences that support the
misconceptions.
Learning Is Enhanced in a Social Environment
Vygotsky's work (1978, 1986) and increased attention from researchers (e.g.,
Moll & Whitmore, 1993; Rogoff, 1998) have helped educators understand that the
process of knowledge construction is enhanced by social interaction. For example,
think about some of your experiences in working with another person. It is likely
that you were able to solve problems or figure out ideas together that you were not
able to figure out on your own.