Saturday, 19 August 2017

Different Styles Of Cognition And Their Uniqueness

By Frances Green


Each person has a different way of perceiving knowledge and interacting with it. These differences have been described as styles of cognition. They are influenced by the health of your brain, your personality and genetic composition, among other factors that are unique to each individual. For an instructor or teacher, the responsibility is to appreciate the differences and accommodate them in your class. This will lead to even and improved overall performance in your class. It will also change the destinies of pupils in your class.

The first tenet through which children are judged is academic performance. As years progress, a child who could not memorize historical dates becomes the best in mechanical engineering. The world is now clustered into chaotic and highly organized individuals, theorists and craftsmen, quick and slow actors, etc. With careful scrutiny, one can conclude that you only need to press the right button and everyone is turned into a genius.

The existence of different cognitive styles is a confirmation that even the students who are experiencing challenges with learning have their ability intact. The only problem is that the classroom is set or the content is being delivered in a manner that does not conform to their ability. If a matching strategy is used on the student, it will be easier for them to understand a lot of concepts.

There is an opposite for each cognitive style that exists. Reflective and impulsive learners are on opposite sides. When an impulsive learner engages with information, he or she acts on it very quickly. The learners have no room for deep insight. For the reflective learner, he ponders over this information and is very keen on details. In class, there are students who are better at answering questions while others love research and background work.

Low and high conceptual learners are the other opposites. The low conceptual is highly dependent on rules and has trouble generating own ideas. The high conceptual will device own strategies and rules and always has an alternative when solving problems. Students who have been marked to fall in the low conceptual category have been identified to have challenges learning.

Simultaneous and successive learners are the other categories. Successive learners get answers by following laid rules and digging deep into ideas. This is a time consuming engagement. For a learner who is simultaneous, decisions are made at the blink of the moment. Simultaneous thinkers consider ideas in relation to each other. One is likely to conclude that one set of lines is shorter than the other without considering that the fact that the distance between them has been increased or reduced.

With the application of the corresponding teaching method, each student will be proven to be a star. Since classes can rarely accommodate the differences, the teacher needs to strike a balance in delivery method. Combination of theory and practical approach allows each category of student to be accommodated.

There is an explanation while some students excel in theoretical work while others do better in practical tasks. It is easier when an operation is demonstrated for some like in a physics practical class. However, theories of history and philosophy are more interesting for others. As an instructor, your role is to find a balance.




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