Case Study Week 2
1. a. For this student, the issue of concern seems largely to be one of forgetting due to interference theory, and largely related to depth of processing. This student has a tendency to focus “shallowly” on items not of specific interest to him. As a result, it is extremely easy for other things to interfere with his recall. Further, this is an aspect of his grapho-motor dysfunction where it is crucial for him to be able to finish his task without the distraction of his hand cramps and pains.
1. b. i. With this student, we apply as many differing strategies as possible to keep the student focused and motivated. These include the various memory strategies described in the text. For this student, rehearsal works well for items in series. Organization is used to allow the student to retain thoughts for essay exams. Fortunately, his other professors are very supportive of his issues and accept his detailed outlines and lists in lieu of standard essay exams. Sample questions, particularly study questions for essay exams, allow him to elaborate on the information he has. From them, he applies an organization/outlining strategy, then uses method of loci to remember the key points. For example, in an exam about the origins of agriculture, he will start with three or four theories, then craft and introduction and conclusion, then elaborate on the theories, then come up with clear points of organization to represent the main and sub points. Then, he finds a few points along his daily routine to associate with each point. To remember the Oasis Theory, he may ascribe three sub-points to his bathroom, towel rod, sink, and mirror.
1. b. ii. This student has issues with self-image and a fouled sense of his own abilities. As a consequence, he believes his memory to be weak, and non-specific. However, he has an excellent memory when he has an interest in the subject. He tends to be a visual learner, and seems to think he can not remember that which he does not see. His experience with stress and memory is profound. Under great stress, he vacillates between strict focus and near catatonics. For example, in first aid emergencies, he is totally focused and capable. However, when his family is in trouble, he is extremely distractible. When his mother was hospitalized for cancer, he was unable to focus on any learning skills, and required constant support.
1. c. As an infant, this student showed early memory skill development. He seemed to recognize which figures would create which sound on touch activities even at a very early age. His early speech patterns were also indicative of excellent recall. He could repeat, verbatim, extended portions of prior speech of others and television, at age two and three. His reading skills were equally indicative of strong memory skills. As he started sounding words at age three, he quickly was able to put the words together in sentences, and also to explain the meaning. After a series of relocations due to parental military requirements, and a change in schooling, he started struggling. His struggles were drastically apparent during his public school year. His early home-schooling years were problems in learning that indicated he was in the production deficiency phase of memory development. Strategy work led him quickly into the utilization deficiency phase, but there he seemed to stagnate. In his extracurricular activities, he has demonstrated mature strategy use for years. Quite recently, he has started to demonstrate mature strategy in his personal and educational life.
1. d. Impact of stress on the student's memory can not be underestimated. This student has had the usual stresses of life, and a vast complexity beyond. A few of his higher stresses include military parents and the subsequent separations and reunions of military life, frequent relocations, extensive travel, home conflicts and extremely high parental expectations. Also, at age 17 he is now a registered college junior taking a full college load. There is a cap to his ability to cope. Experimentation has shown that he does not handle more than four classes at one time. Also, despite excellent social skills, he is an introvert, and requires alone time to recharge his energy. Without his quiet time, his tension level expands to consume him. His reactions may be either explosively violent or consumingly depressive.
2. The instructional implications of this student's developmental and individual memory characteristics are critical. His learning ability is considerably impaired when he is stressed. He must have time to de-stress before attempting to garner new information. Otherwise, the new information will considerably impede his memory of anything learned prior.
Activity Three
1. Analyze and discuss your student's problem solving and transfer skills, using the information provided in Chapter Four of your text. Consider the following elements and how they might inform your understanding of the student's problem solving skills:
1. a. The type of problem to be confrontedseems to make a tremendous difference in his ability to problem solve/transfer. A visual and kinetic learner, this student excels at hands-on application work. Work central to the classroom environment is more of a challenge, and requires construction elements to become apparent to him. If his interest is not engaged, all effort is wasted.
1. a. i. It the goal is physical, like cardio-pulmonary resuscitation or fire-building, his learning ability, memory ability, and teaching skills are phenomenal. If he does not see the application of the requirement, like in writing a paper for the exercise of writing a paper, his interest wanes and must be re-focused.
1. a. ii. Familiarity of problems and rehearsal makes this student succeed. The primary example of this is his ACT preparation program. For weeks, he prepared for the exam. He spent each of four days on each segment, then completed in a practice exam in circumstances as close as possible to the actual surroundings. As a result, he succeeded beyond expectations. The week of the test, he prepared as usual; then, he took the exam. He was not only able to complete all questions, he excelled. Now, if given the chance to write sample study questions into essays, repeated effort provides excellent results.
1. a. iii. The degree of complexity and detail of the problems plays into this student’s ability to succeed only to the extent to which he was previously familiarized with the elements. He has developed a capacity for pulling diverse elements together which has helped him immensely. However, that is only with extensive preparation. Extraneous information can be a distraction, and definitely complicates the issue for him.
1. b. The student's ability to carry out the main components of problem solving overall are excellent in that he can pull elements from his working memory as well as his permanent memory.
1. b. i. Recognizing a problem exists can be one of his strengths, but it seems to be largely dependent on the situation. In hands-on situations, like first aid, he can spot the issue of concern directly. However, in an academic setting where a scenario is composed, he does not desire to look beyond the obvious.
1. b. ii. Defining the problem and creating a mental representation of it is one of his weaknesses. Unless the problem is directly related to a situation of key interest, his focus is lost, and his ability to evoke images is equally vague.
1. b. iii. Exploring a range of possible solution strategies is not one of his strengths. He tends to look for the easiest and quickest solution. If, however, the problem engages his interest, then it is difficult to distract him from it (video games).
1. b. iv. Implementing the most promising strategy only works for him if it is stumbled upon early in the search. He chooses not to work for the answer unless it truly engages him.
1. b. v. Monitoring progress toward the goal of a solution seems to be an aid to his success. He responds well to incremental goals.
1. b. vi. Evaluating the accuracy of the solution is more of a forte for him when in a teaching role. As such, putting him in collaborative learning situations aids his learning as he desires to take leadership in most situations.
1. b. vii. Learning from experience is his best method. While he will joke that he doesn’t want to learn from other’s mistakes, he would rather make his own, the reality is that joke is nearly truth. He makes his most enduring lessons from his own experiences.
1. c. The student's developmental stage is typical as it relates to all his growing abilities.
1. c. i. His ability to recognize the existence of problems is typical for his age.
1. c. ii. His ability to define the problems correctly is typical for his age.
1. c. iii. His ability to encode all relevant aspects of problems in mental representations is typical for his age.
1. c. iv. His ability to use more sophisticated problem-solving procedures is typical for his age.
1. c. v. His ability to create schemata for problems types is typical for his age.
1. c. vi. His ability to engage in more planning and subgoaling is typical for his age.
1. d. This student transfers what is learned in school to real-world settings quite well.
1. d. i. His ability to decontextualize skills and develop conditional knowledge about their application is growing rapidly at this point. Actually, his ability is advanced for his age.
1. d. ii. His ability to cast knowledge in the form of principles is advanced for his age.
1. d. iii. His ability to develop a conceptual understanding of procedures is typical for his age.
1. d. iv. His ability to approach his own learning in a mindful way is in question. It would seem to be a bit impaired for his age, but is perhaps typical.
2. Summarize the instructional implications of your student's problem solving and transfer characteristics.
The most important factor is the recognition of this student as a teenager despite his advanced education. Many of his learning issues are typical for his age, but not his school level. His excellent memory should be encouraged. Knowing his need to learn in steps and stages, a series of reviews as he is learning is key to his success, as the use of incorporated rehearsal systems. Depending on the situation, declarative, procedural, conceptual, and episodic knowledge all play on the rehearsal method for him to achieve learning. Organization, elaboration, and method of loci work together for him, particularly when preparing for essay-type examinations.
The student’s ability to solve problems is to be applauded. It is, however, still necessary to break down and rephrase problems for him to find answers. It is also necessary to find ways to present the problems in manners which seem pertinent to him. His ability to transfer knowledge between problems is typical for areas within his interest. Beyond that, his ability to transfer is thwarted by his lack of interest.