Instructional models

A model is a graphic attempt to depict how an individual perceives a word, processes a clause and comprehends a text.

Mental Discipline (mental) model page 16

Based on Plato and Aristole. Mind lies dormant until exercised. Memory is a muscle of the mind and only strengthened through exercise. So learning is a matter of strengthening to produce intelligent behavior.

Associationism page 17 text

Dates to ancient times of Aristole. Theory of psychology and education devoted to how learning occurs. How ideas associate with each other.

Contiguity- how things occur in time and space.

Similarity- things have similar features/ properties.

John Locke Tabula rasa- blank tablet

Unfoldment theory page19 text

Learning is facilitated through a natural unfolding of the mind based on curiosity and interest.. Rousseau said children had an innate curiosity. Pestalozzi agreed but children needed informal instruction from adults. Froebel said play was critical. Led to John Dewey’s works.

Structionalism- page 22 text.

Psychology- to explain the structure of the mind through the study of perceptions.

Bottom up model- page 149 text

depicts reading as progressing from the bottom levels of information (letter identification) to the higher processing (construct meaning). Goes from part to whole. Reading process is a series of discrete stages through which info passes. Emphasizes written text. Comprehension begins by processing smallest unit (phoneme) and working toward larger units(syllables- words- phrases- sentences)

Examples are Gough 1972, LaBerge & Samueles 1974.( chap 7)

Top down model page 149 text

Built on the assumption that the reading process is driven by what is in the reader’s head rather than on the printed page. Goes from whole to part. Emphasizes importance of prior knowledge(about topic , word meanings, sentence structure, text structure, sounds of letters. Reader uses all of these sources to make predictions and hypotheses about text. When text is consistent with reader hypotheses reading progresses smoothly and when not consistent the reader struggles. Comprehension begins in the mind of the reader who already has idea about the meaning of the text.

Examples are Goodman 1967 and Smith 1971.

Interactive model pages 149-50 text

Reader uses information that is simultaneously provided from multiple sources during the reading process. Example is Rumelhart’s (chap 7) proposal of a nonlinear, simultaneous view of information processing.

Theoretical Models

Remember that a theory is an explanation of a phonemenon while a model serves as a metaphor to explain or represent the theory

Mental model theory reading happens in the mind.

Cognitive Processing/development theory- pages 77 +

Piaget- stressed children were active organisms and progressed in cognitive development. 4 factors affect it: biological maturation, activity, social experiences and equilibration. Children learn largely alone.

Sociocultural theory page 104-5 text

Emphasizes the roles of social, cultural and historical factors in the human experience. Knowledge is constructed based on social interactions and experience. Similar to sociolinguistics theory (language) . Basic tenets are: higher mental functioning, functions operate in social lie. Sheds doubt on innate ability, ZPD, mediation and interaction are critical, teacher is mediator and uses scaffolding.

Social Constructivism- Vygotsky page 108

Children learn as a result of their interactions with others. Used to be called Constructivism but now involves social and interpersonal. Basic tenet is that human experience is mediated by culture(Cole 1990)

Social learning theory- Bandura page 111

Transactional theory ( or transactional/reader response theory) page 55+

Louise Rosenblatt extended application of schema theory to the field of reading. Every person is unique with regards to his/her schema so every reading experience is unique to each person. 2 kinds of responses: efferent (facts) and aesthetic (personal and emotions)

Transactional Sociopsycholinguistic theory pages 54-56

The reader is an active user of language and the text is never complete until the reader brings the meaning (story to illustrate)

Examples= Kenneth Goodman, Jeanne Chall and Noam Chomsky (LAD).

Attitude-influence theory(Theoretical models and processes of reading by Ruddell, pages 1131+)

Affective filter, not much research because of the difficulty to discern. Variables are: 1. Attitude-emphasizes action or feeling

(positive or negative).

2. Motivation (extrinsic and intrinsic).

3. Evaluation (what is in it for me? Is it relevant to my life? Is it useful and beneficial?

Very powerful but very subjective.