Problem solving

You know problem solving steps:
1. Needs assessment -- perceptual processing -- WM -- attention and consciousness

2. Criteria and constraints -- perceptual processing --WM and LTM-- semantic memory-- schema and scripts -- LTM -- deductive reasoning

3. Brainstorming for ideas, possibilities, choices etc. -- creativity - semantic memory --LTM--WM -- schema and scripts

4. Testing a specific idea -- deductive reasoning (if... then...) this can be by trial and error or deductive reasoning , logical thinking, abstract thinking -- metacognition. And "if... then... " can bring us in a loop of trying new ideas out of the many brainstormed. We use abstract reasoning (Formal operation in Piaget's theory of Cognitive development. The hallmark of this formal stage is hypothetic-deductive reasoning. Yes!). Decision making by choosing one of the ideas. If does not work then go back to brainstorm, choose another idea, and start testing again.

5. Choice of the best idea and implementation. Application. Building of the prototype and final product. That is Decision making!

6. Document all throughout the process, revise, look back and learn, and... form a schema, a script that next time around ... we will try to use by top-down processing. Yes, because of that next time around we might even make some mistakes (belief bias) and be overconfident....

7. Look back and learn --- metacognition, LTM, deductive reasoning, decision making, lifespan memory.

Teachers and technology...

One of my graduate students (95% of them are teachers) had a comment: "I didn't register for a Technology course!" -- this comment was made because I use Blackboard and require students to post at least 6 comments/semester (this is the On-campus course), and the final take home exam, which is a project proposal, is required to be posted on a blog created by the students (Yes, I do have a training session and a handout with step-by-step instructions on how to create and post to a blog).

It is not the first student and I suspect won't even be the last with this complaint. Many teachers hate technology even if the new generation is tech savvy and soon will consider their teachers outdated and even "dumb."

No matter what conference for educators I go to I always find a strong trend that predicts a big change for the future of education: Online, Podcast, iPod, text messaging, blog, wiki, and of course very strong entrance of Second Life.

A friend of mine Michael McVey faculty at Eastern Michigan University responded in an e-mail:
"I think technology is becoming a chore for these new teachers.
How disappointing....
So, here is something for your students to consider . . .
Tweens are the group most interested in taking online courses. What are you future teachers going to do, beat that enthusiasm for online courses out of them somehow?

Michigan, by the way, has a 20 hour requirement that students take an online experience before they graduate from high school.
Then there is this article from the New York Times, relating the fact that many instructors today are teaching in online environments. One out of five college students have taken an online class. And that number is growing.

Why do they fight it so?"

Yes, that is true I just wish my teacher students would realize how important is to know what their students use (since most of the teens have a MySpace blog, text message, and surf the web daily).
But I take the risk of having bad teacher evaluations just because my students hate using the blog... who cares in the end if they at least know what that word means when their students talk on the school halls!

Michael even has sent me a cheering joke:

Q: How many teachers does it take to change a light bulb?

A: None. Teachers can't handle change!

Attention

When you use your mental activity in order to focus to certain stimuli you use your Attention.

Did you ever drive, talk on your cell phone, and tried to listen to the radio, all in the same time? (OK, you can be honest, I know you did). If you are not the multitasking person from above, I am sure you had at least one incident when you had to do two things at the same time (such as listen to your teacher and text message your friend.... OK, I hope that you did not do this). Each time when we are in situation where we perform or attend to two or more things at the same time we use our Divided attention.
Now if you ask those who drive a car, talk on a cell, put make up, and listen to the radio to their favorite song, all at once; then you find out that "practice makes perfect." Don't think that multitasking is a gift from gods. If you are persistent and well organized, and if you practice long enough the skills, you also can do multitasking.

Remember when you were at a party last time and you were in a group of friends talking, laughing, having fun, and from a corner where another group was talking, across the room, in the noisy chit-chat of everyone, you hear someone spoke your name! Till then you did not even notice that group there in the corner, but now you make efforts to sharpen your hearing and be able to perceive what are they talking about YOU?! This happened because you focused your attention and selected to listen to that group across the room and above all the noise. You used your Selective attention.

People's attention can be distracted sometimes by irrelevant information. James Stroop (135) demonstrated that people need more time to name colors when there were incongruences in the color of the ink and color of the writing. Try to read as fast as you can the words below. Time yourself or have someone time you.




Some researchers explain the Stroop effect by PDP.
Along with the Stroop effect you can try out the McGurk effect. When the image of moving lips does not match (or matches too many) different words. If you would just listen to the sounds the response would be different, but the images of moving lips will distort your expectations, and in consequence your performance on this test.




There are couple of theories that explain attention.

One of the early theories refers to the so called Bottleneck effect. According to this theory we can process and attend only limited amount of information at one time.
Think when you drive in the morning on the high way to school. There are 4 lines and everyone goes nicely with a average good speed of around 60ML/h. But at a sudden there is an accident caused by two cars crashing into each other. Since they are stopped and Police, Fire fighters, and Ambulance attends to their needs, all the traffic slows down. Only two lanes are now used and cars get behind and bumper to bumper and the speed slows down to may be 30 ML/h. All behind this accident is a big mess of cars going slow because there is no enough space (missing two lanes), if you imagine all the scene as it could be seen from the helicopter of those who survey the traffic then you might see something like a bottleneck.... after the accident scene, some speed and number of cars going on the highway are "lost."

Did you ever asked yourself why can you drive a car, listen to your CD player, talk on the cell, and pay attention to the stop lights all at the same time (not talking about putting your make up, text messaging, writing your paper on the laptop, and God knows what else you guys do when driving in the morning to school)? You will tell me that you are good at multitasking. And that is true but it is so because you use automatic processing, and that is a parallel process since you can pay attention to different tasks in parallel.
However, when for example you will write your final exam, or when you learn a new skill, or when you perform a skill that is difficult, it is most likely you will not be able to do all those multi-tasks all at once. That is because you use controlled processing, which is serial, that is you must pay attention one at a time.

Treisman proposed a more complex theory of attention Feature-integration theory based on the idea of distributed attention - using parallel processing, usually a low level processing, this is when you are able of multitasking. The second stage in the feature-integration theory is focused attention - which requires serial attention, for more complex processes, when you must attend to one item at a time.

Perceptual processes: Visual perception

The most important part of our brain in the process of visual perception is the occipital lobe (right in the back of human skull, opposite to our eyes).

The brain is built from tinny little neurons.

We are born with roughly 100 billion neurons. A neuron is a tinny little cell that has a body, a long "arm like" part named axon, and small finger-like dendrites. The axon later in the developmental process develops a whitish color coat (just as the electric wires have a plastic insulating wrapping coat). The dendrites branch our like in fingers and receive signals from other cells/neurons. The information passes from one neuron to the other with help from neurotransmitters (chemicals in our brain). The place where the dendrites contact and pass the impulses using the neurotransmitters are called synapses.
In the developmental process billion of new synapses are formed. Each neuron may be connected to as many as 15,000 other neurons, and form a very complex network (sometimes called "brain wiring").

Some believe that we see illusions in a certain way because of the eye's physical treats, others believe that is due to the culture we develop in.

In general scientists believe that brain and eye work together and it all depends on the perspectives we look at what we see.

The eye sees but it is the brain who will decide “what” and “how” the eye sees.

It seems that we see illusions in different ways, according to how our brains work.



The Gestalt psychologists believed that a number of innate tendencies (Gestalt laws) influence the way we see. Contemporary psychologist agree on the universal laws, and that we perfect and they are influenced by experience and learning.

Proximity - things closer to each other seem to belong together

Closure - we have the tendency to see the entire thing not only a specific part that we see

Similarity - you know the old saying "birds of the same feather flock together"

Good continuation - our brain likes to take short cuts, and the easiest and most familiar path.

When we process information we use couple of most common theories of perceptual processing:

Template matching theory sustains that we have specific set of templates and in the process of perception we try to match what we see with the templates stored in our memory.

There should be a exact, or very precise match between the template and the stimulus. Useful for standardized processes (credit cards, bank accounts, etc.), but is not able to explain the rich and complex stimuli from our daily environment.

Colors and similarities create confusion and problems in perceptual processing.

Feature analysis theory proposes that we compare the visual perceived stimulus with small characteristics called features. However the problem with this is that there is no explanation for relationship between the features. Another problem is that not everything in the human environment is simple and can be reduced to simple features. More complex stimuli need complex perceptual processes. Support from neuroscience and psychological research. Does not explain relationship between complex stimuli. Applies mostly to letter recognition, two dimensional writing.

Structural theory or Recognition-by-components gives a tridimensional (3D) explanation to perceptual processes using the simplest 3D shapes called geons.
It seems that we store specific 3D views so in the case of modified images or modified view point we are less able to recognize objects. Geons can be combined in meaningful objects. In general arrangements of 3 geons seem to be enough for people to recognize an object.

Recognition sometimes requires mental rotation when the object is viewed from a unusual angle.

In conclusion: humans use in the process of visual perception different theories at different times for different purposes. We might use Template matching and feature analysis when we read, and recognition-by-components when we perceive objects and 3D stimuli.
The theories do not negate each other but complement each other and give a more complex (even if not complete) explanation of perceptual processes.

Let's add to this the idea that we do two kind of processes Bottom-up (when we start from the actual visual stimulus and try to process it directly) and Top-down (when we try first to make sense of the perceived stimulus by using what we already know about the item we see, and we base our information processing on previous experience and stored memory).

That is why we can make good sense of ambiguous things we see....
Perhaps that is why we can see an entire story into a blot of ink.




Take a second and look at the picture below (you might know already the drawing); what do you see?


Did you see (when you first ever looked at this drawing) , a young woman or an old woman?
Do you see them both now?
This happens always in my class of approximately 20 people... it is not uncommon that some people will say they see ONLY the young woman, others will see ONLY the old woman; and some others will see both.

The drawing is the same for everyone. So, then why some cannot see both images, and they seem to prefer to see only one type of representation?

This is because of some processes called bottom-up and top-down processing.

Bottom-up processing takes place when all 20 people look at the drawing. They all see it, they see the white and black patterns mixing.

Top-down processing takes place when people try to make sense of the image they see. Based on their predisposition, preference, and mostly because of the previous information stored in their long term memory, some people will see one or the other image. That "making sense of it based on previous knowledge" is in fact the top-down processing.

Bottom-up processing is data driven, starts from the data, stimuli we perceive and is processed thru the physiological organs and by the brain.
In real life we usually start with bottom-up since we process what we see, however almost simultaneous we try to make sense of the stimuli we perceive, and in the process of giving a meaning we do top-down processing (conceptually driven processing). That is higher level mental processes influence the basic bottom-up perceptual processes. We have expectations, stereotypes, and mental sets that bias and form our perceptions (that is why we can tell a story when presented with an ink blot). Our expectations guide our perceptions. Think when your printer runs out of ink and printed only the bottom half of the lines in the document you wanted to print from the web. However you were able to read it. That was because you did most likely lot of top-down processing. You recognize the English alphabet and are familiar with words, so you are able to read even if the letters are blurred or not completely printed. If you were to read a foreign text then the task would be more difficult.

Top-down processing is good and bad! Is good because it saves us lot of energy in the information processing, but is bad because at times it causes us to make mistakes since we become too confident in what we expect to see and we do not pay attention to what is really there to be seen (over active top-down processing). Top-down processes are influenced by our biases and stereotypes. That is why an overactive top-down processing will bring errors in word and object recognition.


According to Parallel Distributed Processing (PDP) theory - connectionism- cognitive processes are understood as networks that link together separate units from processing of stimuli. One item will activate other items that might be linked to the activated one. The network model can be imagined like a fish net with many nods and links between many of the existent nods. If you pick up the net from one little nod part of the net will come with it. That is the same as when a stimuli (let’s say one word) is activated in your memory.

If I write “Jack Russell Terrier” in you mind - depends on how much knowledge you have about what I just told you- you might think first that "Jack Russell" is a name, and it is not "Jack Daniels" which would bring you high spirits :-)
Back to "Jack Russell Terrier"= a name + Terrier. The word Terrier activates the knowledge that this word represents a dog breed. In your mind might be activated the concept and image of a dog, little, white, energetic, barking, chasing a bunny, or a cat, dog food, toys, etc. Then you might remember that your teacher has a JRT named Taylor. And that brings you into mind that my last name is Taylor as well (if spelled in English). That multitude of items that were activated by the net of concepts and information linked to the stimulus “JRT” is your network and it was activated because your mind uses Parallel Distributed Processing (PDP).


PDP effect in information processing be it visual or auditive is that we fill in the gaps.
PDP is like the new style Christmas lights. If you are old enough you remember the old style ones when a bulb was going off the entire string was off.That is in electric terms a serial connection. Like a logical path, just like a computer has a logical programming and follows step-by-step a Yes_NO rule.
The new lights are still blinking even if one is off. That is a parallel connection. Our mind works in parallel, when one information is activated that also will activate neurons in brain that hold information in relation to the one activated. Like a fishing net. Lots of nods and links between the nods. If you pick up one nod in one place of the net it will come up with a certain area that has all the connections to the one nod.
If I say "Tiger," you will remember in general what I say: big cat, stripes, wild cat, jungle, dangerous, zoo, in extinction, Bengal Tiger, etc. Lots of information will cross your mind. It is all because of the PDP processing!

Face recognition takes into account the entire picture of a face not the separate items. The 3D theory of geons does not quite work in face recognition since we have a hard time recognizing separate items of a face (mouth, nose, eyes, taken separate are very hard to be recognized).

We recognize faces using the Gestalt theory, we see the entire picture, the whole before the parts.

Prosopagnosia= inability to recognize faces even if the person affected is able to still recognize objects. Problem in the inferotemporal cortex.

New semester Fall 07

This semester I teach for the first time a complete EPFR 515 - Advanced Educational Psychology (Human Cognition and learning) Online course, for which I very excited. My in-class sections use lots of technology, so it will be very interesting to see how it goes complete techno :-)

New semester started and with it stressful moments.... Monday I was assigned a classroom with 20 chairs and a Blackboard (the one on the wall not the internet system of Blackboard!), so we moved to the Library to have our first class. Tuesday I was assigned a computer lab, but it was locked and the person who had the key left already and ... we moved to the Library again. Thanks to Dr. Paris (from Lovejoy Library) we could use both days the Information training lab.
My only request each semester is to have a smart class since we use power point, video, and internet access. But now that the first bumpy meetings are out of the way we can start full power!

I have a very nice mix of students and I am looking forward to the new semester experience.
Good luck to all! - including me with the online class :-)

EPFR 515- Summer 2007

EPFR 515 Summer 2007 is...HOT...or heated ? :-)

I had this summer two sections one with two meetings/week for 6 weeks, and a second section with four days/week for 4 weeks.

In the beginning I was concerned for the 4 weeks section, that they will have trouble completing all assignments in such a short time, but it was exactly the reverse!

I told students in each section that if this is their first graduate class, if they are not used to work hard, or if they expect an easy class then 515 is NOT what they want to take this summer. As a consequence 9 students decided to drop the first section and one student from the second section (they did the right choice for them at this point). In the regular semester time they will have 15 weeks to complete the same course.

Many of them came to class with a set schema about WHAT college teaching should be like, and how much work should be done in a summer class. It seems to me that many did not believe when I told them that they will have the exact same course as in a regular semester time, just that they will do it twice as fast (not one meeting/week but two meetings). Many fell victim of planning fallacy, and ended up being extremely frustrated that they had to complete a comprehensive exam with literature review in... half of time (?). They of course knew about the assignment from first day of class. I had all necessary documents on Blackboard, and they had two computer literacy training sessions where they learned about how to create and use a blog, and how to search literature using the Lovejoy Library web. Last semester (regular semester) my former students did not have any of these training sessions, they had to just follow my handouts.

Interestingly, students in the section with more time struggled more than the students in the shortest section. Those who complete in four weeks are working very hard, they are extremely focused on what they do, it is an amazing group! The 4-weeks group has three nurses, and they spice up the classroom discussion with many questions related to neuroscience and diseases related to human cognition. I shared with them information I learned as a Psychology major, and information I learned because I was interested in (just like them now). This group is very dynamic, inquisitive, hard working. It is a pleasure to go to classes :-)

I know I break many schema (stereotypes) about college teaching. I have all lectures as power point on Blackboard, and I teach using power point, but I also teach mostly by individualized teaching in their small group discussions, and by responding their questions, and explaining concepts at the blackboard in class, when they need more understanding. I know there are some among them who think "She is not teaching!" But what is really teaching? Just information delivery through a teacher's lecture?

I really hope not! I really hope they change their perspective about TEACHING. Since all I do is teaching with a purpose, to bring in many different ways of teaching and to show them that they will learn from ALL: lecture, small group discussions, Blackboard discussions, reading and reflecting on research articles, thinking about how a topic would have teaching application, developing a literature review, and reflecting on larger topics, and last but not the least, to learn how to use technology in teaching and learning new skills (yes, this is the blog).
Some think it is too much, since they hold a set schema about college teaching, some don't realize that ALL I do in class IS teaching, and they ARE learning.

Each semester I have some students who just love this style and e-mail me that I have changed their life; and I have some who will hate me till they can remember (using episodic memory) that this was the most difficult class they took in college. But I am glad if they will even remember, is better to be remembered as "the most difficult course" than to be ignored and forgotten. As for the course... I will not dumb down my requirements just because a couple of students find it too hard and a "very difficult" class.

At least they won't forget it (ignore it), and if they will also remember Allan Baddeley's model, that is SUPER! :-)

Semester end....

End of semester is here sooner than expected.... and I completely neglected this blog, being concentrated on Blackboard and in reading my students' assignments on their blogs.
This semester I have spend many hours on reading Blackboard postings, responding e-mails, posting comments, giving feedback.

Each group is unique, even if I teach using the same text book as last year, there are many new assignments, new style, new ways of making the content more appealing.

I will teach summer classes and then I will have a well deserved vacation in July (did not have one since 2003!).

I am very excited to teach EPFR 515 Online in this coming Fall 2007.

My handout explaining all class assignments for EPFR 515 reached now 13 pages, and has an Appendix with rubrics, along with a 6 page Syllabus (see a general draft of what I use for this course on my web at SIUE- look under Current Courses).
I think I am ready for Online courses.

I think I get better at teaching since more and more of my students have higher performance in my class (or might be I am lucky to get better students :-)).

Spring 2007