Information Processing Theory and Approach

Do you know the intricate neural-psychological mechanism that determines how your students (or any other person) learns new ideas and knowledge? That's the question that the information processing theory is trying to answer. It dives into the intricate method of recording, perceiving and processing data in our brains. The brain also retrieves the data whenever required.

Discover more about the concepts as well as ways to implement it into online classes that help your students. Let's begin by giving an overview of how it all started.

Skip ahead:

•       An overview of Information Processing Theory
•       The most fundamental ideas from Information Processing Theory
•       What is the process? happen within the brain?
•       Your students should be aware of your web-based course's content
•       Basic information processing strategies that will help students to recall more easily.
•       Limitations of Information Processing Theory in online learning
•       Strategies for making more effective the application of theory about information processing to aid online learning
•       Humanize the theory of information processing to make online courses that are relatable

     An overview of Information Processing Theory    

The 1950s were the time when scientists recognized that computers would be the key to knowing how humans' brains function. George Armitage Miller and Edward C. Tolman created the basic principles of how we work with short-term memory, and acquire information. Based on this fundamental model, two theories of theory on information processing eventually developed, including those is the Atkinson and Shiffrin Model and the Baddeley and Hitch Model of Working Memory.

The Atkinson and Shiffrin Model discusses the three phases of processing that comprise sensorimotor memory, short term memory (working memory), and long term memory. It emphasizes the significance of attention, as well as elaborate rehearsal behaviors that lead to data being stored in the long-term memory. It is an adaptation of theories of the Baddeley and Hitch Model of Working Memory is based on these theories and provides a description of the processes involved in processing language and spatial patterns.

Do you have a lot of mental terms? Don't worry! We've merged aspects of all these theories in order to offer you the data needed to understand how we humans process information. It is possible to begin understanding this through examining how we process information in everyday situations as well as examining each one of these functions in depth.

     Key concepts from Information Processing Theory    

For a teacher of creators, it is extremely beneficial to know certain aspects of data processing.

Let's look at an illustration

Imagine walking down an area which is packed and you will encounter an array of things, sounds, and odors. The people could also rub your shoulders in the event that you're unlucky enough to be in the middle of huge crowds. In order to avoid the hustle and bustle, it is suggested to go into a café which you are sure is peaceful and tranquil. Also, you are aware that they provide the best breakfast and coffee in the area of town.

Information processing theory is at work, actually in the real world. Look at:

1. There are various things you can feel (people wandering about, a person touching your shoulder, a car that is moving fast and so on. - sensation. The term "stimulus" refers to the external input (or information)
2. The area you are looking at is perceived as overcrowded (perception is the way we see our perceptions).
3. By recalling your own experiences from the past (long long term episodic memory) and are able to identify this situation to be uncomfortable and unsafe (being pushed around - prior association)
4. Thus, you remember an area that previously given some comfort (another chain of associations leads to retrieving information regarding the serene cafe as well as its delicious croissants, which is a form of the cognitive memory).
5. It is your decision to act upon this memory as you enter the cafe (judging/analyzing before making a final decision. The decision to walk towards the cafe could be a procedural memory).

First, you sense your environment

Humans gather information known as "stimulus" by using five senses: tactile, visual, and auditory (hearing) and the sense of taste. The sixth sense relates to the body's position along with movement, and regulates vestibular balance, is present.

Senses and the associated sense organs:

• Eyes for Vision
• Audio - Ears
• Touch - Skin
• Taste - Tongue
• The smell - nose
• The sense of Vestibular, the ear and other parts that comprise the nerve system.

If your sense organs transform the actual data into electrical signals and your brain process them and interprets them as information that you can recognize on an unconscious scale. Your perception is influenced by previous connections (similar data that is kept in the brain is recalled, and makes connections).

Notice to creators: Unless you are employing augmented or virtual reality for the content of your lessons I would suggest that your primary focus is on inputs (stimuli) connected to sight (reading text or viewing videos) as well as music (voice to play background music).

     Sensing leads to perception.

Every one of the sense organs reacts to different environmental stimuli and convert these signals to electrical signals that can be detected by the various parts within the brain. Sensory processing takes place within the organs which perceive, while perception takes place in the brain. People with a variety of perceptual abilities or disordered learning might be unable to comprehend the information quickly.

Attention to writers In the event that you plan to design your content to be accessible to students who are disabled, you might want to think about accessibility design guidelines. Some examples of accessible design include the avoidance of uneven spacing between words or paragraphs, dividing long ones into shorter paragraphs and making sure there is plenty of white space.

The data that's received is being processed (encoded), it enters memory.

Memory is an umbrella term that covers a variety of different aspects of cognition. The process begins by keeping the information for a period of time (sensory and working memory) and then transferring that data into long-term storage through condensing (encoding).

Sensory memories last anywhere from one and three minutes. If you ignore the sensation then the sensation does not enter short-term memory. Studies have shown that short-term memory stores approximately seven information items for the duration of 15 to 30 seconds. When you practice it then your brain will be capable of retaining the information until it is destroyed or lost.

In rehearsal, the brain goes through an process that is known as Encoding. This process causes information to be transferred to long-term memory. When it is stored in long-term memory, it is possible to retrieve the information anytime as long as you don't permit it to fade, or subject it to any disturbance. "Long-term memory" can mean anything from "long-term memory" could refer to anything from your experience just a moment ago, or the events of a long time back -- going all the way back to childhood.

A note for the creators of your work Rehearsal could be seen as rote learning within pedagogical circumstances. But we know that most learners aren't able to understand the notion of rote-learning as well as not such the best method for understanding complex concepts or abstract information.

The various kinds of long-term memory are:

1. It is memory that is accessible to you consciously. If you are being asked by someone to identify the capital city of Great Britain is, you will easily be able to say it's London. This is why explicit memories are also known by the term declarative memory. Declarative memory may also be divided into

• The episodic memory memories of specific events which occurred in your life. Examples include visiting the home of a dear friend in your childhood
• The ability of semantic memory is to remember things that you have discovered from the outside world. This is the case for the declaration of World War 2 (September 1 September 1939).

1. Implicit memory: It's stored in your long-term memory however it is linked to your movements, performance. It is, for instance, possible to swim and remembering how to drive a vehicle following a lengthy gap or another.

Attention helps memory to stay longer and to learn more effectively.

Although our sense organs can gather a variety of data, however, they are unable to appear in our brains unless you are paying at the information. They are kept in "sensory memory" following perception. They take only a couple of seconds (between two and 3 seconds).

Attention here implies focussing your focus on a specific stimulus without regard to any other stimulus. For instance, you go to the cafe that you like and decide to get the bread you want even though there are other things available.

When you think of the crowded street the brain might be aware of the presence of various individuals. But, it is possible that you not have been paying attention enough to be able to see their faces in mind. The information related to the faces of every person has been lost and is lost forever.

     What does it mean? It happens within the brain?

If you are an educator and create, you may wonder how all information you provide to your students is stored in their brains. Baddeley along with the Hitch Model of Working Memory offers a simple solution.

The frontal brain lobe (a part of the brain) in the cerebral cortex) serves as the brain's processing which encodes data and is later is retrieved. The various kinds of memories are stored in various regions in the brain. According to Hitch and Baddeley:

• Information on the auditory system (information that is in the form of sound, commonly referred to as music and language, or any number of other sound) can be recorded using the Phonological Loop.
• Phonological loop consists of an Phonological Database, in which information can be stored for a brief period of time, and also the articulatory process, where the brain rehearses auditory signals, which are stored over a prolonged duration.
• Visuospatial sketchpad, also known as the visual brain area, is the region of the brain that stores images as well as spatial information like shapes, patterns and pictures.
• Episodic buffer is thought to increase the capacity for the brain encode, store, and retrieve information through connecting different parts of the brain, which aid in processing information.

Let's review what we've learned in the field of processing information in online learning environments.

     Students should pay attention to your course's online material    

If you're thinking of creating or planning modules, consider it in this manner. If you don't create your videos or slides attractive enough, the pupils will not be interested and move on to the next. Students take a glance at the slideshow (sensation takes place) but don't take in it for the time needed to retain it for their shorter-term memories. Let them practice the skill to store it in long-term memory. Eventually, the data is erased from their memories of the sensory. So, making sure they stay focused is vital.

Take into consideration that your child may be focusing on daydreams, or distracted by the content. These issues can hinder the process of paying attention to the information that needs to be absorbed and stored in memory for the long term. Therefore, making sure you produce materials that keep your students' focus is essential.

What you are able to do:

• It is important to encourage the children to stop every 10 to 15 minutes. Human attention waned within 15 minutes.
• Additionally, you should create your lesson plans to be broken down into segments that last at least 15 minutes. There is no need to produce tutorials or create videos lasting only ten minutes. Instead, you should give your students a few fun, exercises or time-outs.
• Create more interactive online learning environments to learn. That's why we'll be discussing it later on.

     Fundamental information processing techniques for helping your students improve their learning.    

After information has been stored in the short-term memory in your brain the information can transfer to your long-term memory, or deleted. Repeating and practicing are vital in order to preserve information for longer periods in the long-term memory. Hence, it is crucial to create lesson plans in order your students get plenty of time to practise and revisit what is retained within their memory. It should be done in just 30 minutes. Therefore, at the conclusion of every lesson which takes a short duration, and then invite your students to practice, repeat the lesson and practice. Rotation assists in ensuring that what they've learned gets stored in long-term memory.

In the event that something is recorded in long-term memory, the data is able to be read at a later time, if you're prompted. But, the effectiveness of retrieving information from memory is dependent on the amount of passion with which the student was instructed about something (were enough attentive, and was your material engaging enough, etc. ).

It is evident from the previous description that learning happens due to how we view information, as well as how we connect it with the facts we have already learned, and that we must keep an eye on it.

Is it actually so simple?

     the Limits of Information Processing Theory in online learning    

Human beings aren't computers. Although drawing parallels between the computer and our brain may be tempting, they're not the same. Information Processing Theory doesn't discuss the significance of motivational factors and emotions in the manner we process information and remember things. Both are crucial in remembering and learning from the knowledge we've learned.

It is believed that the brain processes information in a linear manner -- that information is interpreted, sensed and processed (encoded), stored, and finally stored and later recovered. It is known as serial processing. It is the same thing that computers are able to perform.

The brain, however, can be a multi-tasker, This means that it's able to concurrently process various kinds of information. The capacity to multitask in the brain of a human does not match what computers are capable of. So, while the theory of information processing clearly defines how we perceive, perceive, process, and save information, it does not think about the emotional aspects as well as the way in which our brain works.

Students have emotions as well as motivations, wishes, and desires that you might or may not have thought of when making your course material. It is therefore crucial to understand the fact that you're teaching humans and not computer-generated students. One of the easiest ways to resolve the problem is to develop an online learning environment that is engaging.

Let's now consider how you can incorporate motivation, emotions and social interaction to your course using the concept of information processing to create an online course that is perfect for you.

     Strategies to make the theories of information processing work better in order to make online learning more accessible    

Help your students become alert

What is the best way to be a student when they do not want to? It is essential to sense an intrinsic drive or a desire to take your class, and then remain committed to completing.

Motivation drives students to be attentive to the material you teach, which results in a better processing of information (encoding) as well as improved ability to locate information. Additionally, if your child isn't motivated to be a learner, then even an outstanding course could not be recognized in their brains.

The function of motivation is crucial in information processing as well. It is crucial to be able to pay attention to external stimuli.

• Your responsibility as a teacher is to continue this passion.
• Be aware that motivation is not an empty space. It is crucial that you feel appreciated, receive comments that are positive and appreciated by people around you in order to feel motivated to keep working on something. Do you remember your peers who supported you in doing things when you felt down or needed to get better on some area? The same is true in the study field as well.

Motivational and interpersonal aspects share a lot the same. Let's look at the way this is played out in the theory of social information processing.

Encourage social interaction during learning

While one-to-one teaching is effective, humans benefit from learning when they are within a larger group. This is the reason why traditional learning usually takes place in groups or classes, since learning with others is more enjoyable (and more effective).

Social Information Processing Theory is part of the reason for why people communicate with each other through computers, such as an online learning platform.

Humans also learn from examples and by observation. This means, imitating what others are doing. In this case, you as the educator who created it take on the role of a model, and students emulate the behavior of your students. Albert Bandura, a famous psychologist, observed that learning occurs in social settings and we can't take away "social" in the course of learning.

It is essential that you

• Create online group activities
• Encourage students to interact on platforms and share their expertise.
• Make collaboration and social media participation a key element of the curriculum you design.
• Utilize social media tools to share ideas. They are a type of practice
• You can get positive feedback from your classmates (other students) that can serve as an motivation. To do this, ask your students to evaluate their work in a positive way.

Utilize specific strategies for cognitive development to reach objectives

Cognitive strategies are usually focused on a specific task. This means you must ensure that your pupils have been working on the topic in a direct way. The strategies for cognitive learning that can be employed in online learning are not taking notes, recall, or contextual understanding, as well as the use of Mnemonics. (A Mnemonic is a method that helps you recall or recall information in your memory)

As an example, VIBGYOR can be an abbreviation which refers to the colors of the rainbow: blue, violet, indigo green, yellow orange, and red. In addition to acronyms, there's a myriad of other kinds of mnemonics too like flashcards, classifying objects into distinct categories, etc. All of them can help your students remember their knowledge quickly.

Allows high-level processing of data by using metacognitive strategies

Certain researchers have even claimed to have discovered something that is known as "metacognition," which means "thinking about thinking." As you work out and try to remember your thoughts, or implement techniques that aid others in learning or recall (such in teaching others to reach the desired goal) It is a form of participation that you are taking part in. metacognitive forms.

In 1987, A.L. Brown began a debate about the metacognition methods used to teach. Through the years, it has evolved quite a bit.

In online courses Here are a few of the best metacognitive strategies:

• Advanced organizers: Instruct your students to think about your lesson plan through sharing calendars of class ahead of time. This helps your students to anticipate what they can expect and to connect this with information they have already learned.
• Self-planning: Ask your students to outline their assignments and how they'll organize them. This gives them extra room to "think about what they're doing" Metacognition.
• Students' self-monitoring: Scales to self-rate can be an effective way of determining the areas where your students might need help in. Make online forms to help students monitor their progress at the end of each week or class, according to the time you prefer.
• Self-evaluation: This can happen regularly or at the completion of the course. Since online classes are typically used by people who work for themselves, it is essential that they produce results.

In addition to self-evaluation, associations are also a good option aiding students with learning and remembering the information they've learned. To make the procedure more effective the first step is to find out what your students have acquired. So,

• Before enlisting someone in the educational course, you should evaluate the knowledge level for a better idea of whether they're a good candidate for.
• If not already, then when you start an introduction to the course, be certain to create your content so that they can relate the course to something they're already familiar with. This means that you must aid them in the process of encode.

It is possible to employ methods like images, chunking, or the elaboration.

• Divide your lessons into smaller pieces with engaging questions, online debates and even online quizzes. You can also employ Q&As or help from peers to keep students interested.
• Instruct your students to make connections between the information they have previously learned by presenting the facts in a way that's simple to comprehend. This will help them utilize images to learn and retain.
• In addition, the course requires participants to participate thoroughly. Elaboration, also known as the process of often referred to as elaboration, is crucial to engage students and form associations with existing information in order to acquire new knowledge.

While these are all cognition and metacognitive strategies however, it is impossible to ignore the importance of motivational, emotional, and social learning theories.

Add social interactions as well as emotional expression in the mix

The majority of students enroll into your class because they cannot physically take part in your class due to diverse motives. Online learning platforms offer the option of learning in person as well as a better degree of participation in a lot of cases. It is nevertheless vital to maintain the online learning environment vibrant and exciting. One of the key elements is the use of socio-affective methods that include interpersonal communications and emotional states. Be aware that "affect" refers to feelings.

Here's how:

• Make yourself a personable teacher and assist them in learning by modeling. Inspire feelings of curiosity and excitement, happiness, joy, contentment, delight, and many more. It's fairly easy to create these types of emotions among your students.
• The game can help your students feel content and happy when they achieve specific standards of satisfaction.
• Giving them badges, certificates or some other type of positive reinforcement can assist in adding joy to your daily life.
• If you provide an unanticipated discount to a student who is performing well You combine excitement and delight. This makes students more eager to study.
• Polling can be used to design tests as well as games every fifteen minutes to keep the students engaged and inspire students to contribute their expertise through forums.
• Because children are increasingly comfortable to social media so it makes sense to integrate social media into the classroom as well.

     Humanize information processing theory for online classes that can be compared to    

The theory of information processing helps to better understand how we process and process information using our sense organs and the brain. Although this theory is valid with regard to how sensation and perception, as well as memory operate, it fails to provide a complete understanding of the social process and the function of motivation and emotions.

Furthermore, the human brain is extremely complex and can't be boiled down to the computer's functions. As instructors is essential to keep the students' natural thoughts and desires inside their minds. When you create a memorable online learning experience and keeping in mind the limitations human nature has You can design an online learning experience that's effective and leaves a lasting impression on your students.

provides you with a range of tools that allow you to create course content that's stimulating and engaging. You can create courses that are based upon models of information processing, however, it recognizes that students are emotional beings that want to interact with others while they learn. It offers powerful social engagement features which make it easy to create group-learning modules and encourage active discussions with your students.

Through humanizing online learning, it allows you to engage your students' minds through a fun and engaging way. To learn more about the ways it could assist you with creating educational courses which draw upon the fundamentals of of psychology Contact us now.

This post was first seen on here