Cognitive Science 301

Applied Cognitive Science and Education
Fall 2006

A conceptual model of learning and productivity (Mel Levine, Chapter 1)

• Neurodevelopmental functions/constructs come together and work effectively to facilitate learning and acquisition of skills & knowledge.

  • these represent "neurological capacities" within the brain

  • neurodevelopmental dysfunctions are weaknesses

  • neurodevelopmental functions change and should become more efficient with age

  • some people are resilient and learn strategies to compensate for their weaknesses/dysfunctions

• Academic skills are the collaborative result of neurodevelopmental functions and composed of many different subskills

  • What does it take to succeed at writing? [knowledge of letters, knowledge of phonological awareness, ability to form letters, ability to spell words accurately, mechanics (punctuation, capitalization, and grammar), use of prior knowledge, working memory, temporal-sequential ordering, brainstorming]

  • What does it take to be a successful reader?

    • e.g., dyslexia, hyperlexia

  • What subskills are necessary to perform the following demonstration?

• By breaking down the skill into subskills and analyzing them, then specific remediation techniques can be employed to try to strengthen the weak functions.

• Critical points about the neurodevelopmental constructs according to Levine (p 13)

  • each of the constructs consists of many discrete but related elements (and each construct is composed of many skills and subskills)

  • the constructs "are influenced by, and themselves influence, various" inherent physical (endogenous) and environmental (exogenous) factors

  • within each construct there is a developmental progression with normal variation between individuals

  • "the operations of the eight constructs overlap and interact"

  • the neurodevelopmental constructs do not necessarily function in any specific or discrete order when they come together

  • the causes of any dysfunction in the neurodevelopmental constructs is not as important as identifying the specific type of dysfunction and the relevant skills and subskills

  Two important ideas about the reading in Chapter 1

  1. Acquisition of skills involves many different subskills, which need to come together to provide a functional neurodevelopmental construct.

  2. Many different parts/functions of the nervous system, described by 8 neurodevelopmental constructs, need to develop and interact efficiently to produce efficient learning and acquisition of skills.

  Possible questions about information in Chapter 1

  1. Why did Levine create a model of 8 neurodevelopmental constructs?

  2. Of what use is the model of neurodevelopmental constructs?