A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO TEACHING COGNITIVE SCIENCE TO UNDERGRADUATES: THE LEARNING SCIENCES AS A MEANS TO STUDY AND ENHANCE COLLEGE STUDENT LEARNING

Abstract

This paper reports on a new movement in cognitive studies that focuses on understanding and promoting collaborative learning. First, learning goals are redefined and a theoretical explanation of how collaboration works to achieve such goals is provided. A laboratory study to test this theoretical framework is then described. The study was integrated within a two-year curriculum which teaches introductory cognitive science, and which uses technological tools to enhance teaching and learning processes and outcomes. Two classes are described: one using a technique called “the jigsaw method” to teach the construct of semantic memory, and the other using a more complex design called “the dynamic jigsaw” to facilitate sophomores learning how to integrate 24 research findings into a coherent view of cognitive science. The results to date are promising while at the same time stimulating new research questions about how college students may be helped in their acquisition of not just basic academic knowledge but also skills for self-directed learning and collaborative work.