cognitive flexibility theory

I always liked the name Spiro. How old is this theory, anyway? 1990. Okay, I've missed out the last 15 years. Imagine all the fun I could have had. What? Already having fun? Calling it something else?

Cognitive flexibility theory focuses on the nature of learning in complex and ill-structured domains. Spiro & Jehng (1990, p. 165) state: "By cognitive flexibility, we mean the ability to spontaneously restructure one's knowledge, in many ways, in adaptive response to radically changing situational demands...This is a function of both the way knowledge is represented (e.g., along multiple rather single conceptual dimensions) and the processes that operate on those mental representations (e.g., processes of schema assembly rather than intact schema retrieval)."

The theory is largely concerned with transfer of knowledge and skills beyond their initial learning situation. For this reason, emphasis is placed upon the presentation of information from multiple perspectives and use of many case studies that present diverse examples. The theory also asserts that effective learning is context-dependent, so instruction needs to be very specific. In addition, the theory stresses the importance of constructed knowledge; learners must be given an opportunity to develop their own representations of information in order to properly learn.

Is this anything new? Specific case-based (context-specific) learning. Situated. Big picture learning. Ability to improvise and adapt according to the needs of the situation. Wait, here are the principles:

1. Learning activities must provide multiple representations of content.


2. Instructional materials should avoid oversimplifying the content domain
   and support context-dependent knowledge.


3. Instruction should be case-based
   and emphasize knowledge construction, not transmission of information.


4. Knowledge sources should be highly interconnected rather than compartmentalized.

And here's an article on its implications for teaching. It includes this quote: "Spiro's approach to instruction focuses on multiple presentations of information. Content must be covered a number of times with different purposes; therefore there are many concrete examples of the uses of a concept" (Dick, 1991, p. 43). They're talking about transfer here folks. Where things are understood more comprehensively, and are more apt to be useful in various situations when they are seen/learned from multiple (different) perspectives. Yes, it's not easy. Yes, it subverts the hegemonic effect of direct instruction. Yes, it's very cool stuff that builds off of Constructivism and it's just a few lego bricks from my hero Papert's Constructionism

"Constructionism shares constructivism's connotation of learning as `building knowledge structures' irrespective of the circumstances of the learning. It then adds that this happens especially felicitously in a context where the learner is consciously engaged in constructing a public entity, whether it's a sandcastle on the beach or a theory of the universe... If one eschews pipeline models of transmitting knowledge in talking among ourselves as well as in theorizing about classrooms, then one must expect that I will not be able to tell you about my idea of constructionism. Doing so is bound to trivialize it. Instead, I must confine myself to engage you in experiences (including verbal ones) liable to encourage your own personal construction of something in some sense like it. Only in this way will there be something rich enough in your mind to be worth talking about." (Papert, 1990)

By the way, here's a very enjoyable article on the various facets of A Journey into Constructivism. Oh, and, here's the crowning cool thing: Spiro's coming to campus this Friday, and giving a talk, and I need to go.