Question 1

Which one of the following teachers is using reciprocal teaching?

Accepted Answer

Reciprocal teaching involves students working in small groups where they take turns asking questions and leading discussions about the text they are reading, which is what Mr. Bromley is doing.

Question 2

Cathleen is having trouble learning the steps involved in using a microscope correctly. If you consider Vygotsky's description of how children help themselves get through difficult tasks, you should suggest that Cathleen:

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky's theory emphasizes the importance of self-talk or private speech as a way for children to guide themselves through difficult tasks. By talking herself through the steps, Cathleen can better understand and remember the process of using a microscope.

Question 3

From a Vygotskian perspective, scaffolding serves what purpose in instruction?

Accepted Answer

From a Vygotskian perspective, scaffolding refers to the support provided by more competent individuals to help children perform tasks that they cannot do alone. The support is gradually reduced as the child becomes more competent. Therefore, the purpose of scaffolding is to support children as they perform difficult tasks. Choice D is the best answer.

Question 4

Nine-year-old Ricky has recently learned how to solve long division problems, and he still struggles with especially difficult problems. At his mother's request, he helps his eight-year-old sister Lucy with the simple long division problems she must do for her math homework. From the perspective of Vygotsky's theory, which one of the following is most likely to result?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Nine-year-old Ricky has recently learned how to...

Question 5

If you were interested in how a child's culture influences cognitive development, you would be most likely to consider _______ approach to cognitive development.

Accepted Answer

Vygotsky's approach to cognitive development emphasizes the role of culture and social context in shaping cognitive development. Vygotsky argued that children's cognitive development is influenced by the cultural tools and cognitive practices of their community, and that learning and development are intimately linked to social interaction and collaboration. In contrast, Piaget's approach is more focused on universal stages of cognitive development that unfold regardless of cultural context, while neo-Piagetian and information processing theorists focus more on cognitive processes and mechanisms rather than cultural influences.

Question 6

Imagine that you want to improve middle school students' ability to learn information from their textbooks. Considering research results described in the textbook, which technique would you be most likely to use?

Accepted Answer

Reciprocal teaching is a technique that has been shown to effectively improve students' ability to understand and learn information from texts. It involves students taking turns teaching each other and discussing the content, which enhances comprehension and retention.

Question 7

Which one of the following is the best example of an authentic activity?

Accepted Answer

Designing a bridge using principles of physics is the best example of an authentic activity because it involves applying knowledge to a real-world problem, which is a key characteristic of authentic learning experiences.

Question 8

Sociocultural theory suggests that with development, children acquire many cognitive tools of their culture. Which teacher is most clearly applying this idea?

Accepted Answer

Ms. Turiel is applying sociocultural theory by teaching students to use a cognitive tool (graphing) that is part of their cultural knowledge to understand and analyze data, which aligns with the theory's emphasis on the role of cultural tools in cognitive development.

Question 9

Choose a particular grade level and discuss three important implications of Piaget's theory for teaching students at this grade level. State your three points both in abstract terms and in terms of specific educational practices you would employ.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Choose a particular grade level and discuss...

Question 10

Ms. Killian and her fourth graders have been growing sunflowers under various conditions-they have grown sunflowers in different kinds of soil, with different amounts of water, and in varying degrees of sunlight. Below are four statements that Ms. Killian makes related to the sunflowers. Which one is most consistent with the idea of a cognitive apprenticeship?

Accepted Answer

Choice C involves the students analyzing the differences in growing conditions and using their observations to figure out what could have caused the differences in growth. This is consistent with the idea of a cognitive apprenticeship, where students are guided to think like experts in the field. The other choices involve the teacher asking for definitions (A), general knowledge (B), or giving explicit instructions (D), which are not as closely related to cognitive apprenticeship.

Question 11

Describe at least three ways in which youngsters in Piaget's formal operations stage are likely to think differently from those in the concrete operations stage. Illustrate each characteristic with a concrete example of how youngsters in each of the two stages might think or act.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe at least three ways in which...

Question 12

Ms. Villanueva has her students engage in a variety of activities in her middle school geography class. Three of the activities described below are authentic activities. Which one is not an authentic activity as educators typically use the term?

Accepted Answer

Authentic activities are those that mimic the real-world tasks, allowing students to apply what they've learned in practical, meaningful contexts. Describing the difference between latitude and longitude, while important, is more of a direct instruction activity rather than an application of knowledge in a real-world context, unlike the other options which involve practical application of geographic skills.

Question 13

Write a single paragraph that describes the process of cognitive development according to Piaget. Use all the following concepts in your answer in such a way that each concept's meaning is clear: accommodation, assimilation, disequilibrium, equilibration, equilibrium, schemes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Write a single paragraph that describes the...

Question 14

Mr. Davis asks his third graders to conduct experiments to examine the effects of water, sunlight, and type of soil on growing sunflowers. He tells them, "I want you to find out which of these three things-water, sunlight, and soil-affect how well sunflowers grow. Here are lots of sunflower seeds, lots of paper cups to grow them in, and two different types of soil. You can give your growing plants plenty of sunlight by putting them on the shelf by the window, or you can grow them in a shadier place on the bookshelf behind my desk. And here's a measuring cup you can use to measure the amount of water you give them each day."
Mr. Davis is assuming his third graders can do at least two things that, from Piaget's perspective, they probably cannot do. What two crucial abilities necessary for conducting appropriate experiments do his students probably not yet have? Justify your answer in a short paragraph.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Mr. Davis asks his third graders to...

Question 15

Leonard is teaching Sally how to play a new card game. During the first time through the game, Leonard looks at Sally's cards and helps her decide how to play them at each turn. As Sally becomes more familiar with the game's rules and strategies, Leonard gives her fewer hints and less assistance. This scenario best illustrates:

Accepted Answer

Scaffolding is a teaching method that involves providing support to a learner as they are introduced to a new concept or skill, gradually reducing this support as the learner becomes more competent. In the scenario, Leonard's method of gradually reducing the amount of help he gives Sally as she becomes more familiar with the game is a classic example of scaffolding.

Question 16

Which concept reflects the general idea that challenge is important for cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

ZPD, or Zone of Proximal Development, reflects the idea that challenge is important for cognitive development. It suggests that learning occurs most effectively in the zone where the task is not too easy nor too hard, but just beyond the learner's current abilities, requiring assistance to achieve the task.

Question 17

Three of the following teachers are using scaffolding to help their students learn. Which one is not necessarily providing scaffolding?

Accepted Answer

Scaffolding involves providing support to students to help them achieve a learning goal that they would not be able to reach on their own. Choices A, B, and C all describe direct methods of support to help students learn specific skills or solve problems. Choice D, taking students on a field trip, while educational and enriching, does not necessarily provide the direct, structured support characteristic of scaffolding.

Question 18

Which one of the following examples most clearly illustrates a cognitive apprenticeship?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive apprenticeship involves learning through guided experiences that include explicit modeling of the cognitive processes by the expert (teacher) along with encouragement for learners to articulate their own thoughts and strategies. Option D, where the teacher models the process of interpreting poetry and encourages students to articulate their own interpretations, aligns with this approach.

Question 19

Several parents who are making costumes for an elementary school play ask the young cast members to assist them with such tasks as cutting fabric, pinning pieces together, and sewing simple hems. Using the language of Vygotskian theorists, we can say that the parents are:

Accepted Answer

The parents are engaging the students in guided participation by involving them in tasks with support, which aligns with Vygotsky's concept of learning within the zone of proximal development with the help of more knowledgeable others.

Question 20

Which one of the following issues reflects a fundamental difference between Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories of cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

Piaget's theory emphasizes children's independent exploration and self-discovery in learning, suggesting that cognitive development is largely an individual process. In contrast, Vygotsky's theory highlights the crucial role of social interaction and guidance from adults or more knowledgeable others in cognitive development, indicating a fundamental difference in how they view the dependence on adult guidance for cognitive gains.

Quiz 6: Cognitive Development: Piaget and Vygotsky