Is your program decor causing Cognitive Overload?

Reading an article today Decoration or Distraction from over at the Conversation blog and as the new school year approaches it is a great refresher on the importance of truly reflecting on the aesthetics in ones program and is the decor something that is going to enhance learning or is it something that will contribute to cognitive overload and actually result in distraction from learning and in some of today's students actually contribute to their feelings of anxiety in the program! 

Like the author of the article once upon a time I too use to spend my weekends leading up to a new 'theme' transforming my classroom bulletin boards and windows and just about every visible surface into a reflection of the 'theme' we were about to embark on. I used to LOVE making my own bulletin board sets and painting or coloring them with markers  however when we know better we DO better and I have long since purged my theme related 'room decor' and instead choose to adorn the walls with less in order for it to be more for the children. 

The more I read about things like Cognitive Load theory and anxiety in the early years the more I realize that when it comes to our early learning settings the environment really is the third teacher and one of things it needs to be in order to be an effective teacher is a calming soothing setting!

 This is a quick shot of my playroom lay out in my home based programming

One of my goals this month is to do some purging and reorganizing of the playroom and to help remove some of the distracting color in order to focus on the play items.

I am slowly investing in swapping out my red baskets for a more natural wicker option.

I am also debating on either relocating the puppet theater to outdoors where there would be more room to enjoy it or to repaint it to a more neutral palette so that the theater itself is not so distracting in the room.

I have already invested in a new carpet to replace the foam mats which will help on numerous levels in toning down the competing colors in the room!

One of the things I love about being an early childhood educator that is even after 30 years in the field there is still room for growth and learning new things!

Have an amazing day!

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

Be Totallyawake4-life

 

Cognitive Load Theory, How Do I Apply It?

After the webinar the other day on Challenge and Risk in the Early Years I was interested in learning more about Cognitive Load Theory - this is a nice little Coles Notes video on the theory for those who are looking to learn more.

From Wikipedia the following:

In cognitive psychology, cognitive load refers to the used amount of working memory resources. Cognitive load theory differentiates cognitive load into three types: intrinsic, extraneous, and germane. 

Intrinsic cognitive load is the effort associated with a specific topic, extraneous cognitive load refers to the way information or tasks are presented to a learner, and germane cognitive load refers to the work put into creating a permanent store of knowledge, or a schema. 

Cognitive load theory was developed in the late 1980s out of a study of problem solving by John Sweller. Sweller argued that instructional design can be used to reduce cognitive load in learners. Much later, other researchers developed a way to measure perceived mental effort which is indicative of cognitive load.Task-invoked pupillary response is a reliable and sensitive measurement of cognitive load that is directly related to working memory. Information may only be stored in long term memory after first being attended to, and processed by, working memory. Working memory, however, is extremely limited in both capacity and duration. These limitations will, under some conditions, impede learning. 

Heavy cognitive load can have negative effects on task completion, and it is important to note that the experience of cognitive load is not the same in everyone. The elderly, students, and children experience different, and more often higher, amounts of cognitive load. 

The fundamental tenet of cognitive load theory is that the quality of instructional design will be raised if greater consideration is given to the role and limitations, of working memory.

So what does this mean for early childhood educators?

Recognizing that there is a clear difference between adult and child knowledge. These differences are due to developmental increases in processing efficiency. Children lack general knowledge, and this is what creates increased cognitive load in children. Children in impoverished families often experience even higher cognitive load in learning environments than those in middle-class families with more general knowledge and life exposure. These children often do not hear, talk, or learn about schooling concepts because their parents often do not have formal education. When it comes to learning, their lack of experience with numbers, words, and concepts increases their cognitive load. 

 

We need to help reduce the cognitive load for young children so that they have maximized working memory and ability to transfer learning over into long term memory! 

We can do this in the environment by eliminating extraneous images and sounds. We need to reflect on the 'why' behind all the images and bulletin board displays and other visual and noise creating items we add to our classrooms and do they add to learning or distract from it. Striving to create a calm, quiet inviting space for learners to explore and investigate.

With regards to 'signalling principle' we can remember to ensure we engage the children's full body and senses in the things we really want children to 'retain' the learning from as this deepens the connection in their brain from working memory to long term memory. Make sure that images and print words are simple, relevant and clear.
 

Gesturing is a technique children use to reduce cognitive load while speaking. By gesturing, they can free up working memory for other tasks. Pointing allows a child to use the object they are pointing at as the best representation of it, which means they do not have to hold this representation in their working memory, thereby reducing their cognitive load. Additionally, gesturing about an object that is absent reduces the difficulty of having to picture it in their mind

Have an amazing day

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

Be Totallyawake4-life