Cognitive acceleration

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Cognitive Acceleration describes a lesson design developed by Michael Shayer and Philip Adey at Kings College, London which are designed to promote student's thinking from "concrete" to "formal", abstract thinking.

The approach builds on work by Piaget, Vygotsky and Feuerstein and takes a constructivist approach.

From Piaget, CA recognises that there are stages in intellectual development. At school the most important transition is from concrete thinking - which deals with facts and descriptions, to abstract thinking - any thinking which a mental process. This includes: thinking about future events, inferring meaning from text, visualising chemical reactions, designing, evaluating.

From Vygotsky, CA takes the concept of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): that pupils have secure knowledge onto which new learning can be built (scaffolding), but only if the new knowledge can be linked to the old.

From Feuerstein CA takes the concept that intelligence is not fixed, but is plastic and can be developed. This requires the help of a Mediator: someone who asks questions and allows "guided self-discovery". This mediation can often be done better by peers than by a teacher and so promotes the idea of pupils working in groups to solve a problem.

The first series used a secondary science context: CASE (Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education) while more recent developments have used Maths (CAME) and technology (CATE).

[edit] Structure of the lessons

CA acknowledges that there are a set of subskills which underpin abstract thinking. Early CASE lessons focus on these: classification, scale, ratio, proportion, probability, variables, fair testing.

Lessons which develop abstract thinking directly have the following structure:

1. An introduction which sets the scene
2. A puzzle or challenge which needs to be solved (cognitive conflict)
3. Group-work where pupils share ideas for solutions (social construction)
4. Sharing answers with the whole group (plenary)
5. Explaining the thinking which gave the answer (metacognition)
6. Making links to everyday applications of the ideas discussed (bridging)

[edit] References

For CASE

• Adey, P. S..(1993). Accelerating the development of formal thinking in Middle and High school students IV: three years on after a two-year intervention . Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 30, 4, 351-366.
• Shayer, M., (1999). Cognitive acceleration through science education II: its effects and scope. International Journal of Science Education, 21, (8), 883-902.
• Adey, P.S., Shayer, M. & Yates, C.(1989). Thinking Science: Student and Teachers' materials for the CASE intervention. London: Macmillan

For CAME

• Adhami, M., Johnson, D.C. & Shayer, M. (1995). Thinking Maths: The curriculum materials of the Cognitive Acceleration through Mathematics Education (CAME) project - Teacher's Guide. London: CAME Project/King's College.
• Adhami, M., Robertson, A., & Shayer, M.(2004). Let's Think Through Maths!: Developing thinking in mathematics with five and six-year-olds. London: nferNelson
• Adhami, M., Shayer, M., & Twiss, S.(2005). Let's Think through Maths! 6-9. London: nferNelson