The Cognition of the Read/Write Web

Interesting observation:

Hello,My name is (#$%*($%Q )  #Q(%)#Q(%, I am in your TR Cognition class. I was just wondering what your reasoning for the collaborative testing was. I was grouped with two people that didnt study, and i did so i just dont understand how that is fair. im not trying to complain, just wondering. and one of my partners sleeps in class everyday, so i dont think he could be of any help. just wondering. I dont see how this group test will be reflective of my personal learning abilities. just looking for clarification.Thank You,

The answer has many parts…

First, as a cognitive scientist and memory guy, I know about (and am interested in) your learning the material. You need to place it into your semantic memory so that it stays with you and you can use it / apply it / benefit from it. One sure fire way to do that is to think about the material in a meaningful way (encoding so that it is placed in memory). Explaining why the best answer is right and why the wrong answers and distracters are wrong is one way to do that. If you actually “know” the material, then you should be able to convince / explain it to your collaboration partners. If you can’t explain it, then you probably don’t really know it and it won’t stick with you.

Second, use this as an opportunity to improve your test taking skills. See how others approach the problems. Learn to think about the questions from different angles and world views. Use reasoning skills to get everyone to the best answer.

Third, this is a great opportunity for you to learn about your classmates and perhaps get a chance to view their preparation from my vantage point. Many of you have complained to me about being stuck with peers that are unprepared or unwilling to work together. This is not news to me, but you need to think about it. These folks are working toward the same degree as you… these folks are going to be applying for the same jobs as you… these folks are going to be at jobs before you get there. How do you think they will represent a NGCSU BS degree in Psychology? How will you represent an NGCSU psych degree?

Collaborative testing is a great way for you to master the material, learn about working with others (which you will be doing or the rest of your life), and develop communication skills for a successful life out there… in the big wide world.

Technorati Tags: collaborative testing semantic memory