Download Conceptual Framework

Understanding Facts and Ideas
in the
Context of a Conceptual Framework
Pay attention to the core concepts. Little details are quickly forgotten. By
grasping the big picture and broad concepts will give learners a foundation
in the discipline and a basis for future learning. The big picture and broad
concepts are the conceptual framework.
“Understanding ideas in the context of a conceptual framework increases
transfer and ease of learning” (Bransford, 2000).
John Bransford, a gifted education researcher who edited the
well-received How People Learn, one day asked a simple
question: In a given academic discipline, what separates
novices from experts? Bransford eventually discovered six
characteristics, one of which is relevant to our discussion:
“[Experts’] knowledge is not simply a list of facts and formulas
that are relevant to their domain; instead their knowledge is
organized around core concepts or ‘big ideas’ that guide their
thinking about their domains.
Whether you are a waiter or a brain scientist, if you want to
get the particulars correct, in a hierarchical fashion, don’t
start with the details. Start with the key ideas and, in a
hierarchical fashion, form the details around these larger
notions.
A key finding in the learning and transfer
literature is that organizing information into a
conceptual framework allows for greater
“transfer”; that is, it allows the student to apply
what was learned in new situations and to learn
related information more quickly” (Bransford).
A conceptual framework is a group of concepts that are broadly defined
and systematically organized to provide a focus, a rationale, and a tool for
integrating and interpretation of information.
This provides the big picture for learning, making associations, and making
interconnections between new information and prior knowledge, which is
the foundation of constructing meaning.
Stage:
Prefrontal
Cortex –
where
decisions
are made
Actor: New
information
Selfawareness
THE STAGE
Academic
Plan
Advising &
Choosing
Registration
a major
Career
exploration
Example of a business reading selection and building a conceptual framework
“Most people associate the word product with tangible goods – an automobile, computer,
loaf of bread, coat, or some other tangible item. However, a product can also be a service,
which results when people or machines provide or process something of value to
customers. Dry cleaning photo processing, a checkup by a doctor, a performance by a
movie star or basketball player – these are examples of services. A product can also be an
idea. Consultants and attorneys, for example, generate ideas for solving problems ”
Note: What is interesting to note is that the reading selection under “The Nature
of Business” heading is an introduction; however, it sets the reader up to be
prepared for important information that will be explained in more depth later.
Examples, product, profit, tangible and intangible needs.
product
The
Nature of
Business
tangible
intangible
Synonym
Net
Income
Dictionary: net income:
the excess of revenues
over outlays in a given
period of time (including
depreciation and other
non-cash expenses)
Revenue
the entire amount
of income before
any deductions
are made
deductions
An amount
that is or
may be
deducted
Outlay
Non-cash
Expenses
Depreciation
profit
Dictionary Definition of Profit
For
corporations.
Revenues
minus cost of
sales,
operating
expenses and
taxes.
income
For individuals,
money earned
through
employment
and
investment.
When new information and concepts are learned and stored in
conceptual frameworks or neural networks, working memory can treat
lots of information as as only one of the 4 items that working memory
can hold at one time. This increases the learners ability to use
information to reason with, make decisions, and solve problems.
Stage:
Prefrontal
Cortex –
where
decisions are
made
Actor: New
information
Selfawareness
THE STAGE
Academic
Plan
Advising &
Choosing a
Registration
major
Career
exploration
“Perhaps the most pervasive strategy used to improve memory
performance is clustering: organizing disparate pieces of
information into meaningful units. Clustering depends on
organizing knowledge. Working memory has limits of four
unrelated items. People have developed ways around this
memory constraint by organizing information, such as grouping
together or “chunking” disparate elements into sets of letters,
numbers, or pictures that make sense to them.” (Bransford,
How People Learn)
When in the process of learning one can pull up whole conceptual
frameworks are one time, working memory has more to work with when
comparing new information to prior knowledge. – making learning
related information easier and transfer to new situation more likely.
The Stage: metaphor for prefrontal cortex
Actor: New
information
Audience: Prior
Knowledge dendrites
Stage:
Prefrontal
Cortex –
where
decisions
are made
THE STAGE
Prior
knowledge
now an
actor
Dendrites
Neurons
Axon
End Buds
Cell Body
Dendrites
Selfawareness
Axon
Cell Body
Academic
Plan
Advising &
Choosing
Registration
a major
Career
exploration
Dendrites
Neurons
Axon
End Buds
Cell Body