EDUF3040 · Psychological Perspectives in Education
Cognitive Architecture, Schemas and Prior Knowledge
Week 6 opens the cognitive-science half of University of Sydney EDUF3040: human cognitive architecture with long-term memory as the 'engine room' of learning, domain knowledge stored as schemas and mental models, and Sweller's distinction between biologically primary and secondary knowledge (APA Principle 2 - what students already know affects their learning). It also completes the classroom-management foundations (APA Principle 16 - conduct is learned and teachable). In assessment this surfaces as multiple-choice items on schemas and primary/secondary knowledge, and short-answer questions on activating prior knowledge.
What this chapter covers
- 01APA Principles 2 (prior knowledge affects learning) and 16 (conduct is learned and teachable)
- 02Teaching conduct as a 'social curriculum': model, practise, feedback, reinforce; proactive vs reactive discipline
- 03Behavioural principles: behaviour-specific praise, differential reinforcement, A-B-C / Functional Behaviour Assessment
- 04Biologically primary (evolved, effortless, immersion) vs secondary (cultural, effortful, WM-constrained, needs explicit instruction) knowledge
- 05Schema = a hierarchical network of prior knowledge that chunks elements and enables inference; learning = constructing and automating schemas in LTM
- 06Types of long-term memory: declarative (semantic, episodic), procedural, conditional; 'memories are the residue of thought'
- 07Three principles of learning: active processing, build on what you know, practice
- 08Activating prior knowledge (Ausubel): cues (d ≈ 1.13) and direct schema activation (d ≈ 0.75); K-W-L charts, advance organisers, and confronting misconceptions
Sorting knowledge into biologically primary vs secondary
- +1State the distinction (Geary). Biologically primary knowledge evolved to be acquired unconsciously and effortlessly through immersion and play, largely bypassing working-memory limits. Biologically secondary knowledge is a cultural invention, acquired consciously with effort and strictly constrained by working memory.
- +1(a) Speaking a first language and (c) recognising faces are biologically primary - humans acquire them naturally through immersion, without explicit teaching.
- +1(e) Solving an everyday practical problem is also biologically primary (general problem-solving is an evolved capacity).
- +1(b) Algebra and (d) reading are biologically secondary - cultural inventions that must be taught explicitly and are heavily working-memory-constrained.
- +1Instructional implication. Secondary knowledge needs explicit instruction, scaffolding, worked examples and guided practice; leaving novices to 'discover' it causes cognitive overload and failure. Primary capacities (speaking, gesture, tracing, story) can be leveraged to teach secondary knowledge.
Key terms
- Biologically primary vs secondary knowledge
- Geary's distinction. Primary knowledge (e.g. speaking, face recognition, general problem-solving) evolved to be acquired unconsciously, effortlessly and through immersion, largely bypassing working-memory limits. Secondary knowledge (e.g. reading, writing, algebra, science) is a cultural invention, acquired consciously with effort and strictly WM-constrained - so it needs explicit instruction, scaffolding and worked examples.
- Schema
- A mental model or hierarchical network of prior knowledge that supports perception, understanding, learning and problem-solving. Schemas 'chunk' many elements into a single unit, giving meaning to patterns and enabling efficient, flexible inference. From this cognitive view, learning is the construction and automation of schemas in long-term memory; a well-developed knowledge base is the foundation of expertise.
- Types of long-term memory
- Prior knowledge is stored as declarative memory - semantic (facts) and episodic (events) - procedural memory (knowing how) and conditional memory (knowing when and why). Jonassen & Grabowski also distinguish prerequisite knowledge needed to understand new content from the totality of related knowledge a learner brings.
- Memories are the residue of thought
- Willingham's principle: 'you remember what you think about'. Learning is a by-product of what students attend to and process, not of mere exposure - so instruction should direct attention to the meaning to be learned rather than to incidental or seductive detail.
- Activating prior knowledge (Ausubel)
- 'The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows.' Marzano's effect sizes: cues (previewing to-be-learned information) d ≈ 1.13 and direct schema activation (asking what students already know) d ≈ 0.75. Tools include K-W-L charts, advance organisers, focused listing and webs - and eliciting thinking also surfaces misconceptions (and neuromyths such as learning styles).
- Functional Behaviour Assessment (A-B-C)
- A behavioural-management method: identify the form, function (access or avoidance) and context of a behaviour via Antecedent-Behaviour-Consequence analysis, including the teacher's own behaviour. Changing the antecedent or teacher response (e.g. re-engaging a bored student with challenging work) can change the behaviour, feeding an individualised support plan. Reflects APA Principle 16.
Cognitive Architecture, Schemas and Prior Knowledge FAQ
Why does prior knowledge matter so much?
APA Principle 2 states that what students already know affects their learning, and the cognitive view explains why: new information is understood and stored by linking it into existing schemas in long-term memory. A rich, well-organised knowledge base lets a learner chunk elements, make inferences and free up working memory. This is also why activating prior knowledge before teaching (cues, K-W-L, advance organisers) produces large effects - and why surfacing misconceptions matters, since students are never 'empty vessels'.
What is the practical point of the primary/secondary distinction?
It is the foundation of the explicit-instruction argument that dominates Weeks 8-9. Because biologically secondary knowledge (reading, maths, science) is a cultural invention that is heavily constrained by working memory, novices cannot be left to 'discover' it without overloading - they need explicit instruction, scaffolding and worked examples. Evolved primary capacities (speech, gesture, tracing, story) can be leveraged to help teach it, but they do not replace deliberate instruction.
How is Week 6 assessed?
Expect multiple-choice items on schemas, the types of long-term memory, the primary/secondary distinction and prior-knowledge activation, plus short-answer questions asking you to classify knowledge types or explain how activating prior knowledge supports learning. The behavioural-management content (A-B-C, behaviour-specific praise) can also appear. Confirm coverage on Canvas.
Can AI help me with cognitive architecture?
Yes. Sia can quiz you on the memory taxonomy, help you classify primary vs secondary knowledge, and walk through how a K-W-L chart or advance organiser activates prior knowledge, explaining each step. It mirrors how EDUF3040 teaches this material and does not do graded work for you; University of Sydney academic-integrity rules apply.
Exam move
Anchor the week on one sentence - learning is the construction and automation of schemas in long-term memory - and be able to define a schema and the memory types (declarative: semantic/episodic; procedural; conditional). Drill the primary/secondary classification, because it is both a likely MCQ and the logical basis for the explicit-instruction weeks that follow. Keep Ausubel's dictum and Marzano's two effect sizes (cues d ≈ 1.13, direct activation d ≈ 0.75) on a card, with the prior-knowledge tools (K-W-L, advance organisers) beside them. Fold in the behavioural-management foundations (A-B-C analysis, behaviour-specific praise, proactive over reactive) as APA Principle 16. When classification feels fuzzy, ask Sia to set fresh knowledge items and mark your primary/secondary calls.
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