It is probably more difficult for you to remember this string of letters: CIB, IAJ, FKI, RSU and SAF than this one: FBI, CIA, KGB, JFK, and USA. Why? Because the second one includes possible familiar information; that is, you have probably heard them before and they activated your prior knowledge. As you watch the following video, think about the role that prior knowledge plays in learning.
Prior knowledge alone, however, is not enough. Practice is also an essential part of learning. What place does practice have in the 3 stages of learning mentioned in the video? Can you think of an example (different from the one in the video) in which a person needs to undergo the 3 stages of learning to acquire a new skill? Write your answers down in your reflective notebook.
If you would like to watch an example of a teacher activating the prior knowledge of her learners, you can watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B3ZcDm7i-g&t=193s
If you’re interested in research studies on this topic, you can read the work of:
- Hattan et al. (2015) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2381336915617603
- Wetzels et al. (2011) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074756321000124X