Depend on the choosen activity and the topic - Essay Example

The word ‘learning’ has been defined as “relatively permanent change in behavior resulting form experience” (Dworetzky, 1994). This essay, therefore, has the purpose of exploring the cognitivist approach of learning by examining its application to a particular learning task. The task chosen is the process of typing the keyboard of a computer. Firstly, an analysis of the types of knowledge required to undertake the chosen activity will be considered and the cognitive theory will be introduced with its main features followed by a discussion of the application of the theory in the process of typing the keyboard of the computer.

The strength and weaknesses of the theory will be analyzed after that and the essay will be concluded. There are different steps or processes involved in the act of typing the keyboard of a computer. The person needs to have a plan of what he is going to type; he needs to have appropriate knowledge and skills such as placing the fingers at the right position, the aptitude of typing the material with appropriate speed and accuracy, being seated in a comfortable position in the chair so that he doesn’t strain his back, etc.

Declarative knowledge is often described as the content of learning. In other words it caters to the what of the activity being learnt. Knowing a piece of information, that is, a concept, fact, idea or label would be considered to be in this category (Ehren & Gildroy). Knowing the history, characteristics or physical appearance, for example would be included here. Procedural knowledge explains the How of information that tells us rules to follow to accomplish a task (Ehren & Gildroy). In other words, knowing how to perform an action or sequence of actions is procedural knowledge.

Conditional knowledge is knowledge about when to use a procedure, skill, or strategy and when not to use it; why a procedure works and under what