Schemas in Problem Solving

by Sandra P. Marshall

Overview

Schemas are major knowledge structures influencing the way people acquire and store information. Sandra Marshall explores a new theory of schema development and studies the applicability of the theory as a unified basis for understanding learning, instruction, and assessment. The theory's prescriptions for teaching are direct, and its application to assessment suggests new directions for tests. After examining the roots of the theory in earlier work by philosophers and psychologists, the author illustrates the main features of her theory with experimental evidence from students who are learning to recognize and solve arithmetic story problems. She describes individual performance with traditional empirical studies as well as computer simulation. The computer simulation reflects a new approach in modeling cognition. Marshall's model links neural networks with symbolic systems to form a hybrid model that uses pattern matching of sets of features as well as logical step-by-step rules. Educational researchers and psychologists as well as curriculum developers will be interested in the new approaches of this work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521430722
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/30/1995
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	440
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.33(h) x 1.18(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; Acknowledgements; Part I. Fundamentals: 1. Schema roots; 2. The nature of a schema; 3. The schemas of arithmetic story problems; Part II. Schemas and Instruction: 4. Theoretical issues for instruction; 5. The story problem solver and the problem solving environment: two examples of schema-based instruction; Part III. Learning from Instruction: 6. Learning and schema theory; 7. Learning from schema-based instruction; 8. The acquisition of planning knowledge; 9. The diagram: marker and template; Part IV. Schemas and Assessment: 10. Schema-based assessment; 11. Assessment in SPS and PSE; Part V. Schema Models: 12. Production systems, neural networks and hybrid models; 13. The performance model; 14. The learning model; 15. The full schema model; 16. Some concluding remarks on schema theory; Notes; References; Name index; Subject index.

Editorial Reviews

"...a solid and interesting book..." Wayne D. Gray, Contemporary Psychology

"Cognitive scientists, philosophers, psychologists, and educators will find this book to be fascinating reading." Jenny A. Piazza, Teaching Children Mathematics

"...this book presents several methodological approaches which should prove invaluable to anyone attempting to apply variations on this schema theory to their domain." John Begoray, Journal of Educational thought

From the Publisher