Ed psych chapter 5 - Learner Differences and Needs

Intelligence

ability to acquire and produce knowledge

Spearman Hierarchical Model

• General intelligence factor (g)

• Performed tests on math, language, spatial ability etc, rank order each test score and compare;

• found that there was similar rankings across people on their tests

  • Some general intelligence factor (g) leading to similarity

• Certain broad abilities: visual perception, logic, language, broad ability X

Carroll’s Hierarchical Model: Task Specific Abilities 

• Added a new layer to Spearman’s model

• Everyone has specific abilities: reading, computer use, arithmetic, task-specific ability X

Cattell-Horn Model

• fluid intelligence and crystalized intelligence

Fluid intelligence

• information processing ability/speed

  • Peaks in late adolescence; stable for most of life; declines in old age

  • Shows up only when task is timed

  • Ex. how fast you are at problem-solving

Crystalized Intelligence

• Intelligence as use of acquired language

• Increases throughout life

Multiple (9) Intelligences (Howard Gardner)

• Intelligence → any behaviour that is valued by the culture

• includes logical/mathematical, linguistics/verbal, visual/spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, existential

Criticisms of Multiple Intelligences Theories

• Many high correlations among abilities; are they really separate

  • If they were; shouldn’t find high correlations

• Measurement? 

  • Eg. how do you measure existential intelligence

• Overly tailored lessons

  • Curiculums wanted to include aspects that hit all 9 types of intelligence; became way too complicated

Contributions of Multiple Intelligence Theories

• Students differ

• Different abilities → different approaches

• Beyond a single measure → IQ test can’t single handed describe individual IQ

Theories of Intelligence: Sternberg’s 3 skills

• What are people doing when they do something intelligent?

• We develop and use strategies/plans, acquiring knowledge

• 3 different types of intelligence; some are better at one of these realms and not the others 

1. Analytical

2. Creative

3. Practical

Sternberg: Analytical Skills

formal problem solving; familiar situations 

Ex. writing an essay or test, answering a discussion question

Sternberg: Creative Skills

adapt, deal with novel problems

Ex. function and problem solve in unfamiliar situations

Sternberg: Practical Skills

Everyday loosely defined problems

Intelligence Tests

• Binet-Simon Intelligence Tests

• Stanford-Binet

• Wechsler (WAIS, WISC)

Binet-Simon Intelligence Test

• Binet was hired by French government during Education reforms

  • Every child now had to go to school

  • Some argued that students with learning difficulties should be educated in asylums/hospitals

  • Binet strongly disagreed and said that a medical diagnoses is not needed and instead a measure of intelligence should be used 

• Separate abilities, subscales

  • Linguistic, quantitative, logic, mathematical,  little bit of spatial ability

• Intelligence test results were first interpreted as mental age (1908), then Intelligence Quotient (IQ) (1912)

Stanford-Binet Test

• Test came to the US and was revised at Stanford

• modern test used today

Wechsler (WAIS, WISC)

• Argued that the Simon and Standford-Bonet test focused too much on linguistic ability

• This test added new subscales → spatially, memory

• Had test for adults and children → modern standard for intelligence tests

Heredity and IQ Test Scores

• Adoption studies have found childs IQ scores are more similar to bio parents and not adoptive; gets stronger towards bio parent as child gets older

• Older the child gets, the stronger the herediability and weaker the environmental influence → becomes harder to move where they are in the reaction range

how do hereditability and environment determine where people lie within the reaction range of IQ scores

Hereditability —> determines reaction range/upper and lower IQ limits

Environment —> determines where specific IQ score lands

• depends on if environment is enriched, avergae, and deprived

Emotional Intelligence

• Argued that EI is important for SEL; the underlining thing for learning is EI

  • Not a stage or development theory but can expect people to go through these aspects throughout development

Progression of Emotional Intelligence

1. Perceiving Emotions - In faces, pictures, voices, cultural artifacts - including one’s own

2. Using Emotions - fitting emotions to the task at hand

3. Understanding Emotions - understanding relationships among emotions

4. Managing Emotions - Regulate emotions, manage self emotions and others emotions

Creativity

• Ability think about a task in a new/different way, togenerate new ideas

what does creativity require?

1. Domain-relevant knowledge, skills

2. Creativity-relevant processes, work habits

3. Intrinsic motivation, fascination with area.

Convergent Thinking

generate one answer from many pieces of information

ex. conventional tests, academic tasks, essay writing

Divergent Thinking

generate multiple answers + brainstorming as many ideas as possible 

what does creative thinking use?

• both types of thinking

• Divergent to generate ideas

• Convergent to organize and execute

how do we assess creativity

Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT)

Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT)

• Measures divergent thinking

• asks participant to generate as many ideas or images or words,etc as possible

how is the Torrance Test scored?

1. Fluency: Number of ideas

2. Flexibility: Diversity of ideas

3. Originality: Commonality of ideas

learning preference

preferred ways to study, learn

cognitive style

ways of perceiving, organizing, using information

exceptional students

• Student performance is outside the expected range, either above or below

• Instruction that is suitable for the majority of the class is inappropriate

• special approach that differs from the majority of students to reach their potential

Characteristics of Gifted/Talented Students

• High competence in one or more domains

• High level of creativity, originality

• Commitment/motivation (may be limited area)

• Prefer the company of adults and older children → typically show better social skills then same-age peers 

• Emotionally mature and stable → small risk for emotional problems (depression)

  • In school environments, frequently show impatience; standard instruction is too easy

origins of gifted/talented students

• Intense sustained practice

• Early talent/interest

• Visuo-spatial processing? → not a lot of evidence 

Identifying Gifted/Talented Students

• Classification as gifted is based on the school district’s threshold for giftedness 

  • Students who just miss the mark for gifted → talented/exceptional

  • want to identify students as early as possible to ensure they are supported and not stifled

• screening occurs in grades 3 and 4

• commonly the Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test, CCAT

Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test, CCAT

• Designed to be administered to a group

• Tests greater then 95th percentile  → individual test (WISC) 

  • Content-specific tests (reading, math) 

  • Tests of creativity (TTCT)

  • Complied into case study report 

• In Ontario, to be gifted → must be in 98th percentile or greater 

• Looks similar to intelligence test 

  • tests

  • 1. Verbal reasoning

  • 2. Quantitative reasoning

  • 3. Nonverbal reasoning ( pattern recognition, spatial reasoning)

Acceleration

• Standard curriculum, accelerated pace

• Age mismatch is a smaller problem than predicted

• Not good evidence for this pathway

Enrichment

• Additional, more challenging work

• May involve “pullout” programs → child leaves regular classroom and works on harder activities with other gifted students

• Varies based on school resources 

• Not good evidence for this pathway

Learning Disabilities *as defined by the Ontario Ministry of Education

a number of neurodevelopmental disorders that persistently and significantly has an impact on the ability to learn and use academic and other skills.

Specific and General Difficulties within disabilities

Specific Difficulty

• Language and reading

• Mathematics

General Difficulties

• Organize information

• Attention

• Coordinating behaviour

• Memory

• Social

Strategies on working with students with learning disabilites

• Direct Instruction 

  • Clear frequent explanations, instructions, guidance

  • Small steps, frequent practice

  • Frequent, immediate feedback

• Peer Support:

  • Use of students as peer tutors

• Self-regulated Learning:

  • Teaching the skills of self-monitoring, self-reinforcement and goal-setting

Including Exceptional Children

• inclusion isn’t full integration; it allows access into specialized spaces

  • ex. Pullout programs, access to sensory spaces, private learning spaces, more resources, etc

what does mainstreaming exceptional children look like?

Incorporate exceptional children into standard classes

Least Restrictive Placement (Most Enabling Environment)

a general educational setting or as similar as possible with additional supports as needed

What are the laws on inclusion based on

 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

what does the Canadian Charter state regarding inclusivity and education

Everyone has a nondiscriminatory right to equal opportunity and equal outcome.

What is an IEP (Individualized Education Plan)

• plan that contains specific education expectations, an outline of needed special ed programs and resources and a description of how progress will be reviewed

  • transition plan if leaving elementry or highschool

  • updated yearly

  • collaborative effort between teacher, SERT, principal, ed psychologists and any other specialists