Author Archives: Jeffery Thomas Kerr

Trouble with testing

Wow!  Online learning is much more difficult than I ever imagined.  It is amazing the difference between sitting in a classroom and listening to a lecture than it is reading about it yourself.  I have a very visual learning style and it seems that online learning would be perfect for that scenario, but as I recently discovered it is much different than I expected.

The tests were the most troublesome part of this class for me.  I have very little problems encoding information into long-term memory for certain subjects, but in other circumstances I have great difficulty.  I have a very mathematic mind and am very good at following steps and algorithms.  When there are many correct answers and you must choose the best I seem to have great difficulty.  Heuristics can be very helpful to me but I usually have trouble in determining the correct answer.  I like structure in my life and it is very difficult for me to choose the best among alternatives.

I greatly enjoyed completing coglabs in this class because when we answered the questions they have ambiguity.  I like being able to express myself as I see fit and that greatly helped throughout those lessons.  The reading and remembering information for the tests was extremely difficult for me.  I tried using techniques that we had learned such as state-dependent learning and the peg-word technique.  I had very little success when it came to the final and mid-term exams.  The quizzes were not as difficult because I am able to encode little bits of information into my long-term memory but when there were massive amounts of information that need to be processed I have trouble retrieving the information.

Throughout this course I have learned great deals of information and I wish that could have shown through my tests.  I have always had trouble with tests and this was no exception.  I wish that I could express better what I have learned, but one of the only ways in an on-line class to access that information is through tests.  I greatly enjoyed the material in this class and look forward to using it in my future endeavors.

My problem solving techniques

Problem solving is a very important aspect of Cognitive Psychology and even though we don’t overtly think about it, we use it every day.  We solve many types of problems throughout everyday life but usually have no knowledge that we are even using a very important cognitive process.  Problem solving affects us in many ways and nearly every situation we encounter uses problem solving in one way or another.

Even though there are many different types of problem solving, we usually have one version that we use the most often.  Our book describes a well-defined problem as a problem that usually has a correct answer.  I seem to have very little trouble finding the solutions to well-defined problems.  I have a mathematic thinking mind and I love math because there is only one correct answer; even though there are many routes to get to that answer.  I seem to have a little more trouble with ill-defined problems which are described as problems that usually do not have one correct answer and the path to get there is often unclear.  I have a very creative mind, but if I do not have a clear structure I have trouble arriving at a solution.  I like to be structured in my thinking but can sometimes think out-of-the-box, just not always as clear as when I have a direct route.

Many career aptitude test have many versions of problem solving questions.  I am very successful at solving the well-defined problems that are given but seem to have trouble with the creative thinking processes.  This also holds true for me in test-taking situations.  When there is one correct answer I seem to do better than when there is a question that states “choose the best answer” or one with a choice of multiple correct answers.  This shows that I am better at convergent thinking that causes me to arrive at one correct answer.  Although I am better at convergent thinking, I also use divergent thinking on an everyday basis.

I have a very creative mind but when posed with a problem that requires creativity to solve, I often have difficulty in arriving at a solution.  I often times have to use the think-aloud protocol to work my way through problems.  This is very helpful when solving all types of problems.  I find it very helpful to talk my way through problems because it gives me a different perspective of what I am doing.  I have a difficult time working through intermediate steps as I progress through a problem, but I feel that thinking aloud helps me define those steps needed.

Problem solving is a very important aspect of cognitive psychology and it can be used in many ways.  Personally, for me, I use convergent thinking because I am better at solving well-defined problems.  The way my brain works it helps to have a clear solution and has been shown many times over in my test-taking.

Algorithms and Encoding

Encoding is a very important part of consolidating long term memories, but for me, I seem to have trouble encoding most of the time.  I have a very vast, per say, short term memory but have much difficulty consolidating those memories into my long term vault.  I am a math guy and, because of the algorithms used, am able to easily recall how to solve problems; reading, not so much.  It seems that if I can use an acronym I seem to learn easier, and remember the details.

Math is a series of algorithms that when used correctly ensures the correct answer.  Algorithms are processes that when used guarantee a correct result.  Sometimes algorithms can take longer to apply than heuristics, which don’t always guarantee the correct answer.  Many times heuristics can produce a correct result but it is not always certain.  Math is by far my strongest subject and it is because I have a specific way to do things and causes my mind to function in a linear direction.  I have a lot of difficulty in reading because there is no specific way to retain the information and no algorithm can replicate what each person learns.  I have a lot of trouble consolidating the information that I read and therefore have difficulty retaining it in my long term memory.

I have learned that reading and re-reading is not always my best way to retain my information.  I have learned that applying my knowledge to an acronym can greatly help sometimes.  One perfect example is what I learned in Astronomy.  We were learning the order of the size of stars and I could not remember the order for the life of me.  My teacher proposed that we remember them as follows; Oh Be A Fine Girl Kiss Me (OBAFGKM).  This helped immensely.  It reminded me of an algorithm and if remembered correctly would always produce the correct answer.  This was the first step in helping me remember to associate information with something else to help me remember it.  As I said earlier it was very easy for me to remember the acronym because I have an expanded short term memory and was able to rehearse the code.

My other studying technique that I employ the most is highlighting.  I always thought this was a great way to learn the information I was presented with, but after reading the text I learned that it is not always the best way to retain new information.  The text refers to highlighting as an illusion of learning.  The text mentions that highlighting can become an automatic hand movement and that you are not necessarily retaining the information.  (Cognitive Psychology, E. Bruce Goldstein, Pg. 189).  I find personally that when I highlight I can re-cover the main topics at a later date and thus helps my learning.  Highlighting, I feel, is an important way for myself to learn and interpret new material.

Algorithms are often times the only way to ensure a correct result, but many times algorithms cannot be applied.  In math I have very little trouble retaining information because there is a specific way of doing things.  I have learned that when I am reading or studying that the best way for me to retain information is by relating the material to something else; usually something for my everyday life.  I wish that there could be an algorithm for everything we do but, in reality, there is not.  There are many ways to learn and retain information and it just depends on the person which way ends up working best for themselves.

The Mind, the Machine

One’s mind is a very powerful yet mysterious object.  What does it do?  What makes the brain control the mind?  These are some questions that have plagued many researchers for centuries.  While there are many theories about the mind, there are not very many ways to directly study it.  As time progresses there are more discoveries and theories about one’s mind, but how do we know if these theories are valid?

“A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” was first quoted in 1972 by the United Negro College Fund and has been used many times since it was first introduced nearly thirty years ago.  (http://www.adcouncil.org/Our-Work/The-Classics/United-Negro-College-Fund).  This brings up many important questions.  I have always wondered what the mind is and how it helps us function.  The brain is the central organizing unit and controls all of our daily functions, but how does the mind help us make decisions?  Does the mind control the brain or does the brain control the mind?  In my personal opinion there is a significant difference between the brain and the mind.  The brain may control our daily functions, but I think a separate part of the brain is the mind which helps us make our daily decisions.

The mind may be a part of the brain but it has a very unique characteristic specific to each individual.  I guess you could call the mind our moral system or the driving force behind our emotions.  The brain on the other hand is the driving force behind each of us and performs functions common to each individual.  The brain may contain neurotransmitters and have specialized areas to perform different functions, but what drives us and motivates us in our minds.  I feel that our drive comes from our mind and what we want to achieve.  Many people have significant problems with their brains, but does that necessarily mean that their mind is problematic too?  I think not.

There are many new techniques that can help determine brain disorders and areas functioning within the brain.  If the mind is specific to each individual how can we determine if the mind is functioning properly?  I realize that it is believed that the brain controls our emotions, but I believe there is another driving force, a machine per say, that drives us stronger than the brain possibly can.  I believe there is a particular part of the brain that drives us, motivates us, and helps with decision making.  I have many friends, including myself, who either have learning disabilities or brain disorders, but somehow we are able to eventually function.  I have had episodes to where my brain does not want to function properly but my mind won’t shut down.  How does this happen?  My person belief is that they are separate entities that both have specialized functions.  I think until we have a true grasp of the mind we will not know how it performs or why it performs.

The mind is a powerful yet mysterious object.  It is directed by the brain but it has “a mind of its own.”  In my personal belief I believe that the brain, in general, controls the mind, but many times the mind helps control the brain.  Until we can discover the many mysteries of the mind we cannot get a good grasp of what it is.  Hopefully one day we will be able to study the mind alone, as its own entity, and see what its true function is.