Implications of Learning Research for Teaching Science to Non-Science Majors
Jose Mestre, Eugenia Etldna 2007 PKAL Volume IV: What Works, What Matters, What Lasts

Cognitive research has shown that learners construct knowledge and that the knowledge they already possess affects their ability to learn new knowledge. If new knowledge conflicts with prior knowledge, then new knowledge will not make sense to the learner. This has implications for instruction. Because knowledge previously constructed by the learner will affect how she or he interprets what the instructor is attempting to teach, the instructor must evaluate whether students possess sufficient prior knowledge and whether this knowledge conflicts with what will be taught. To ignore learners' prior knowledge will most likely mean that the message intended by the teacher will not be the message understood by
the students.

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This resource is referenced here:

• Pedagogy in Action:Library:Teaching Quantitative Reasoning with the News:Examples: A Short Selection of Advertisements
• Pedagogy in Action:Library:Teaching Quantitative Reasoning with the News: References

Subject: Education
Resource Type: Pedagogic Resources:Overview/Summary, Report
Research on Learning: Ways Of Learning:Cooperative Learning, Assessment:Classroom Methods, Ways Of Learning:Verbal, Instructional Design:Constructivism, Cognitive Domain:Knowledge Transfer, How information is organized:Mental models, Cognitive Domain:Misconceptions/barriers to learning, Metacognition, Ways Of Learning:Active/Kinesthetic/Experiential