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Information Processing Theory and Approach

Oct 26, 2023

Do you know the complex neuro-psychological process behind how your students (or just about anybody) acquires new concepts and information? That's the question that the theory of information processing aims to explain. It dives into the intricate mechanism of perceiving, recording, and processing information in our brains, and then retrieving it when necessary.

Read on to learn about the concept as well as ways to implement it into online courses to help your students. Let's start with a brief review of how it all started.

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An overview of Information Processing Theory

The 1950s were the time when psychologists recognized that computers could be the crucial information to understand how our minds work. George Armitage Miller and Edward C. Tolman laid down the fundamentals of how we use short-term memory and the ability to learn. Basing their work on this foundational design, two popular theories of information processing theory eventually came into existence - that of the Atkinson and Shiffrin Model and the Baddeley and Hitch Model of Working Memory.

The Atkinson and Shiffrin Model discusses the different stages of processing that comprise sensory memory, short-term memory (working memory), and long term memory. The focus is on the significance of paying attention to and complex rehearsal behavior that leads to data being stored in the long term memory. The Baddeley and Hitch Model of Working Memory expands on these concepts and explains the way we deal with language and spatial patterns.

Do you have a lot of psychological terminology? Don't worry! We've merged aspects of all these theories to provide you with the information needed to understand what we humans do to process information. Begin by examining how we use information to solve everyday problems as well as analyzing each of these steps in greater detail.

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The fundamental concepts in Information Processing Theory

As a creator educator, it's super helpful for you to be aware of the various aspects of data processing.

Let's do that with the following example

If you're on a crowded street and you encounter a myriad of sounds, sights and smells. There are also people who rub your shoulders when you're unlucky to bump into the crowds that are agitated. In order to avoid the hustle and bustle, you decide to walk into a cafe that you are sure is peaceful and peaceful. Also, you be aware that they offer the finest croissants and coffee in that area of town.

It's information processing theory working actually in the real world. Let's look at how:

  1. You sense various stimuli (people strolling around, someone brushing against your shoulder, a vehicle moving at a high speed or a car speeding by, etc. - sensation. A stimulus can be an external input or information)
  2. You perceive this place as crowded (perception is how we interpret what was sensed).
  3. From your past experiences (long term episodic memory) You associate this particular situation with being unsafe and uncomfortable (being being pushed around, past association)
  4. Hence, you recall an area that previously given you solace (another chain of associations results in retrieving details about the tranquil cafe as well as its pastries - semantic memory).
  5. It is your memory that you act upon, and walk into the cafe (judging/analyzing and making a choice. The walk to the cafe is the procedural memory).

    First, you sense your environment    

Human beings acquire information called "stimulus" via five senses: smell sight, touch, (hearing), and taste. A sixth sense, which is related to body's posture as well as movement and balance, called vestibular sense also is present.

Senses and the associated sense organs:

  • Vision: Eyes
  • Audio - Ears
  • Touch skin
  • Taste - Tongue
  • Smell - Nose
  • Vestibular sense, ear as well as various other parts of the nervous system.

The sense organs in your body convert real-world information into electrical information, your brain processes them and interprets them as data which you recognize at a conscious level. What you perceive is influenced by past connections (similar information stored in your brain that is able to recall and make connections).

Note for creators: Unless you incorporate augmented or virtual reality in your lesson content, you will primarily use inputs (stimuli) that are related to visual (reading texts or watching videos) as well as music (voice or background music).

    The process of perception is the result of sensing.

The sense organs responds to various stimuli in the external environment and transforms the signals they receive into electrical signals which are then perceived in various parts of the brain. Sensing processes take place within the organs of sense, and perception takes place inside the brain. For those with different perception and difficulties with learning may be difficult to absorb information efficiently.

For creators: If you plan to make the content of your class accessible for disabled students, you might want to think about accessible design principles. Examples of accessible design include making sure that words are spaced evenly and paragraphs that are long, breaking them into shorter paragraphs, and ensuring enough white space.

    If the information being perceived is processed (encoded), it enters memory.    

Memory can be described as an umbrella word that covers a variety of components of cognitive functioning. It starts by storing the information for a period of time (sensory as well as working memory) and then transferring that information into long-term storage by consolidating (encoding).

Sensory memory can last from half a second to three seconds. If you don't pay attention to the experience, the perception does not become short-term memory. The research has shown that the short-term memory holds around seven items of information for an interval of between 15 and 30 minutes. With rehearsals, your mind can retain this information, beyond which it decays or is lost.

During rehearsal, your brain is performing a process known as encode, which causes the data to be transferred into long-term memory. After it's transferred to a long-term storage it is possible to retrieve the data at any point provided you don't allow it to fade or expose it to interruption. Memory that is long-term can range from recollecting something you perceived in the past few minutes up to the events that occurred many years ago. It can go to the time of your youth.

A note for the creators of your work: Rehearsal can be viewed to facilitate rote learning in educational circumstances. But we know that most learners find it difficult to master rote learning in nature, which is why it's not the best way for learning complex ideas or abstract knowledge.

The different kinds of memory that are long-term include:

  1. Explicit memory - that which can be accessed consciously. When someone asks you to name the capital of Great Britain is, you will easily be able to claim it's London. Therefore explicit memories are called declarative memory. Declarative memory further is broken down into
  • Episodic memory memories of specific events which occurred in your life. For instance, visiting a friend's house during childhood
  • Semantic memory is the ability to remember things that you've learned about world, such as when the official declaration of World War 2 (September 1, 1939).
  1. Implicit memory - It is stored as part of your memory for the long term, however it also relates to performance and movement. Examples of this include the ability to swim, and recalling how to drive your car after an extended gap etc.

    Attention makes memory to last longer and improves the way you learn    

Though our sense organs absorb lots of data however, they do not register within our brains unless we take note of them. They are stored in "sensory memory," upon perception. These memories are only used for a short period of time (between half a second to 3 seconds).

Focusing here means focusing your awareness on a particular stimuli in the absence of other stimuli. For instance, you go to the cafe you prefer and choose the kind of bread you'd like to eat, despite the presence of many other things that are on the menu.

Recalling the instance of the crowded street, your brain might have noticed the presence of different individuals. Yet, you may have not paid attention enough to remember their faces. As a result, the details associated with the faces of each individual has deteriorated and is lost forever.

Where does it all take place within the brain?

As an educator who creates, you might be wondering how your learning materials you teach to your students is stored in their brains. Baddeley as well as the Hitch Model of Working Memory gives a precise answer to this.

They've suggested that the frontal brain lobe (a part that is located in the brain) is the brain's processor that encodes information and then retrieved. The various kinds of memories are stored in different areas within the brain. According to Hitch:

  • Information about the auditory system (information in the form of sound, mostly recognised as music, language or other kinds of sound) is recorded in the phonological loop.
  • Phonological loop consists of the phonological storage, in which information is held for a brief period of time, and the articulatory practice process, where the brain rehearses auditory data to store for a long period of duration.
  • Visuospatial sketchpad is the part of the brain that stores images and spatial information including shapes, designs pictures, and so on.
  • Episodic buffer is thought to improve the capability of the mind to encode, store, and retrieve data by linking diverse brain areas which aid in processing information.

Let's now implement what we've learned on information processing to online learning environments.

Students should be aware of your online course content

In the context of lesson developing or designing modules, you should think of the process this way. If you don't present your slides or video attractive enough, the pupils will not be interested and proceed onto the next. Students look at the slide or video (sensation occurs) but do not perceive it for the length of time needed to retain the information in their short-term memory. It is left to practice it until they become long-term storage the information is erased from their sensorimotor memory. Therefore, keeping their attention is crucial.

Consider the fact that your child might be distracted, daydreaming from your content. Each of these things can affect your ability to pay focus on what must be learned and stored into long-term memory. Consequently, ensuring you create materials that keep the attention of your students is crucial.

  What you can do:  

  • Encourage them to have a break each ten to fifteen minutes. Research shows that attention spans decrease within 15 minutes.
  • Therefore, you should plan your classes to be broken down into segments with a minimum of 15 minutes. It is not necessary to make videos or lecture which last only 10 minutes. Instead, you should give your students little games, activities or chillouts.
  • Make online learning more interactive spaces for students. We will explain why further down the line.

Fundamental information processing techniques for helping your students learn better.

After information has been stored in short-term memory and is not accessed, it could transfer to memory that is long-term or deleted. Repetition and practice is the key to keeping information for a long time in the long-term memory. This is why it's crucial to create lesson plans in order that students have plenty of time to practise and repeat what gets stored in their working memory. It is essential to do this within 30 minutes. So, at the conclusion of every lesson, which lasts a few minutes you should encourage students to repeat, practice in a rehearsal or practice. This helps in ensuring that the information they've processed gets stored in long-term memory.

When something is saved in long-term memory the information can be read in the future, when asked. But, the effectiveness of retrieving memories is contingent on the level of interest with which a pupil was able to absorb the subject (were sufficiently attentive, was your course material interesting enough, etc. ).

As you can see from this explanation that learning mostly occurs due to the way we perceive information, and how we relate it to our previous knowledge, and that we must pay attention.

But is it really all that easy?

The Limits of Information Processing Theory in online learning

Human beings aren't computer systems. Although drawing analogies between the human brain and the computer is tempting however, they're very different. Information Processing Theory doesn't discuss the role of motivation and emotions in our perception of the world and recall information. Both are vital in learning and retaining things we've learned.

The theory assumes that the brain processes information linearly -- that information is interpreted, sensed then stored, processed (encoded), stored, and later recovered. This is referred to as sequential processing, which is what computers perform.

The brain, however, is capable of parallel processing that means it can concurrently process various types of data. The ability to multitask of the human brain does not match what a computer is able to do. So, while the information processing theory accurately describes how we sense and process and save information, it ignores emotions and the non-linear manner that our brain works.

Students have emotions as well as desires and motives you may or may not be aware of when designing the content of your class. Hence, it is essential to realize that you are teaching human students and not computers. The most effective way to address the issue is to create online learning environments that are fun.

Let's take a look at how you can include motivation, emotion as well as social interaction to your mix, and make use of information processing theories even more to create that perfect online course.

Strategies to make the theory of information processing work better to facilitate online learning

    Motivate your students to pay attention    

What is the point of learning something when they do not want to? You must be able to sense an intrinsic determination or desire to enroll for the course and then remain committed to completing.

The motivation of students drives them to be attentive to the course content, which can result improved information processing (encoding) and better information retrieval abilities. If your student is not motivated to learn, even the best course might not register in their mind.

Motivation plays a vital role in the processing of information as well. It is essential to be able to be attentive to outside stimuli.

  • Your responsibility as a creator educator is to keep that motivation.
  • Be aware that motivation is not an empty space. It is essential to feel valued, receive positive feedback, and have a sense of social acceptance for motivation to keep in doing what they are good at. Did you recall your buddies who encouraged you to do something in times of low motivation or wanted to become better at certain things? This applies to the process of learning too.

Interpersonal and motivational relationships are interconnected. We'll now look into how this is played out within the theory of social information processing.

    Encourage social interaction during learning    

Although one-on-one training is efficient, people can learn more effectively when in a group. This is the reason why traditional learning always takes place in groups or classrooms because studying with others can be more enjoyable (and effective).

Social Information Processing theory is a part of the explanation for how people communicate with each through computer-mediated platforms for example, an online platform for learning.

Humans also learn by modeling and observation, that means, imitating how others behave. In this case, you as the educator who created it assume the role of a teacher, and students mimic your behaviour. Albert Bandura, a famous psychologist, noted that most learning happens within social contexts and that it is impossible to remove "social" from learning.

In this regard It is crucial for you to

  • Create online group activities
  • Inspire students to engage in forums, and even share their knowledge.
  • Make collaboration and engagement with social media a key part of your curriculum plan.
  • Make use of social tools to exchange ideas, that can be used as a type of rehearsal
  • Encourage positive feedback from peers (other students) to provide reinforcement. To do this, have your students evaluate the work of their peers positively.

    Use particular cognitive strategies that are geared towards achieving your goals.    

Cognitive strategies are usually task-specific. This means you must encourage your students to work with the material directly. A few of the cognitive techniques that can be used to online learning include note-taking, repetition, contextual understanding, and the use of mnemonics. (A memory aid is one which allows you to remember or access information stored in your memory)

Like: VIBGYOR is an acronym for the seven rainbow colors: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Other than acronyms, there are other types of mnemonics, such as flashcards, classifying items into different categories and so on., can all help your pupils retain what they've learned in a short time.

    Help with high-level information processing using metacognitive strategies    

Certain researchers have also proposed the existence of something referred to as "metacognition," which means "thinking about being thinking." When you practice as you practice or try to recall the things you've forgotten or employ techniques to aid others to learn or recall (such in teaching to achieve a specific goal), you are engaging with a metacognitive form.

The year 1987 was the year that A.L. Brown started a discussion about metacognition techniques in the context of learning. In the course of time, it has developed quite a bit.

Within the context of online learning These are the best metacognitive strategies:

  • Advance organizers: Help your students to reflect on your lesson plan through sharing calendars of class prior to the start of class. It helps them foresee what to expect and to connect the information with what they have already learned.
  • Self-planning: Urge your students to organize their projects, as well as how they'll structure their assignments. It gives them the opportunity to "think about what they are doing" - metacognition.
  • Self-monitoring scales: Students self-rating their scores provide a fantastic method of determining where your students need help. Create online forms that help students track their progress at the conclusion of each lesson/week, as per your convenience.
  • Self-evaluation: This can happen at regular intervals or after the completion of the class. As online courses are mostly used by people who are self-motivated, it is important that they get results.

Apart from self-evaluation you could also use associations to assist students in learning and keep track of what they've learned. To make this process more effective, you must be aware of what your students are aware of. So,

  • Before enlisting someone in the course, you should assess the level of their knowledge in order to ascertain if they are an appropriate match.
  • If not, and you are launching the course to help beginners, make sure that you develop your material so that they can relate your course to something they are already familiar with. That means that you need assist them with the process of encoding.

It is possible to use methods like chunking, imagery, and elaboration.

  • Break your modules into smaller pieces with engaging questions, Q&As, online debates, and peer support to keep students interested.
  • Help your students form associations with their previous knowledge through presenting information in a way that is simple to comprehend. This helps with using imagery to learn and remember.
  • In addition, your online class will require the students to engage with the material in a way that is engaging. This method, which is also referred to as elaboration, is crucial to engage students and create connections with previous information to gain new knowledge.

While these are all cognitive and metacognitive strategies, you cannot ignore the importance of emotions, motivation as well as social learning theories.

    Incorporate social interaction and emotional expression into the mix    

The majority of students enroll in your class because they are unable to physically attend classes for different reasons. Online learning environments can be a viable alternative to face-to-face learning as well as a better level of engagement in many cases. But it's important to make your learning online environment vibrant and enjoyable. One of the most important factors is using techniques that are socially-affective, and involve the interpersonal interaction and emotional reactions. Be aware that "affect" refers to feelings.

Here's how to accomplish that:

  • Make yourself relatable to your students and help them learn by the example of. Create feelings of wonder, excitement, satisfaction happiness, contentment, surprise, etc. It's fairly easy to provoke these emotions within your students.
  • Gamification can help your students feel happy and satisfied when they achieve specific levels of satisfaction.
  • Giving them badges, certificates or any other form of positive reinforcement can help you install joy.
  • If you offer the chance to discount a well-performing student It is a way to combine happiness with a sense of surprise. This can make them more motivated to learn.
  • Use polling to develop games and tests each 15 minutes to keep your students engaged and allow them to talk about the lessons they've learned through forums.
  • Because children are increasingly comfortable with using social media, it makes sense to integrate social media into education as well.

Humanize theory of information processing in order to develop online courses with a human touch

Information processing theory can help us to comprehend how we keep and process information that we learn within our brains, by using our sense organs as well as the brain. Though this theory is valid in terms of how sensation and perception work, it does not describe social learning, nor the functions of motivation or emotions.

Moreover, the human mind is incredibly complex and cannot be reduced to how the computer works. In your role as teachers of creators, it's essential to maintain your students' inherent desires and feelings in mind. In creating a fun online learning space and recognizing human limits, you are able to create a course online that is successful that will leave a lasting impression on your learners.

It gives you a variety of tools to help you create content for your course which is social and engaging. It assists you in creating educational content that is based on data processing models, but recognizes the fact that students are thought and feeling human beings, who enjoy interacting with each other while they learn. It offers powerful social engagement capabilities that make it easier for you to create groups of learning and to encourage active discussions with your students.

Humanizing online learning helps you connect to your students' minds in an engaging manner. If you want to know more about how could help you develop courses that are based on psychological science, contact us right now.

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