Question 1

Which one of the following statements best describes intersubjectivity?

Accepted Answer

A)  Recognizing that one does not know, and ultimately never can know, everything there is to know about a topic 
B)  The point at which a teacher understands the nature of a child's existing knowledge about a topic 
C)  The point at which a child acquires the same knowledge about a topic that a teacher or other expert has 
D)  A mutual understanding between two people that each one knows what the other one is seeing, thinking, or feeling

Question 2

Describe a cognitive apprenticeship, and identify at least five features that effective cognitive apprenticeships are likely to have. Use a concrete example to illustrate your discussion.

Accepted Answer

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Question 3

In Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development, what important role does inner speech play?

Accepted Answer

A)  By giving themselves directions about the things to do and in what order, children guide themselves through complex tasks. 
B)  By using words mentally as well as orally, children develop more abstract representations of the world. 
C)  By practicing various grammatical structures mentally, children acquire more complex language capabilities. 
D)  By talking to themselves about what they should have done or said in a particular situation, children remember the situation more vividly.

Question 4

Three of the teachers below are using strategies consistent with the textbook's recommendations for holding class discussions. Which teacher is using a strategy that is not consistent with the textbook's recommendations?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mr. Poston assures students that it's okay if they change their minds about an issue. 
B)  Mr. Morris has students discuss a topic about which they know almost nothing. 
C)  Mr. Sheehan reminds students that they can criticize ideas but not people. 
D)  Mr. Retzlaff divides his class into groups of four students each to discuss a controversial issue.

Question 5

Central to Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development is the idea that children increasingly make better sense of their world:

Accepted Answer

A)  Through the mental processes of assimilation and accommodation 
B)  By repeatedly encountering both pleasant and unpleasant events in their daily lives 
C)  Through their independent explorations of their physical and social environments 
D)  By interacting with more experienced people who mediate their understandings

Question 6

Which one of the following examples best illustrates the concept of distributed cognition?

Accepted Answer

A)  Jacquie, Linda, and DeWayne discuss various ways they might solve a physics problem. 
B)  Mark and Jason each only complete half of their homework assignment. 
C)  Rhonda watches her favorite situation comedy while simultaneously eating an apple and doing her homework. 
D)  Reginald thinks about the various plots he might use in the short story he is writing and then eventually chooses one of them.

Question 7

Mr. Johansen, a sixth-grade teacher, wants to improve his students' ability to learn effectively from what they read in their textbooks. Considering research results described in your Human Learning text, which technique should Mr. Johansen use?

Accepted Answer

A)  Reciprocal teaching 
B)  Community of learners 
C)  Cooperative learning 
D)  Class discussion

Question 8

Which one of the following scenarios best reflects the basic idea of social constructivism?

Accepted Answer

A)  Two students discuss possible interpretations of the proverb "A stitch in time saves nine." 
B)  A teacher assigns a laboratory activity using cumbersome equipment that students can only use successfully by working in pairs. 
C)  When a student borrows a classmate's marker without asking and then forgets to put the cap back on, leaving it dried out and useless by the following morning, her teacher reminds her of one of the class rules: "Respect other students' property." 
D)  Four students in a study group divide the day's reading assignment into four sections. Each student reads a section and then teaches the material to the other group members.

Question 9

Describe reciprocal teaching and its effects on student achievement. Explain its effectiveness using principles of learning from cognitive psychology, being sure to address metacognition in your discussion.

Accepted Answer

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Question 10

Which one of the following issues reflects a fundamental difference between Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories of cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

A)  Whether challenging tasks promote cognitive development 
B)  Whether social interactions are important for cognitive development 
C)  How much children require adult guidance to make cognitive gains 
D)  Whether preschoolers are cognitively ready to handle complex, adultlike tasks

Question 11

Which of the following pairs of concepts reflects the general idea that challenge is important for cognitive development?

Accepted Answer

A)  Disequilibrium and ZPD 
B)  Self-talk and inner speech 
C)  Conservation and internalization 
D)  Working memory and central conceptual structure

Question 12

In recent years whole-class and small-group student discussions have become increasingly popular as methods of helping students master classroom subject matter. Identify at least five different ways in which peer-interactive approaches can enhance students' learning.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In recent years whole-class and small-group student...

Question 13

Which one of the following cooperative groups is using the jigsaw technique?

Accepted Answer

A)  When attempting to solve several challenging mathematics problems, group members brainstorm various approaches to solving each one. 
B)  As it prepares for a debate about capital punishment, a cooperative group decides which member will present each argument for the group's position. 
C)  When studying types of mountains volcanic, dome, fold, and block), each student studies one type and teaches what he or she has learned to other group members. 
D)  After everyone has read Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, group members divide up the scenes of the play, and each student skims through his or her scenes for examples of symbolism.

Question 14

From Vygotsky's perspective, why do cultural differences exist in people's cognitive abilities?

Accepted Answer

A)  Cultures differ in the extent to which they use inner speech. 
B)  The varying eating habits of different cultural groups influence children's nutrition and thus also influence brain maturation. 
C)  Different cultures pass along somewhat different cognitive tools. 
D)  Some cultures mediate children's experiences, whereas others do not.

Question 15

Three of the following are potential disadvantages of a cooperative learning activity. Which one has not been identified as a disadvantage?

Accepted Answer

A)  Students generally have lower self-efficacy when they study with peers rather than alone. 
B)  Students may learn incorrect information from other group members. 
C)  Students who do more work may harbor negative feelings about students who do less work. 
D)  Students may be more interested in completing the task quickly than in helping one another learn.

Question 16

Three of the following are typical elements of effective cooperative learning sessions. Which one is not typical of such sessions?

Accepted Answer

A)  To succeed, group members must depend on one another. 
B)  Groups consist of several students of similar ability. 
C)  Group members must individually demonstrate what they have learned. 
D)  Groups work toward clear, concrete goals.

Question 17

A community of learners can best be described as:

Accepted Answer

A)  A classroom in which a cooperative spirit of helping one another learn prevails. 
B)  A small group of students that chooses a special topic it wants to pursue independently. 
C)  A classroom in which most activities are relatively structured discovery-learning activities. 
D)  A classroom in which most activities involve whole-class discussions and reciprocal teaching.

Question 18

Researchers have found that when we human beings think about performing a particular physical skill

Accepted Answer

A)  Guided participation 
B)  Intersubjectivity 
C)  Appropriation 
D)  Embodiment 
E) g., using scissors, dribbling a basketball), we activate some of the same brain regions that we use when actually executing that skill. Which one of the following concepts best reflects this research finding?

Question 19

Three of the following are possible reasons why classroom dialogues help students better understand classroom subject matter. Which one is not necessarily a benefit of classroom dialogues?

Accepted Answer

A)  Students are exposed to the views of other people-views that may be more accurate than their own. 
B)  Students must clarify their ideas sufficiently to explain them to their classmates. 
C)  Students may discover flaws in their own ideas and thoughts about a topic. 
D)  Students are more likely to form visual images related to their ideas when they describe those ideas to others.

Question 20

Which one of the following best illustrates the use of base groups in cooperative learning?

Accepted Answer

A)  Students in a third-grade class are divided into several different reading groups based on their current reading levels. 
B)  Students in a social studies class work in groups of three or four to conduct in-depth research projects in their local, inner-city neighborhood. 
C)  Students in a literature class select one of four Shakespearian plays to read; students reading the same play convene for several half-hour discussions of the play. 
D)  Students in a history class spend the last five minutes of each class session in small, semester-long groups in which they can compare class notes and help one another with sources of confusion.

Exam 11: Sociocultural Theory and Other Contextual Perspectives