Preconceptions, misconceptions, alternative conceptions
I chose this learning theory because of a short science video clip I saw in my junior high school. It demonstrated that even extremely intelligent students, who can answer test questions correctly, often have erroneous personal theories when pushed to provide explanations for their answers. This was also shown in videos highlighting MIT graduates who couldn't light a bulb with a battery and a wire or explain solar eclipses. Michelene Chi ( http://www.psychology.pitt.edu/people/faculty/chi.php ) and Rod Roscoe feel that previous learning (Preconceptions), often affects how we learn and what we will later understand. Because we do not all start from the same knowledge base, several important questions immediately present themselves. Is it useful to eliminate or remove all preconceptions of a topic? Can erroneous preconceptions be easily identified and corrected? What can be done to create a level and correct foundation for all students in a class? Do preconceptions, correct and incorrect, allow a student to infer and adapt in a higher level learning situation? Other preconceptions that are extremely hard to change may be considered as misconceptions and create obstacles to further learning. Examples and a very understandable explanation of this learning theory may be found in Chi and Roscoe's publication The Processes and Challenges of Conceptual Change. http://www.psychology.pitt.edu/research/publications/chi_m_2002.pdf
Submitted by Harold Zentz
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