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Low Cognitive Demand:

Tasks that require lesser amounts of critical thinking. Low Cognitive tasks can require memorization as well as procedures that do not require students to connect the task to a specific mathematical strategy.

 

To identify low cognitive demand tasks, use the categorization criteria included in the table below from Stein, Smith, Henningsen, and Silver (2000) and then read our definitions below.

 
Note that low cognitive demand tasks are grouped into two subcategories: memorization and procedures without connections. After familiarizing yourself with the categories and their criterion, read below for examples of low cognitive demand tasks.

Low Cognitive Demand Tasks:

 

Memorization - The task / solution

-Involves reproducing previously learned facts, rules, forumulas or definitions or committing these to memory.

-Cannot be solved using procedures because a procedure does not exist or because the time frame in which the task is being completed is too shrot to use a procedure.

-Is not ambiguous. Such tasks involve the exact reproduction of previously seen material, and what is to be reproduced is clearly and directly stated.

-Has no connection to the concepts or meaning that underlie the facts, rule, forumulas, or definitions being learned.

 

Procedures without Connections - The task / solution

-Is algorithmic. The use of a procedure either is specifically called for or is evident fromprior instruction and / or experience. 

-Requires limited cognitive demand for successful completion. Little ambiguity exists about what needs to be done and how to do it.

-Is not conncected to the concepts or meaning that underlie the procedure being used.

-Is focuesed on producing correct answers.

-Requires no explanation or explanations focus solely on describing the procedure that was used.

Definitions

-Memorization: Memorization tasks involve require minimal cognitive effort. These tasks are categorized by the use of significant memorization and repetition of material. Memorization tasks have no relationship to the actual material other than the repetition of seemingly meaningless numbers and phrases.

-Procedure without Connection: Procedure without connection tasks require litle cognitive effort yet do not rely nearly as heavily on memorzation as memorization tasks. Procedures without connection involve students compelting tasks using procedures without any understanding of the logic behind the procedure and how it works.

 

Low Cognitive Task Examples

Answers are provided in orange.

 

I) Memorization: Read this example as a dialogue between a teacher and a student.

-Teacher: Listen to this number: Six hundred and twenty four.

-Student: (Listens.)

-Teacher: Say the number.

-Student: Six hundred and twenty four.

-Teacher: Now listen to me say six hundred and twenty four in expanded form: 600 + 20 + 4

-Teacher: Your turn, say 624 in expanded form.

-Student: 600 + 20 + 4

 

 

II) Procedures without Connections: Have the students look at the problems A - D and their answers. Next, ask students to fill in the blanks on the remaining four problems, E - H. (Note that the blanks have also been filled with answers in orange text.)

 

A: 100 - 80=20                                        B: 80 - 20=60                                        C: 50 - 30=20                                        D: 60 - 50=10

 

E: 100 - 20= 80                                        F: 80 - 60= 20                                        G: 50 - 20= 30                                       H: 60 - 10= 50

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