EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY EXAM
4 QUESTIONS& ANSWERS(SCORED
A+)
When do students learn the most? How do you promote engagement and success?
- ANSWERStudents learn the most when they're both engaged and successful.
Promoting engagement and success requires differentiating instruction for different
learning needs
Instructional hierarchy - ANSWERModel that matches instructional procedures with
students' level of academic responding
- Students acquiring a new skill benefit from different instructional practices than
those who can already perform the skill accurately but aren't yet fluent
- Can make functional hypotheses about students' academic performance
What does acquisition look like? - ANSWERStudents are not yet consistently
accurate in demonstrating the target skill
Instructional strategies for students in the acquisition stage - ANSWER- Effectively
demonstrate target skill
- Use 'think aloud' strategy (especially for more covert thinking skills)
- Student has models of correct performance to consult as needed (e.g. completed
problems on the board)
- Student gets feedback about *correct performance*
- Student receives praise, encouragement for *effort*
What does fluency look like? - ANSWERStudents are accurate in demonstrating the
target skill but perform it slowly or haltingly
Instructional strategies for students in the fluency stage - ANSWER- Structure
learning activities to give student opportunities for active (observable) responding
- Student has frequent opportunities to drill and practice
- Student gets feedback on *fluency* and *accuracy* of performance
- Student receives praise, encouragement for *increased fluency*
Drill and practice - ANSWERDrill: direct repetition of target skill
Practice: blending target skill with other skills to solve problems
Examples of functional hypotheses - ANSWERMight hypothesize that insufficient
practice explains why a child reads accurately, but slowly
,Might hypothesize the need for more modeling and step-by-step instruction and
immediate performance feedback for student making many errors.
6 principles of explicit instruction - ANSWER1. Optimize engaged time/time on task
(more active participation --> more learning)
2. Promote high levels of success (more success (correct/accurate answers) -->
more achievement)
3. Increase content coverage (the more content covered effectively and efficiently,
the greater potential for student learning)
4. Spend more time in instructional groups (more time spent participating in teacher-
led skill-level groups vs. one-on-one teaching or seat work) --> more instruction -->
more learning
5. Scaffold instruction (support, structure, and guide during instruction --> academic
success)
6. Address different forms of knowledge (strategic use of academic skills and
knowledge; requires kids to know different information at different levels)
Levels of information - ANSWERDeclarative, procedural, conditional
Declarative information - ANSWERWHAT something is (fact)
Procedural information - ANSWERHOW something is done/performed
Conditional information - ANSWERWHEN and WHERE to use the skill
How to make learning more efficient - ANSWERMinimize and correct errors as soon
as they occur.
Engaging in a task/performing a skill isn't useful if percent error is too high (then,
students are just spending their time practicing error)
High success rates are highly correlated with increased learning outcomes
Low rates of success are correlated with negative outcomes
Ways to optimize instructional time - ANSWER1. Increase allocated time and time
spent teaching critical content areas
2. Appropriately match what's being taught to instructional needs of students
(consider skill and skill difficulty; prerequisites of knowledge)
3. Start on time, stick to schedule
4. Teach in groups as much as possible
5. Be prepared
, 6. Decreased transition time
7. Avoid digressions - stay on topic; if go off topic, make sure it serves an
instructional purpose
**All of these are highly correlated with student achievement**
When is it necessary to break a larger class into smaller groups? -
ANSWERBreaking a larger class into smaller groups is necessary when the class is
heterogeneous in terms of skill level (very common today) and when students are
first learning academic skills.
Small groups --> more practice and repetition, closer monitoring
*Creates opportunity for more peer interactions and social skills practice
Optimal size of small group - ANSWER6-8 people -- more effective than one-on-one
or smaller/larger groups for students with special learning needs
Relationship between explicit instruction and achievement scores - ANSWERSee
higher achievement scores in students whose teachers use explicit instruction
techniques
Instructional variables related to achievement: engaged time, content coverage, level
of success
Students learn more efficiently when... - ANSWER- Teachers structure new
information for students and help them relate it to prior knowledge
- Teacher monitors performance and provides corrective feedback, recitation, drill, or
practice activities.
Project Follow Through Results - ANSWERDirect instruction had highest effect on
basic skills domain (directly teaching basic academic skills)
Direct Instruction had largest impacts on test affective measures (suggests that
success begets self-esteem)
Direct instruction is similar to explicit instruction but is different in emphasis on
curriculum design
Optimal instructional method for students with special needs - ANSWERNeed well-
organized, explicit instruction when teaching students with special needs
...Plus creating a positive learning environment, classroom management, etc.
Best practices to teach expressive writing skills to kids with special needs -
ANSWER- Explicitly teaching critical steps in the writing process
4 QUESTIONS& ANSWERS(SCORED
A+)
When do students learn the most? How do you promote engagement and success?
- ANSWERStudents learn the most when they're both engaged and successful.
Promoting engagement and success requires differentiating instruction for different
learning needs
Instructional hierarchy - ANSWERModel that matches instructional procedures with
students' level of academic responding
- Students acquiring a new skill benefit from different instructional practices than
those who can already perform the skill accurately but aren't yet fluent
- Can make functional hypotheses about students' academic performance
What does acquisition look like? - ANSWERStudents are not yet consistently
accurate in demonstrating the target skill
Instructional strategies for students in the acquisition stage - ANSWER- Effectively
demonstrate target skill
- Use 'think aloud' strategy (especially for more covert thinking skills)
- Student has models of correct performance to consult as needed (e.g. completed
problems on the board)
- Student gets feedback about *correct performance*
- Student receives praise, encouragement for *effort*
What does fluency look like? - ANSWERStudents are accurate in demonstrating the
target skill but perform it slowly or haltingly
Instructional strategies for students in the fluency stage - ANSWER- Structure
learning activities to give student opportunities for active (observable) responding
- Student has frequent opportunities to drill and practice
- Student gets feedback on *fluency* and *accuracy* of performance
- Student receives praise, encouragement for *increased fluency*
Drill and practice - ANSWERDrill: direct repetition of target skill
Practice: blending target skill with other skills to solve problems
Examples of functional hypotheses - ANSWERMight hypothesize that insufficient
practice explains why a child reads accurately, but slowly
,Might hypothesize the need for more modeling and step-by-step instruction and
immediate performance feedback for student making many errors.
6 principles of explicit instruction - ANSWER1. Optimize engaged time/time on task
(more active participation --> more learning)
2. Promote high levels of success (more success (correct/accurate answers) -->
more achievement)
3. Increase content coverage (the more content covered effectively and efficiently,
the greater potential for student learning)
4. Spend more time in instructional groups (more time spent participating in teacher-
led skill-level groups vs. one-on-one teaching or seat work) --> more instruction -->
more learning
5. Scaffold instruction (support, structure, and guide during instruction --> academic
success)
6. Address different forms of knowledge (strategic use of academic skills and
knowledge; requires kids to know different information at different levels)
Levels of information - ANSWERDeclarative, procedural, conditional
Declarative information - ANSWERWHAT something is (fact)
Procedural information - ANSWERHOW something is done/performed
Conditional information - ANSWERWHEN and WHERE to use the skill
How to make learning more efficient - ANSWERMinimize and correct errors as soon
as they occur.
Engaging in a task/performing a skill isn't useful if percent error is too high (then,
students are just spending their time practicing error)
High success rates are highly correlated with increased learning outcomes
Low rates of success are correlated with negative outcomes
Ways to optimize instructional time - ANSWER1. Increase allocated time and time
spent teaching critical content areas
2. Appropriately match what's being taught to instructional needs of students
(consider skill and skill difficulty; prerequisites of knowledge)
3. Start on time, stick to schedule
4. Teach in groups as much as possible
5. Be prepared
, 6. Decreased transition time
7. Avoid digressions - stay on topic; if go off topic, make sure it serves an
instructional purpose
**All of these are highly correlated with student achievement**
When is it necessary to break a larger class into smaller groups? -
ANSWERBreaking a larger class into smaller groups is necessary when the class is
heterogeneous in terms of skill level (very common today) and when students are
first learning academic skills.
Small groups --> more practice and repetition, closer monitoring
*Creates opportunity for more peer interactions and social skills practice
Optimal size of small group - ANSWER6-8 people -- more effective than one-on-one
or smaller/larger groups for students with special learning needs
Relationship between explicit instruction and achievement scores - ANSWERSee
higher achievement scores in students whose teachers use explicit instruction
techniques
Instructional variables related to achievement: engaged time, content coverage, level
of success
Students learn more efficiently when... - ANSWER- Teachers structure new
information for students and help them relate it to prior knowledge
- Teacher monitors performance and provides corrective feedback, recitation, drill, or
practice activities.
Project Follow Through Results - ANSWERDirect instruction had highest effect on
basic skills domain (directly teaching basic academic skills)
Direct Instruction had largest impacts on test affective measures (suggests that
success begets self-esteem)
Direct instruction is similar to explicit instruction but is different in emphasis on
curriculum design
Optimal instructional method for students with special needs - ANSWERNeed well-
organized, explicit instruction when teaching students with special needs
...Plus creating a positive learning environment, classroom management, etc.
Best practices to teach expressive writing skills to kids with special needs -
ANSWER- Explicitly teaching critical steps in the writing process
