TED 204 Midterm Exam Questions and
Answers
What is Educational Psychology? - Answer-the branch of psychology that specializes in understanding
teaching and learning in educational settings
What does a standardized test give comparisons of? - Answer-a student's performance in comparison
with the performance of other students at the same age or grade level on a national basis
How is a case study done? - Answer-It takes an in-depth look at an individual, done under unique
circumstances of a person's life that cannot be duplicated for practical or ethical reasons.
What did George Sanchez's research show about IQ tests? - Answer-IQ tests are culturally biased
against ethnic minority children
What is Bloom's taxonomy? - Answer-Higher order thinking skills: remembering, understanding,
applying, analyzing, evaluating, creating. Classifies educational objectives into three domains, cognitive,
affective, and psychomotor
What are some characteristics of good teachers? - Answer-sense of humor, interesting, knowledgeable,
clear explanations, spend time helping students, fair to students, treat students as adults, relate to
students, considerate of student's feelings, don't show favoritism
,What is the difference between directed instruction and constructivist approaches?**** - Answer-
constructivist- hands on, student lead
directed- lecture
What is cultural competence? - Answer-the ability to successfully teach a student who comes from a
different culture than the dominant culture
What is differentiated instruction? - Answer-involves recognizing individual variations in students'
knowledge, readiness, interests, and other characteristics, and taking these differences into account
when planning curriculum and engaging in instruction
What is standard based instruction? - Answer-required standards when lesson planning that help
develop a guide for teachers to use when instructing
Explain what the independent and dependent variables are in an experiment. - Answer-independent-
the manipulated, influential, experimental factor in an experiment
dependent-the factor that is measured in an experiment
Describe the difference between the experimental and control group. - Answer-experimental-the group
whose experience is manipulated in an experiment
control-the group whose experience is treated in every way like the experimental group except for the
manipulated factor
What is required in the "No Child Left Behind" act? - Answer-below average achieving students receive
special focus, states must test students and have all students be on the same level.
How are quantitative and qualitative research different? - Answer-qualitative-involves obtaining
information using descriptive measures such as interviews, case studies, personal journals and diaries,
and focus groups but not statistically analyzing the information
quantitative-employs numerical calculations in an effort to discover information about a particular topic
, Why is random assignment important in research? - Answer-This ensures that each participant or
subject has an equal chance of being placed in any group. Random assignment of participants helps to
ensure that any differences between and within the groups are not systematic at the outset of the
experiment. keeps it honest
What is myelination? - Answer-the process of encasing many cells in the brain with a myelin sheath that
increases the speed at which information travels through the nervous system
What is lateralization? - Answer-the specialization of functions in each hemisphere of the brain
Explain Vygosky's theory of scaffolding and ZPD. - Answer-cognitive development is shaped by the
cultural context in which they live. ZPD- the range of tasks that are too difficult for the child to master
alone, but that can be learned with guidance and assistance of adults or more-skilled children.
Scaffolding- changing the level of support, adjusting the amount of guidance to fit the child's current
performance
What are Piaget's schema? - Answer-actions or mental representations that organize knowledge.
behavioral characterize infancy, mental develop in childhood
Explain the difference between accommodation and assimilation. - Answer-accommodation- Piagetian
concept of adjusting schemas to fit new information and experiences
assimilation- Piagetian concept of the incorporation of new information into existing knowledge
(schemas)
Are Piaget's stages an example of continuity or discontinuity? - Answer-both depends on who you ask
What are some examples of the socioemotional processes that might be studied by the educational
psychologist? - Answer-relationships with others, changes in emotion, changes in personality
Answers
What is Educational Psychology? - Answer-the branch of psychology that specializes in understanding
teaching and learning in educational settings
What does a standardized test give comparisons of? - Answer-a student's performance in comparison
with the performance of other students at the same age or grade level on a national basis
How is a case study done? - Answer-It takes an in-depth look at an individual, done under unique
circumstances of a person's life that cannot be duplicated for practical or ethical reasons.
What did George Sanchez's research show about IQ tests? - Answer-IQ tests are culturally biased
against ethnic minority children
What is Bloom's taxonomy? - Answer-Higher order thinking skills: remembering, understanding,
applying, analyzing, evaluating, creating. Classifies educational objectives into three domains, cognitive,
affective, and psychomotor
What are some characteristics of good teachers? - Answer-sense of humor, interesting, knowledgeable,
clear explanations, spend time helping students, fair to students, treat students as adults, relate to
students, considerate of student's feelings, don't show favoritism
,What is the difference between directed instruction and constructivist approaches?**** - Answer-
constructivist- hands on, student lead
directed- lecture
What is cultural competence? - Answer-the ability to successfully teach a student who comes from a
different culture than the dominant culture
What is differentiated instruction? - Answer-involves recognizing individual variations in students'
knowledge, readiness, interests, and other characteristics, and taking these differences into account
when planning curriculum and engaging in instruction
What is standard based instruction? - Answer-required standards when lesson planning that help
develop a guide for teachers to use when instructing
Explain what the independent and dependent variables are in an experiment. - Answer-independent-
the manipulated, influential, experimental factor in an experiment
dependent-the factor that is measured in an experiment
Describe the difference between the experimental and control group. - Answer-experimental-the group
whose experience is manipulated in an experiment
control-the group whose experience is treated in every way like the experimental group except for the
manipulated factor
What is required in the "No Child Left Behind" act? - Answer-below average achieving students receive
special focus, states must test students and have all students be on the same level.
How are quantitative and qualitative research different? - Answer-qualitative-involves obtaining
information using descriptive measures such as interviews, case studies, personal journals and diaries,
and focus groups but not statistically analyzing the information
quantitative-employs numerical calculations in an effort to discover information about a particular topic
, Why is random assignment important in research? - Answer-This ensures that each participant or
subject has an equal chance of being placed in any group. Random assignment of participants helps to
ensure that any differences between and within the groups are not systematic at the outset of the
experiment. keeps it honest
What is myelination? - Answer-the process of encasing many cells in the brain with a myelin sheath that
increases the speed at which information travels through the nervous system
What is lateralization? - Answer-the specialization of functions in each hemisphere of the brain
Explain Vygosky's theory of scaffolding and ZPD. - Answer-cognitive development is shaped by the
cultural context in which they live. ZPD- the range of tasks that are too difficult for the child to master
alone, but that can be learned with guidance and assistance of adults or more-skilled children.
Scaffolding- changing the level of support, adjusting the amount of guidance to fit the child's current
performance
What are Piaget's schema? - Answer-actions or mental representations that organize knowledge.
behavioral characterize infancy, mental develop in childhood
Explain the difference between accommodation and assimilation. - Answer-accommodation- Piagetian
concept of adjusting schemas to fit new information and experiences
assimilation- Piagetian concept of the incorporation of new information into existing knowledge
(schemas)
Are Piaget's stages an example of continuity or discontinuity? - Answer-both depends on who you ask
What are some examples of the socioemotional processes that might be studied by the educational
psychologist? - Answer-relationships with others, changes in emotion, changes in personality
