WGU D758 Considerations for Instructional Planning for
Learners: Midterm Exam (Units 1-7) - Questions with Correct
Answers
100 questions
1. A student who forgets multi-step directions halfway through a task most likely needs support
with:
A. Phonemic awareness
B. Working memory
C. Gross motor skills
D. Visual acuity
Correct Answer: B. Working memory
Rationale: Holding several steps in mind while acting on them is a working memory demand. Supports
such as written checklists or chunked directions reduce that load. Phonemic awareness and motor skills
are unrelated to remembering directions.
2. Accommodation, in Piaget's theory, occurs when a learner:
A. Adds information to an existing schema unchanged
B. Uses a classroom accommodation
C. Memorizes facts
D. Modifies an existing schema because new information does not fit
Correct Answer: D. Modifies an existing schema because new information does not fit
Rationale: Piagetian accommodation is a cognitive process that restructures thinking. It differs from an
educational accommodation, which changes how a student accesses or demonstrates learning.
3. Effective praise that supports a growth mindset focuses on:
A. Specific effort, strategies and progress
B. Being 'smart' or 'talented'
C. Comparisons with other students
D. General statements like 'good job' only
Correct Answer: A. Specific effort, strategies and progress
Rationale: Process praise tells students which actions led to success so they can repeat them, while
praising intelligence can make students avoid challenges to protect that label. Comparisons with peers
can undermine motivation for lower-performing students.
,4. Assimilation, in Piaget's theory, occurs when a learner:
A. Changes a schema to fit new information
B. Forgets prior knowledge
C. Fits new information into an existing schema
D. Learns only by imitation
Correct Answer: C. Fits new information into an existing schema
Rationale: Assimilation incorporates new experiences into existing mental frameworks. Accommodation,
the complementary process, modifies a schema when new information does not fit.
5. Attribution retraining helps students:
A. Blame others for failure
B. Believe ability is fixed
C. Attribute success and failure to controllable factors like effort and strategy
D. Avoid challenging tasks
Correct Answer: C. Attribute success and failure to controllable factors like effort and
strategy
Rationale: Weiner's attribution theory shows that attributing outcomes to controllable, unstable causes
supports persistence. Retraining shifts students away from 'I'm just bad at math.'
6. Prior knowledge matters in planning because:
A. It has no effect on new learning
B. New learning is built by connecting to what students already know
C. It should be ignored to keep lessons uniform
D. Only gifted students have useful prior knowledge
Correct Answer: B. New learning is built by connecting to what students already know
Rationale: Constructivist and cognitive research show that learners integrate new information with
existing schemas, so activating and assessing background knowledge improves comprehension and
retention. Ignoring it risks gaps or misconceptions going unaddressed.
,7. A teacher modeling a strategy aloud ('I notice I'm confused, so I'll reread...') is using:
A. Direct reinforcement
B. Summative assessment
C. Ability grouping
D. A think-aloud
Correct Answer: D. A think-aloud
Rationale: Think-alouds make expert thinking visible, so students can learn metacognitive and
comprehension strategies. They are a key part of explicit instruction's 'I do' phase.
8. A 'growth mindset' (Dweck) is the belief that:
A. Abilities can be developed through effort, strategies and help from others
B. Intelligence is fixed at birth
C. Effort is a sign of low ability
D. Mistakes should be avoided at all costs
Correct Answer: A. Abilities can be developed through effort, strategies and help from others
Rationale: Students with a growth mindset view challenges and mistakes as part of learning, which
supports persistence. The fixed mindset is the opposite belief, treating ability as unchangeable and effort
as a sign of weakness.
9. Maslow's hierarchy suggests that a student who is hungry or feels unsafe:
A. Will learn just as well as others
B. Needs more homework
C. Should be moved to a gifted program
D. May struggle to focus on learning until basic needs are addressed
Correct Answer: D. May struggle to focus on learning until basic needs are addressed
Rationale: Maslow placed physiological and safety needs at the base, so unmet basic needs can crowd
out higher-level learning. Schools respond with meal programs, safe routines and connections to services.
, 10. Resilience in students is promoted most strongly by:
A. Isolating students from challenges
B. Caring relationships with adults, high expectations and opportunities to participate
C. Lowering all expectations
D. Avoiding feedback
Correct Answer: B. Caring relationships with adults, high expectations and opportunities to
participate
Rationale: Protective factors research (e.g., Benard) highlights caring relationships, high expectations
and meaningful participation. Teachers can provide all three in daily practice.
11. Social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies (CASEL) include:
A. Reading, writing and arithmetic
B. Running, jumping and throwing
C. Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible
decision-making
D. Memorizing, testing and grading
Correct Answer: C. Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills
and responsible decision-making
Rationale: CASEL's five competencies support academic success and well-being. SEL is taught explicitly
and woven into daily instruction.
12. Theory of mind development (understanding others' thoughts and beliefs) is relevant
because:
A. It only affects physical skills
B. It is complete at birth
C. It affects perspective-taking, social interaction and reading comprehension of characters
D. It has no classroom relevance
Correct Answer: C. It affects perspective-taking, social interaction and reading
comprehension of characters
Rationale: Theory of mind emerges around ages 4-5 and continues to develop. Some students, including
many autistic students, may need explicit instruction in perspective-taking.
Learners: Midterm Exam (Units 1-7) - Questions with Correct
Answers
100 questions
1. A student who forgets multi-step directions halfway through a task most likely needs support
with:
A. Phonemic awareness
B. Working memory
C. Gross motor skills
D. Visual acuity
Correct Answer: B. Working memory
Rationale: Holding several steps in mind while acting on them is a working memory demand. Supports
such as written checklists or chunked directions reduce that load. Phonemic awareness and motor skills
are unrelated to remembering directions.
2. Accommodation, in Piaget's theory, occurs when a learner:
A. Adds information to an existing schema unchanged
B. Uses a classroom accommodation
C. Memorizes facts
D. Modifies an existing schema because new information does not fit
Correct Answer: D. Modifies an existing schema because new information does not fit
Rationale: Piagetian accommodation is a cognitive process that restructures thinking. It differs from an
educational accommodation, which changes how a student accesses or demonstrates learning.
3. Effective praise that supports a growth mindset focuses on:
A. Specific effort, strategies and progress
B. Being 'smart' or 'talented'
C. Comparisons with other students
D. General statements like 'good job' only
Correct Answer: A. Specific effort, strategies and progress
Rationale: Process praise tells students which actions led to success so they can repeat them, while
praising intelligence can make students avoid challenges to protect that label. Comparisons with peers
can undermine motivation for lower-performing students.
,4. Assimilation, in Piaget's theory, occurs when a learner:
A. Changes a schema to fit new information
B. Forgets prior knowledge
C. Fits new information into an existing schema
D. Learns only by imitation
Correct Answer: C. Fits new information into an existing schema
Rationale: Assimilation incorporates new experiences into existing mental frameworks. Accommodation,
the complementary process, modifies a schema when new information does not fit.
5. Attribution retraining helps students:
A. Blame others for failure
B. Believe ability is fixed
C. Attribute success and failure to controllable factors like effort and strategy
D. Avoid challenging tasks
Correct Answer: C. Attribute success and failure to controllable factors like effort and
strategy
Rationale: Weiner's attribution theory shows that attributing outcomes to controllable, unstable causes
supports persistence. Retraining shifts students away from 'I'm just bad at math.'
6. Prior knowledge matters in planning because:
A. It has no effect on new learning
B. New learning is built by connecting to what students already know
C. It should be ignored to keep lessons uniform
D. Only gifted students have useful prior knowledge
Correct Answer: B. New learning is built by connecting to what students already know
Rationale: Constructivist and cognitive research show that learners integrate new information with
existing schemas, so activating and assessing background knowledge improves comprehension and
retention. Ignoring it risks gaps or misconceptions going unaddressed.
,7. A teacher modeling a strategy aloud ('I notice I'm confused, so I'll reread...') is using:
A. Direct reinforcement
B. Summative assessment
C. Ability grouping
D. A think-aloud
Correct Answer: D. A think-aloud
Rationale: Think-alouds make expert thinking visible, so students can learn metacognitive and
comprehension strategies. They are a key part of explicit instruction's 'I do' phase.
8. A 'growth mindset' (Dweck) is the belief that:
A. Abilities can be developed through effort, strategies and help from others
B. Intelligence is fixed at birth
C. Effort is a sign of low ability
D. Mistakes should be avoided at all costs
Correct Answer: A. Abilities can be developed through effort, strategies and help from others
Rationale: Students with a growth mindset view challenges and mistakes as part of learning, which
supports persistence. The fixed mindset is the opposite belief, treating ability as unchangeable and effort
as a sign of weakness.
9. Maslow's hierarchy suggests that a student who is hungry or feels unsafe:
A. Will learn just as well as others
B. Needs more homework
C. Should be moved to a gifted program
D. May struggle to focus on learning until basic needs are addressed
Correct Answer: D. May struggle to focus on learning until basic needs are addressed
Rationale: Maslow placed physiological and safety needs at the base, so unmet basic needs can crowd
out higher-level learning. Schools respond with meal programs, safe routines and connections to services.
, 10. Resilience in students is promoted most strongly by:
A. Isolating students from challenges
B. Caring relationships with adults, high expectations and opportunities to participate
C. Lowering all expectations
D. Avoiding feedback
Correct Answer: B. Caring relationships with adults, high expectations and opportunities to
participate
Rationale: Protective factors research (e.g., Benard) highlights caring relationships, high expectations
and meaningful participation. Teachers can provide all three in daily practice.
11. Social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies (CASEL) include:
A. Reading, writing and arithmetic
B. Running, jumping and throwing
C. Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible
decision-making
D. Memorizing, testing and grading
Correct Answer: C. Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills
and responsible decision-making
Rationale: CASEL's five competencies support academic success and well-being. SEL is taught explicitly
and woven into daily instruction.
12. Theory of mind development (understanding others' thoughts and beliefs) is relevant
because:
A. It only affects physical skills
B. It is complete at birth
C. It affects perspective-taking, social interaction and reading comprehension of characters
D. It has no classroom relevance
Correct Answer: C. It affects perspective-taking, social interaction and reading
comprehension of characters
Rationale: Theory of mind emerges around ages 4-5 and continues to develop. Some students, including
many autistic students, may need explicit instruction in perspective-taking.
