Cognitive Apprenticeship Learning Research Articles

Cognitive Apprenticeship Learning in Paediatric Clinical Settings

Objectives: Cognitive apprenticeship learning focuses on improving understanding and clinical diagnostic rea- soning among learners. The aim of this study was to describe the feasibility of cognitive apprenticeship encounters in clinical paediatric settings in terms of time consumption; and to describe the encounters in terms of learner and teacher behavior. Methods: This study was based on data from 485 self-reports filled in by participating learners during a 3-month quality improvement project conducted at three Danish paediatric departments. Teacher and learner cognitive apprenticeship skills training took place at repeated workshops. A total of 59 different learners participated, 4 were medical students, 49 were residents, and 6 were specialists in pediatrics. A total of 75 different teachers participated. Results: Apprenticeship encounters between teachers and learners lasted median 9 (range 2-120) minutes. In 47% of the encounters, the teacher and learner examined the child together. In 91% of the encounters, the learner reported that his or her knowledge was challenged and in 92% of the encounters, the learners and the teachers verbalized their clinical diag- nostic reasoning processes. Educational strategies to reach learning objectives were reported in 77%. Conclusions: Cognitive apprenticeship learning was a feasible approach to teaching and learning in paediatric depart- ments. Median 9 (range 2-120) minutes were used for the encounters. Almost all learners reported being challenged dur- ing the encounter. Almost half of the encounters included a joint teacher and learner examination of a patient.

Critical Thinking in Preservice Teachers: A Rubric for Evaluating Argumentation and Statistical Reasoning

The authors implemented a cognitive apprenticeship learning community (Collins, Brown, & Newman, 1989) in a class of preservice teachers at the University of Missouri - Columbia to enhance their argumentation and critical thinking skills about complex, educational problems. A detailed rubric based on the literature in argumentation and scientific reasoning was developed to evaluate the students' performance before and after the intervention. The rubric was designed to measure students' (a) conceptions and use of evidence, (b) notions about research and its applicability in evaluating complex social problems, and (c) ability to consider alternative perspectives. This article describes the intervention, the theoretical underpinnings of the rubric, and the use of the rubric in measuring the development of critical thinking in a group of preservice teachers. Strengths and weaknesses of the rubric are outlined and avenues for future research are discussed.