MEDTECH EDUCATION

WRITTEN REPORT

Group 7​- 2DMT

Schema Theory

INTRODUCTION

The Schema theory was first mentioned by ​David Rumelhart in the year 1980 in a
chapter entitled “Schema: The building Blocks of Cognition”. Schema theory talks about how
knowledge is represented and how that representation facilitates the use of knowledge in
particular ways. In this theory it assumes that our schemata represents concepts which are
related to other ideas such as objects,situation, events, and action.
In the chapter, Rumelhart was able to identify 6 features of a schema and it’s that our
schemata has variables​, in such a way that there is no definitive idea of a certain concept,
take for example buying, which can be interpreted in different forms. Our schema can also
embed one within another​, just like how when we are told to think of a face we then start to
think of a subschemata such as a nose or eye. It also ​represents knowledge in all levels of
abstraction, which means that it can range from ideologies, to knowledge about the meaning of
a particular word. ​It also represents knowledge rather than definitions​, since our schemata
is our knowledge and will vary from one person to another due to the embedding of one schema
to another. ​Our schemata are active processes in such a way that it follows a certain step of
procedure, just like the example of a face which is then accompanied by the subschema
representing the mouth, one for the eye, and so on. Lastly, ​our schemata are recognition
devices whose processing is aimed at the evaluation of their goodness to fit to the data
being processed​, which means that the network of ideas that we have are constantly being
monitored so that if ever there are misconceptions such mistakes can be prevented.
The major features of our schemata are clearly seen in its 5 different major functions.
These functions are ​schemata as perception, understanding, remembering, learning, and
solving problems​ which will be further discussed in our discussion.

OBJECTIVES
● To be able to define what the Schema Theory is
● To be able to identify the different major characteristics of a schemata
● To be able to identify the 5 major functions of our schemata
DISCUSSION
PERCEPTION
Perception uses schema in interpreting and organizing separate information together in
constructing an idea. According to Rumelhart, a whole is identified by its parts the same way
individual parts are members of a whole. He relates this to reading in which letters or characters
are more apprehended when formed in words, and not just randomly.This is simply because
people have a schemata in corresponding to words but not randomly arranged letters.
Schemata is used in relating a different arrangements of letters with each other in such a way
that even when some are missing, the rest may serve as a guide in completing the whole which
is a certain word.

UNDERSTANDING
The process of understanding discourse is the process of comprehending the passage based
on combination of schema and information from the text. According to the Schema Theory,
there are three possible reasons as to why one may misunderstand the text. 1.) The reader may
not have appropriate schemata 2.) The reader may have the appropriate schemata, but the
information from the author is insufficient 3.) The reader may have an understanding that is not
intended by the author causing an “understanding” of the text but misunderstanding of the
author.

REMEMBERING
In remembering or recalling information, Rumelhart suggested that ​we remember our
interpretations of the event or text rather than the actual text or event itself​. An original
finding by Barlett suggest the same conclusion when he said that we remember the gist of the
story rather than the details. The role of schemata in remembering is ​reconstructing the
original interpretation​. When additional information is added to one’s schemata, one can
reinterpret the situation whether it still makes sense based on and in connection to previous
knowledge. In reinterpretation however, another factor to consider is the ​delay between the
additional information and the original interpretation because the longer the delay between the
two, the greater degree of distortion.

LEARNING
In the development of new schemata, which is learning there are three different modes that are
possible in a schema-based system. The first is ​accretion which is a mode of learning in which
currently available schemata is not adequate so there is a ​possibility of schema change by
addition of and modification of schema. The second is ​tuning which involves the ​actual
modification or evolution of existing schemata. The third is ​restructuring which is the ​creation
of new schemata involving the actual development of new concepts. Restructuring can be
formed through ​pattern generation and ​schema induction according to Rumelhart and Norman
(1978).
SOLVING PROBLEMS
Schemata play a central role in all of our reasoning processes. According to Rumelhart, when
given an unfamiliar situation, less people are able to find a solution for they have no schemata
to incorporate the problem. However, they can readily solve a problem that they are familiar
with, and can easily "understand" by encoding it in terms of a relatively rich set of schemata. It is
easier to make sense of something and understand it with prior knowledge and/or experience
related to it.

CONCLUSION

Based from the discussion about schema theory, it is how knowledge is represented in
ones understanding in order for it to be facilitated in a certain manner. Our schemas are created
in such a way that it has certain features that are present in all of its major functions. These
major functions being perception, understanding, remembering, learning and solving problems
all helps us in our daily life. It helps us in such a way that it is needed in order communicate with
one another, and to expand one's learning and understanding of old and new lessons. Without
the help of our schemata we will not be able to create critical inferences and analogies in our
world today.

REFERENCES
https://www.colorado.edu/physics/EducationIssues/zwickl/Resources/Rumelhart%20Schemata-
The%20building%20blocks%20of%20cognition.PDF

https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=PDzFBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA339&lpg=PA339&dq=label+fa
ctory+d%27andrade+experiment&source=bl&ots=Oho_OujA1L&sig=IU9sRl0mh1oRbt9OP8Vdf
1SDpWU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwic49mmuoLZAhXJLY8KHc6EBYUQ6AEIKDAA#v=onep
age&q=label%20factory%20d'andrade%20experiment&f=false