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Learning Theory and Concepts

Cognitive Acceleration

Foundational and Developmental Learning Concepts

Cognitive acceleration, or CA, is an approach to teaching designed to develop students' thinking ability, developed by Michael Shayer and Philip Adey beginning in 1981 at King's College London. It builds on the work of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky and takes a constructivist approach.

Facts
Core Claim
Cognitive acceleration applies Piagetian stage theory and Vygotsky's zone of proximal development within a constructivist approach, where learners construct meaning for themselves rather than absorbing facts directly. 1
Origin Year
1981 1
Sources
1. Cognitive acceleration (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead paragraph, origin attribution
    Cognitive acceleration or CA is an approach to teaching designed to develop students' thinking ability, developed by Michael Shayer and Philip Adey from 1981 at King's College London.
  • Theoretical basis section, constructivist approach
    concepts cannot be learned in the same way as facts and descriptions. Learners need to 'construct' meaning for themselves.
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