2: The Stream of Consciousness

In my last blog I discussed the necessity for psychology to play a role in teaching.  It is evident the two must work together.  This blog will describe William James’ view on consciousness and discuss its importance when considering the instructional choices made during the design of a course. 

In his second chapter, James describes his landscape of human consciousness by comparing it to a stream.  He describes our mental life as unbroken and continuous series of events that entails constant shifts and changes.   James’ point of view enables designers to produce reliably effective instructional sequences to guide student learning behavior and supports James’ assertion that the most significant function of consciousness is the role it plays in selecting what to pay attention to. 

Though James’ philosophical point of view was more behaviorist than today’s modern constructivist views, I believe his considerations play an important role in the designing of instruction.   For example, the first semester of my College prep math course is designed to train students to improve on their ACT score.  Roughly 98% of my students have not met the state standard benchmark.  (Benchmarks change ever so rapidly; my stream of consciousness cannot keep up...) 

I am faced with the challenge of designing a course that reviews math skills covered from  6^th grade to 11^th grade.  In addition, I also have to address the math literacy level of the students.  The seniors in my class are well below grade level in both math skills and literacy.  As in most educational settings, given time allotted and amount to cover, the instructional design must be precise and direct the student to what is to be learned. 

The shifts and changes that occur are between the ”focal objects and marginal objects.”   James states that  “process by which one dissolves into another is often very gradual and all sorts of inner rearrangements of contents occur” (p. 8).   Instructional designers and content experts use task analysis to determine the focal points of instruction.  However, the shifts and changes between focal and marginal should also be addressed.  Effective instruction must enable focal pieces of information to be learned so that they may become marginal objects. Subsequently, this move from focal to marginal makes room for new information to be learned.  For example, in 4^th grade, multiplication facts are the focal point of instruction. When a student becomes older, it is hoped the student has mastered the multiplication facts and reside peripheral conscience.  Therefore multiplication facts can be used by the student without expending too much cognitive energy.     

The instructional strategy known as “chunking information” comes to mind here.  Chunking information organizes learning tasks in a way that they can easily be “chunked” by the learner and in essence, increases working memory capacity. (Driscoll, 2000)  If we want what is taught to be the ‘focal point’ of the learner, then designers must organize learning tasks in such a way that they are manageable by the student. 

James saw the stream of consciousness as an unending parade of thoughts, feelings, images, ideas, etc.  which appear before our conscious awareness and then pass away.  Recognizing that the lines between the separate objects of consciousness is not discreet, is it plausible to address this instructionally? Further, how can instructional designers insure retention given the fluctuating characteristic of a student’s consciousness?

      Driscoll, M.  (2002). Psychology of learning for instruction. Needham Heights, MA:  
              Allyn & Bacon. 

William and I streamed
consciousness during my
weekly long run.