Theories Of Representation Essay Example for Free

Theories Of Representation Essay They say two heads are better than one and I suppose, having two codes to represent knowledge is more advantageous than just relying on one code. Visual and verbal codes of representations enable the mind to have a more vivid memory of the information or concept that needs to be recalled (Kosslyn, Ganis Thompson, 2001). For example, if I need to remember directions in going to my friend’s place in a city I am visiting for the second time, I could easily visualize the appearance of the streets, the stores in the neighborhood and the location of my friend’s house, at the same time, this picture in my head can be validated by the verbal codes of the names of the street, the signage in the stores and a landmark in the neighborhood. If I relied only on visual codes, the appearance of suburban homes in a large neighborhood would be similar and I would have difficulty ascertaining which one is my friend’s place, on the other hand, if I only used verbal codes, then I have to spend the day going around the neighborhood reading each street sign until I get to the right street. Likewise, using both verbal and visual cues aid in remembering texts and information needed to successfully pass a test or an examination. Verbal codes are words, and when we memorize concepts and information, it is by memorizing the words, phrases and even sentences and paragraphs. Visual codes refer to pictures or our mental representations of what we have seen (Neath Suprenant, 2003). I study using my notes and outline of a particular subject, I read my notes, I read the book and I found out that I seem to remember more if I visualize the position of the text as I read it, or the kind of pen I used or even the color of the paper. It helped me remember information I have missed if I rely on verbal codes alone, since we know that our capacity to remember words are very small. Moreover, I find that children and even adults learn more when they are presented with information using rich media, the use of the computer and even direct instruction uses both verbal and visual cues (Kurtz, Gentner Gunn, 1999). Spelling programs in the computer present a series of letters and the child has to arrange the letters to spell the word correctly, the word is represented by a corresponding picture and when a child is confronted with the picture, she would associate the word to it and vice versa. For adults, skills training usually are hands on, experiential or involve modeling behavior or role playing. The learners are given input or materials in text to describe, define and understand the specific skill to be learned, the teacher then demonstrates the skill, which would be committed to memory facilitating the learning of new skills (Pylyshyn, 2002). An example is the use of machinery, if the new employee works with equipment for the first time, he/she can read the manual and then tinker with the machine to see how it would work, and again the learning of skills is based on the visual operation of the machine and the verbal codes in the manual. The verbal codes serves as the guide to how the machine should be operated, while the visual codes   present in the sequence of operations like what button to press first and what knob to turn is the behavioral manifestation of successful learning of the new skill. There are instances however wherein one of the codes would be dominant and the other supports or enriches the dominant code (Neath Suprenant, 2003), for example, in remembering texts and definitions, one would rely on verbal codes, but visual codes can help in remembering what those words were. In the same way, if we have to remember a scene from a movie, visualizing the scene would be more important, but remembering what was said in that scene would help us identify what the scene was about. In conclusion, two codes are better and we need to discover how it could work together to improve memory and learning. References Kosslyn, S., Ganis, G. Thompson, W. (2001). Neural foundations of imagery. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2: 635-642. Kurtz, K., Gentner, D. Gunn, V. (1999). Reasoning. In D.E. Rumelhart B.M. Bly (Eds). Cognitive Science: Handbook of Perception and Cognition 2nd   ed. San Diego: Academic Press, pp. 145-200. Neath, I. Suprenant, A.(2003). Human Memory. Belmont, CA., Wadswoth/Thompson Learning. Pylyshyn, Z. (2002). Mental imagery: In search of a theory. Behavioral and Brain Science, 25: 157-238.