Some of the best learning experiences I have had were at University. I feel that cognitivism has played a big part in why my learning experiences have been so positive during my time at University. Much like behaviourism, cognitivism shows that the environment plays a big factor in learning experiences. During my third year of psychology, I took a psychology course and it was successful for me and my learning because we got to engage in a lot of group work and class disucssions. The first part of the class would be small group work then that would be followed with a big class discussion on what we had talked about.

Being surrounded by like minded people helped satisfy my relatedness because I felt a sense of belonging knowing that the people in my group shared the same interests and goals as I did. The professor allowed us to share our opinions and experiences, making it a safe environment to learn. Since I had already learned a lot of key concepts for psychology it helped that I could apply them in a practical way to group work. This form of active engagement really supported my ability to retain information while also helping me stay engaged and motivated. It also encouraged me to think critically rather than just passively absorbing information.

I thoroughly enjoyed this course because it specialized in a topic that I am intrinsically motivated to learn and care about. With the group work being a part of the class, it helped me build relationships with other classmates while also giving us space to share opinions, ask questions, and analyze ideas together. I enjoyed hearing everyone’s stories and opinions, and it made me open my eyes more to the world. These discussions allowed for deeper cognitive processing and helped me understand different perspectives, and reminded me how meaningful social and cognitive interactions are in enhancing learning processes.