Concept Attainment
Concept Attainment
Mary Kazue Samantha Jackie
Koreen Kristina
Concept Attainment
The Definition
“Concept attainment is ‘the search for and
listing of attributes that can be used to
distinguish exemplars from nonexemplars
of various categories” (Joyce, Weil and
Cahoun, 2000, p.146).
Concept Attainment
Instructional Strategies
Step 1
Tell students that they will be puzzle
solving to discover a concept. Then briefly
describe the process
Concept Attainment
Step 2
Present paired exemplars (one negative and one
positive) one pair at a time. Throughout this
process instructor records students’ hypotheses
about the nature of the concept.
Concept Attainment
Step 3
When students’ hypothesizing sufficiently
converges on the true nature of the concept,
instructor names & clarifies the concept.
Concept Attainment
Step 4
Instructor tests for concept mastery by presenting
some additional exemplars or non-exemplars for
students to label
“Yes” (it is an example of the concept) or
“No” (it’s not an example).
Concept Attainment
Step 5
Students come up with additional examples
based on their new knowledge of the
concept.
Concept Attainment
Demonstration with iMET Class
Positive Exemplar
Negative Exemplar
“Education is the
“His dreams
faded like
a lover’s sigh.”
gateway to
success.”
Concept Attainment
Positive or Negative Exemplar?
“All the world is a stage.”
Positive Exemplar?
Negative Exemplar ?
Concept Attainment
Positive or Negative Exemplar?
“Her hand was as cold as ice.”
Positive Exemplar?
Negative Exemplar ?
Concept Attainment
Incorrect!
Positive Exemplars
“Education is the gateway to
success.”
Concept Attainment
Incorrect!
Positive Exemplars
“Education is the
gateway to success.”
“All the world is a
stage.”
Concept Attainment
Correct!
Negative Exemplar
“Her hand was as cold as
ice.”
Concept Attainment
Positive and Negative Exemplars
Positive Exemplar
“Education is the
gateway to success”
“All the world is a
stage”
Negative Exemplar
“His dreams faded
like a lover’s sigh”
“Her hand was
as cold as ice”
Concept Attainment
Write down your thoughts on the attributes of
each group. Can you make a hypothesis about
the categories? Let’s try one more…
Concept Attainment
Positive or Negative Exemplar?
“A browser is a doorway to the Internet.”
Positive Exemplar?
Negative Exemplar ?
Concept Attainment
Correct
Positive Exemplars
“Education is a gateway to success.”
“All the world is a stage.”
“A browser is a doorway to the Internet.”
Concept Attainment
Positive and Negative Exemplars
Positive Exemplar
Negative Exemplar
“Education is the
“His dreams faded like
gateway to success.”
a lover’s sigh.”
“All the world is a
“Her hand was as cold
stage.”
as ice.”
“A browser is a doorway
to the Internet.”
Concept Attainment
Testing for Concept Mastery
• Instructor gives additional examples;
students label these “yes” or “no”—
metaphor (yes), simile (no).
• Instructor then asks students to suggest their
own examples of metaphors—This will
provide insight as to whether the students
have mastered the concept.
Concept Attainment
Common Questions…
• Doesn’t this take more time than just telling
students the name and definition of the
concept?
• Yes, concept attainment takes more class time
and planning time. For these reasons,
instructors like to save the process for very
important concepts with which students tend to
have difficulty.
Concept Attainment
Questions Continued…
• Then why do it?
• Content mastery increases.
•
•
•
•
Retention in long-term memory vs short term
Students relish discovery process
More interesting and motivating
Encourages creative and critical, higher-order
thinking.
Concept Attainment
More Questions…
• What if they discover the concept too
quickly, after one or two pairs?
• Don’t know for sure that they’ve discovered
the correct concept.
• More pairs will continue to refine their
understanding
• Are there other ways to use the model?
• You can give them all the pairs at once (on a
handout). This can speed up the discovery
process.
Concept Attainment
References
Links
 www.usask.ca/education/coursework/mcvittiej/methods/co
natt.html
 http://schools.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/cattain/
 www.virtualschool.edu/mon/Academia/Metaphors.htmk
 www.saskschools.ca/~techclass/instru/strats/cattain
 www.Education.nebrwesleyan.edu/mcdonal/235website/pp
t/conattainment/index.htm
 www.riverbank.l12.ca.us/rhs/gravity/review/htm
 www.lovinlearning.org/imetfinal/Concept%Attainment.htm
 www.Curriculumfutures.org/instruction/a02-05.html
Concept Attainment
References
Dyer, Jim. (2001). Planning lessons with concept attainment..
February 13, 2003.
http://dyer.ifas.ulf.edu/classes/AEE5206/Concept_Attainm
ent/Concept%20Lesson%20Plan.doc.
Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E. (2000). Attaining
concepts: Sharpening the basic thinking skills. In Models
of teaching (pp.143-160). Boston, MD: Allyn and Bacon.