Depth, Complexity, and ELA
Dianna Baycich
Converting verbal directions or sounds
into written symbols
Recognizing left and right, up and down
Knowing the names for that specific
symbol system
Recalling rules or patterns
Perceiving small differences in symbols
Recognizing the same symbol in
different sizes and fonts
Recognizing sequences of symbols
Talking to yourself using your “inner
language”
The Mental
Process:
Decoding visual
symbols
Testing possibilities
Judging if hypotheses are true
Assigning meaning to a symbol
Remembering what you just saw as your
eyes move to something new
Filling in missing parts
Recognizing the meaning of colors or
special markings
Recalling things from short-term
memory
National Institute for Literacy -- Developed by Kruidenier, J.
(2007), After Scarborough, H. (2001).
A Model of Writing
Goals
Content Organize
Planning
Text
production
Evaluation
Revision
Self
regulation
Making Decisions about
Classroom Writing Activities
learn remember
assess
informal
formal
share
inform
Purpose
Form
persuade
argue
Audience
self
teacher
other
students
others outside
the classroom
genre
Examples of Complex Cognitive Abilities
Use
symbols
and codes
Recognize
cause and
effect
Establish
rules by
seeing
patterns
Deconstruct
from a
whole to its
parts
Imagine the
future
Manage and
police
cognitive
functioning
Sequence
objects,
ideas and
concepts
Recall
previous
facts and
experiences
Construct
concepts
from partial
information
Hold
information
in working
memory
Use
receptive,
expressive,
and inner
language
Being
curious
about
“why” or
“what”
Understand
spatial
relationships
Identify
similarities
and
differences
Attend,
focus and
persevere
Create new
knowledge
from old
Self assess
and
monitor
Self assess
what
andyou
are doing
monitor
Awareness of why you are doing what
you are doing
Monitoring your position relative to the
goal
Knowing where you are in a process
Observing and adjusting your focus
Recalling what you just did
Assessing each action in terms of being
“right” or “wrong”
The major
process that
enables us to
manage and
police our
cognitive
functioning,
Is often called
Motivating yourself when tired or
frustrated
Keeping your goal in mind when
distracted
Executive
Functioning,
Developing and recalling the rules for
“right” and “wrong” as needed
Pacing your performance given the time
allotted
Selecting the right processes to use
It is made up of
simultaneous
activity in many
cognitive areas.
Monitoring what is going on around you
Propose what lies ahead
Weigh alternative actions and
consequences
Knew, New, Q
“cognitive difficulty.”
Think of “difficulty” as being an umbrella term that has
two dimensions:
1. Clusters of mental processes which make up a
continuum of cognitive rigor that we will refer to as
“depth,” and
2. task characteristics which we will refer to as degrees
of “complexity.”
The depth of the
reasoning needed to
solve the problem
Depth
The amount of information,
required, extent of distractions,
familiarity of vocabulary, etc.
Complexity
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Low to High Cognitive Demand
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
The Two Dimensions of “Difficulty,” Depth and Complexity
Simple to Complex Task
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From single step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
Narrative of the Life of Frederick
Douglass, an American Slave, Written
by Himself
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
Read “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” to get a
general idea of his message.
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
Reading Tasks
Level 1 for Reading
• receive or recite facts or use simple skills or
abilities
• basic comprehension of a text
• verbatim recall from text, slight paraphrasing
of specific details from the text, or simple
understanding of a single word or phrase
Level 1 for Reading
• Use a dictionary to find the meanings of words
from the text.
• Recognize figurative language in a reading
passage.
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
How did Douglass learn how to read when running errands?
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
What are the definitions of the word “trouble”?
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
Level 2 for Reading
• engagement of some mental processing
beyond recalling or reproducing a response
• requires both comprehension and subsequent
processing of text or portions of text
• may include words such as summarize,
interpret, infer, classify, organize, collect,
display, compare, and determine whether fact
or opinion.
Level 2 for Reading
• Use context clues to identify the meaning of
unfamiliar words, phrases, and expressions
that could otherwise have multiple meanings.
• Predict a logical outcome based on
information in a reading selection.
• Identify and summarize the major events in a
narrative.
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
Which of these meanings of “trouble” is Douglass using?
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
Level 3 for Reading
• Students are encouraged to go beyond the
text
• explain, generalize, or connect ideas
• must be able to support their thinking with
the text
• abstract theme identification, inference across
an entire passage, or application of prior
knowledge
Level 3 for Reading
• Explain or recognize how the author’s purpose
affects the interpretation of a reading
selection.
• Summarize information from multiple sources
to address a specific topic.
• Analyze and describe the characteristics of
various types of literature.
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
How would the meaning have changed if he had chosen the
word “anger” instead of the word “trouble”?
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
Level 4 for Reading
• an extended activity, with extended time
provided for completing
• take information from at least one passage of
a text and apply this information to a new task
• develop hypotheses and perform complex
analyses of the connections among texts
Level 4 for Reading
• Analyze and synthesize information from
multiple sources.
• Examine and explain alternative perspectives
across a variety of sources.
• Describe and illustrate how common themes
are found across texts from different cultures.
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
What themes are found in both the Douglass narrative and The
Declaration of Sentiments?
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
How did Douglass learn how to read when running errands?
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
Writing Tasks
Level 1 for Writing
Writing simple facts.
Level 1 for Writing
• Listing/generating ideas or words prior to
developing written composition
• Writing simple sentences
• Using punctuation marks and capitalization
correctly in writing and editing
• Identifying misspelled words in a written
passage
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
Write one sentence for each of the following words: slavery,
freedom, rights.
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
Level 2 for Writing
Writing a first draft for a limited number of
purposes and audiences
Beginning to connect ideas using a simple
organizational structure
Level 2 for Writing
• Note-taking or outlining as a means of
organizing ideas for writing
• Developing text which may be limited to one
paragraph
• Constructing a variety of sentence types
• Editing final drafts of compositions for
mechanics and conventions
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
Write a paragraph comparing Douglass’ feelings about his
situation before and after he read “The Columbian Orator”
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
Level 3 for Writing
Students are developing multi-paragraph
compositions that may include complex
sentence structures or demonstrate some
synthesis and analysis
Level 3 for Writing
• Developing compositions that include multiple
paragraphs
• Using complex or varied sentence structures
written compositions
• Showing awareness of audience and purpose
through focus, organization, voice/tone
• Editing and revising to improve the quality of
the composition
James Polk: the eleventh president of the United
States. Raised in North Carolina and Tennessee,
he took office in 1845. He inherited 8000 acres
of land and twenty slaves. He never sold a slave,
and in his will it said his slaves would go free
after he and his wife had both passed away, but
he did buy slaves and run his plantation, even
when he was president.
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
Use the ideas and quotes from the Douglass narrative that would most
appeal to Polk to write a letter to Polk arguing against slavery.
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
Level 4 for Writing
Multi-paragraph compositions that demonstrate
synthesis and analysis of complex ideas or
themes and evidence of a deep awareness of
purpose and audience.
Level 4 for Writing
• Demonstrating evidence of a deep awareness of
purpose and intended audience
• Creating compositions that demonstrate a
distinct voice and that stimulate the reader or
listener to consider new perspectives on the
addressed ideas or themes
• Writing an analysis of two selections, identifying
the common theme and generating a purpose
that is appropriate for both
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
Write a paper discussing how Douglass’ narrative has influenced civil rights leaders
throughout history.
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
Write one sentence for each of the following words: slavery,
freedom, rights.
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
Write a paragraph comparing Douglass’ feelings about his
situation before and after he read “The Columbian Orator”
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
Most people feel that they have "learned some lessons" in their life. They may
have made some mistakes that taught them something. What is one thing you
have learned from your past? What would you do differently if you could?
Remember to be specific.
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
Which of the two articles more effectively supports cloud seeding? Use evidence
from the articles to support your position.
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
Next Steps
Performance
Language
Arrange
Calculate
Define
Draw
Identify
Illustrate
Label
List
Match
Measure
Memorize
Name
Quote
Recite
Recognize
Repeat
Report
State
Tabulate
Tell
Use
Who, what,
when, where,
why
Sentence Stems
Can you
recall______?
When did ____
happen?
Who was ____?
How can you
recognize____?
What is____?
How can you find the
meaning of____?
Can you recall____?
Can you select____?
How would you
write___?
What might you
include on a list
about___?
Who discovered___?
What is the formula
for___?
Can you identify___?
How would you
describe___?
Level 1 Recall
Possible Products Potential Activities
Quiz
Definition
Fact
Worksheet
Test
Label
List
Workbook
Reproduction
Vocabulary Quiz
Recitation
Example
Collection
Explanation
Show and Tell
Outline
Blog
Wiki
Podcast
Categorizing/Taggi
ng
Commenting
Bulleting
Highlighting
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













Develop a concept map showing a process or
describing a topic.
Make a timeline
Write a list of keywords you know about…
Make a chart showing…
Recite a fact related to…
Write in your own words…
Cut out, or draw a picture that illustrates an
event, process, or story.
Report or present to the class.
Make a cartoon strip showing the sequence of
an event, process, or story.
Write and perform…
Write a brief outline and explain the event,
process, or story.
Write a summary report of the event
Prepare a flow chart that illustrates the
sequence of events.
Paraphrase a chapter in the book
Retell in your own words
Outline the main points
Resources used in this presentation
Reading: Web Alignment Tool (WAT) Training Manual by Norman
L. Webb
Writing: Introduction to Depth of Knowledge (DOK) - Based on
Norman Webb’s Model
(Karin Hess, Center for Assessment/NCIEA, 2005)
Douglass Narrative activity: www.achievethecore.org
dbaycich@literacy.kent.edu
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
The author includes a list of businesses in paragraph 11. How
do these businesses contribute to the idea that Chicago is
“ready to burn?”
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
A metaphor is a form of figurative language used to compare two things that
are not literally related. Murphy calls Chicago a “highly combustible knot.”
Why does he make this comparison? What is he specifically referring to?
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
Write about where in the text you see evidence that Douglass is consciously
crafting his narrative to present a particular point of view.
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
The depth or type of thinking: Varies from Recognition to Symbolic
Projection
Abstract / Symbolic / Analytical / Critical
Concrete
Simple
Complex
Cognitive complexity: From simple 1 step solutions to manipulation of multiple concurrent items
Webinar Resource Folder:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/znk8riv4hfcw
ny8/V2a_tF5WBt
It is common for multiple major clusters to work simultaneously
Visual
component
Listening
component
Writing
component
Memory
component
Attention
component
As questions or tasks become
difficult, it is typical that
more processes become
involved. Some processes are
always active, while others
become active as they
perform a specific
component of a solution.
Higher Order Thinking Involves Increasingly Sophisticated
Integration of Processes
Holding items in
short term
memory
Recalling a
sequence of
steps
Proposing, and then
eliminating, possible
alternatives
Converting from one
measurement system to another
Understanding the words and
vocabulary being used
Weighing alternative
responses
Sustaining focus, attention and motivation
All the while that the solution is taking place, planning, monitoring, evaluation,
impulse regulation, memory exchanges, and many other processes are active. .
One sentence – 48 words long
Look at materials you use and
Multiple names competing for
attention
questions you
ask
and let them guide you as to what you need to teach
While New York City is the US’ most frequented point of entry for international travellers,
“Kiosks”
– specific
vocabulary
the airport
customs and
immigration process can be slow and frustrating, in part because
the city’s largest airports, John F Kennedy International (JFK),
Newark Liberty
International
Introduction
of math
into the text:
and LaGuardia, are a mix of old and new. However, the arrival experience at New York City is
is billion
the main
focus here?”
improving. In May 2013, Delta Air Lines moved into a brand“What
new $1.4
international
terminal at JFK’s Terminal 4. In October, the airline rolled out new automated passport
kiosks in its customs
and sentence
immigration hall, which helped cut the 35-minute average
Verycontrol
grammatically
complex
wait time in half.
Taxi fares into Manhattan (not including tip and tolls) are about $50 from JFK, $30 to $40
LaGuardia
-Specific
names
or term:
Requires
from La Guardia and $50 to
$70 from Newark.
During
cold winter
months,
outdoor queues
“background”
to place
in option.
contexts
for taxis can be lengthy, which might
make a car service
a better
Even though black
sedan fares can run 20% to 50% higher than cab fares, they might be worth it if you are on a
tight schedule. Train service to Manhattan is available from JFK and Newark, and bus service
is available from LaGuardia, but both involve multiple transfers, making a car the preferred
mode of transport for most business travellers.
What’s the main theme?
Lots of text with many pieces of
information. What is important?
Let’s look at the progression of cognitive depth, from specific
abilities to complex clusters of cognitive processes
In most cases the abilities
work together as complex
and powerful processes.
Specific individual abilities are the core:
For example, sending impulses to your eye
muscles to move a certain way.
Minor process build on that core by combining
abilities:
For example, shifting your view to a specific
object or noting size and color.
A major cognitive process combine abilities
even further:
For example, keeping your view on several
different items on the whiteboard, noting
changes made by the instructor and storing the
changes in short-term memory, all the while
sustaining focus and attention.
If one or more processes are weak it can make the problem or task
more difficult or impossible to solve
Converting from one
measurement system to another
Holding items in
short term
memory
Recalling a
sequence of
steps
Proposing, and then
eliminating, possible
alternatives
Understanding the words and
vocabulary being used
Weighing alternative
responses
Sustaining focus, attention and motivation
The difficulty of a task or question reflects the total cognitive demands that are needed
for a solution. A solution can break down because of a problem with one or more
cognitive requirements, for example, having a specific fact, name, or date disappear
from short-term memory will often result in an inability to reach a solution.
EFFECTIVE PROBLEM SOLVING IS BUILT UPON A
FOUNDATION OF INTACT COGNITIVE MENTAL ABILITIES
• Ability to focus, attend and be persistent
• Ability to store and recall information from short and longterm memory
• Proficient working memory
• Mastery of a core level of major cognitive processes
• Ability to perform simultaneous problem solving
• Ability to self-monitor performance
• Ability to sustain intellectual curiosity
• Effective receptive and expressive language skills
• Effective vocabulary mastery
• Ability to plan and to execute those plans
• Mental flexibility
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Which of these meanings of “trouble” is
Douglass using?
Why did he choose this word?
How would the meaning have changed if he had
chosen the word “anger”?