uneconomical (Ausubel: 1983).

THEORY OF
*
LEARNING The provided link cannot be translated as it does not contain any text.
SIGNIFICANT ausubel/[Link]
THEORY OF MEANINGFUL LEARNING 1

By DAVID AUSUBEL In this sense, a "theory of learning" offers a

systematic, coherent and unitary explanation of how to
Do you learn? What are the limits of learning? Why do they
Educational psychology and the work Forget what you've learned?, and complementing the theories of
teacher For a long time it was considered thatlearning
the we find the 'principles of learning', since
learning was synonymous with behavioral change, this is because they study the factors that contribute to its occurrence
it dominated a behaviorist perspective of educational work; without the learning, on which the educational work will be based; in
embargo, it can be stated with certainty that learning in this sense, if the teacher performs their work based on it
human goes beyond a simple change of behavior, leads in blessed learning principles, it will be able to
a change in the meaning of the experience. rationally choose new teaching techniques and improve the
effectiveness of their work.
The human experience involves not only thought, but
also affection and only when they are considered in with Ausubel's theory of meaningful learning offers in
together the individual is trained to enrich the meaning of This context is the appropriate framework for the development of educational work.
your experience. such as for the design of coherent educational techniques
with such principles, constituting a theoretical framework that favors
To understand the educational work, it is necessary to take into account
will proceed with this process.
consideration of three other elements of the educational process: the teachers
sore points and their way of teaching; the structure of the
knowledge that makes up the curriculum and the way in which Theory of meaningful learning
this takes place and the social framework in which it develops
educational process. Ausubel suggests that student learning depends on the
The above develops within a framework previous cognitive structure related to the new information
Psychoeducational, since educational psychology deals with By 'cognitive structure', it should be understood as the set of
explain the nature of learning in the classroom and the concepts, ideas that an individual possesses at a certain
factors that influence it, these psychological foundations field of knowledge, as well as its organization.
they provide the principles for teachers to discover In the process of learning orientation, it is of vital import
It is important to understand the cognitive structure of the student; it is not just about
by themselves the most effective teaching methods, since
that trying to discover methods through "Trial and Error" is a to know the amount of information it has, but rather what are the
blind procedure and, therefore unnecessarily difficult and concepts and propositions it handles as well as its degree of
 stable dad. The learning principles proposed by Ausubel, Significant learning occurs when new information
they offer the framework for the design of metacognitive tools the term "connects" with a relevant concept ("subsunsor")
What allows me to understand the organization of the cognitive structure
pre-existing in the cognitive structure, this implies that, the
of the student, which will allow for better guidance of the work new ideas, concepts, and propositions can be learned
educational, this will no longer be seen as a task that must significantly to the extent that other ideas, concepts or
to develop with 'blank minds' or that the learning of the relevant propositions are adequately clear and available
students start from 'zero', but it is not like that, rather, the blessings in the cognitive structure of the individual and that they function
students have a series of experiences- as a point of "anchor" to the first ones.
As an example in physics, if the concepts of
skills and knowledge that affect their learning and can be system, work, pressure, temperature and conservation of
taken advantage of for their benefit. energy already exists in the cognitive structure of the student, these
Ausubel summarizes this fact in the heading of his work on the will serve as
THEORY OF SIGNIFICANT LEARNING 2
in the following way: "If I had to summarize all educational psychology
If I had to summarize it in a single principle, it would be this: The most important factor subsunsores for new knowledge related to thermodynamics,
A factor that influences learning is what the student already knows. such as thermal machines, whether steam turbines, reactors
Verify this and teach yourself accordingly. of fusion or simply the basic theory of refrigerators; the
process of interaction of the new information with the already existing one
Meaningful learning and mechanical learning existing, produces a new modification of the concepts
subsidies (work, energy conservation, etc.), this implies
A learning experience is meaningful when the contents: that subsumers can be broad, clear, stable concepts
They are related in a non-arbitrary and substantial way (not at the foot or unstable. All of this depends on the way and the frequency with
from the lyrics) with what the student already knows. By relation that are exposed to interaction with new information.
substantial and non-arbitrary must be understood that ideas are In the given example, the idea of energy conservation and constraint
they relate to some existing aspect specifically the mechanic will serve as an 'anchor' for new information referred
relevant to the cognitive structure of the student, as a the thermal machines, but to the extent that those new ones with
image, a symbol already significant, a concept or a concepts that are learned significantly will grow and change
proposition (Ausubel, 1983:18). the initial subsumers; that is to say the concepts of conservation
This means that in the educational process, it is important the production of energy and mechanical work would evolve to serve
to consider what the individual already knows in such a way that this subsumptions for concepts such as the second law of thermodynamics and
establish a relationship with what must be learned. This entropy.
the process takes place if the student has in their structure The most important characteristic of meaningful learning
cognitive with concepts, these are: ideas, propositions, stable and it produces an interaction between the most relevant knowledge
defined, with which the new information can before the cognitive structure and the new information (it is not
interact. a simple association), so that they acquire a meaning
 they fall and are integrated into the cognitive structure in a non-arbitrary way (Significant Ap.) it is worth noting that there are types of
and substantial, favoring differentiation, evolution, and stable intermediate learning that share some properties
From the pre-existing sublayers and consequently from all the aforementioned learnings, for example
the cognitive structure. Learning representations or the learning of the
Mechanical learning, contrary to meaningful learning names of the objects (Fig. 1).
fictitious, occurs when there are no suitable subsumptions,
such a way that the new information is stored arbitrarily, Discovery learning and reception learning.
without interacting with pre-existing knowledge, an example of
Hello, the simple learning of formulas in physics, this new In daily life, many activities occur and we learn.
information is incorporated into the cognitive structure in a designs, for example, in the game of "tug of war" is there not
literal and arbi would bring since it consists of pure associations something that pulls from the far right of the rope with it
arbitrary, [when], "the student lacks prior knowledge force that I pull from the left side? Wouldn't it be the same?
relevant and necessary to make the learning task a pull if the rope were tied to a tree than if my friend
potentially means- pull away from her? To win the game, isn't it better to push with
more force on the ground than pulling with more force from the
tivo" (regardless of the amount of potential meaning rope? And isn't energy required to exert this?
such that the task has)... (Ausubel, 1983: 37). force and impart movement?
THEORY OF MEANINGFUL LEARNING 3
Obviously, mechanical learning does not occur in a
"cognitive void" since there must exist some kind of These ideas form the basis in physics of mechanics,
association, but not in the sense of an interaction as in the But how should they be learned? Should it be communicated?
meaningful learning. Mechanical learning can be these foundations in their final form or should it be expected that the
necessary in some cases, for example in the initial phase of students discover them? Before looking for an answer to these
a new body of knowledge, when they do not exist Let's evaluate the nature of these learnings.
relevant concepts with which I can interact, in everything In reception learning, the content or reason for
if meaningful learning should be preferred, then this learning is presented to the student in its final form, it is only given to them
facilitates the acquisition of meanings, the retention and the requires that it internalizes or incorporates the material (laws, a poem, a
transfer of what has been learned. geometry theorem, etc.), which is presented to him in such a way that
Finally, Ausubel does not make a distinction between can recover it or reproduce it at a later time.
meaningful and mechanical learning as a dichotomy, In the previous case, the learning task is not
but as a "continuum", moreover both types of learning potentially significant nor converted into such during
they can occur concurrently in the same task of the process of internalization, on the other hand learning by
learning (Ausubel, 1983); for example, the simple reception can be significant if the task or material
memorization of formulas would be located at one of the ends potentially significant are understood and interact with
of that continuum (mechanical learning) and the learning of the existing 'subsumers' in the previous cognitive structure of the
relationships between concepts could be placed at the other end
 educating. The 'discovery method' can be especially
In discovery learning, what is going to be appropriate for certain learning experiences such as, for example, learning
learning is not given in its final form, but must be designed through scientific procedures for a discipline in
reconstructed by the student before being learned and incorporated in particular, but for the acquisition of large volumes of
significantly in the cognitive structure. knowledge, it is simply inoperative and unnecessary according to
Discovery learning involves the student Ausubel, on the other hand, the 'expository method' can be
you must reorder the information, integrate it with the structure organized in such a way that encourages learning by
cognitive and reorganize or transform the integrated combination ofsignificant reception and being more efficient than any other
so that the desired learning occurs. If the condition method in the learning-teaching process for the
For learning to be potentially meaningful, it is that the assimilation of content into the cognitive structure.
new information interacts with the previous cognitive structure and Finally, it is necessary to consider the following: 'The learning'
that there is a provision for the one who learns, this implies learning by reception, although it is phenomenologically more
that discovery learning is not necessarily simple, that discovery learning arises
significant and that learning through reception is paradoxically already very advanced in development and
necessarily mechanical. Both one and the other can be especially in their purest achieved verbal forms,
significant or mechanical, depending on how it implies a higher level of cognitive maturity (Ausubel,
new information is stored in the cognitive structure; by 1983: 36).
for example, assembling a puzzle by trial and error is a Thus, a preschool-aged child and perhaps during
type of discovery learning in which the content the early years of schooling, acquires concepts and
discovered (the assembly) is incorporated arbitrarily into propositions through an inductive process based on the
non-verbal, concrete, and empirical experience. It can be said that
the cognitive structure and therefore learned mechanically, at this stage
THEORY OF SIGNIFICANT LEARNING 4
On the other hand, a physical law can be learned.
significantly without the need to be discovered by the discovery learning predominates, since
student, this can be heard, understood, and used learned reception only arises when the child reaches
significantly, as long as it exists in its structure a level of cognitive maturity that allows him/her to understand
cognitive appropriates prior knowledge. concepts and propositions presented verbally without being
Class sessions are characterized by being oriented towards concrete empirical support is necessary.
towards learning by reception, this situation motivates criticism
by those who promote learning by chance Requirements for meaningful learning
brim, but from the point of view of the transmission of the co
knowledge is unjustified, as at no stage of evolution In this regard, Ausubel says: "The student must demonstrate [...]
cognitive action of the student must necessarily neglect a provision to relate substantively and not arbitrarily the
open the learning contents so that they are com new material with its cognitive structure, as if the
lit and significantly employed.
material that he learns is potentially significant for him, it is for the external force on such to produce the acceleration
to say, related to your knowledge structure about a it has psychological meaning for individuals who already
"arbitrary base" (Ausubel, 1983: 48). have some degree of knowledge about the
The above assumes: concepts of acceleration, mass, and force.
That the material is potentially significant, this Disposition for meaningful learning, that is
it implies that the learning material can be related to that the student shows a willingness to relate
non-arbitrary and substantial manner (not literally) with of my substantial and not literal new knowledge
some specific cognitive structure of the student, the with its cognitive structure. So independently of
the same that must have "logical meaning", that is to say, be how much potential meaning the material to be has
intentionally and substantially relatable to the ideas learned, if the student's intention is to memorize
corresponding and relevant that are available in arbitrarily and literally, both the learning process
the cognitive structure of the student, this meaning is as the results will be mechanical; in such a way
refers to the inherent characteristics of the material that is going to inverse, regardless of the significance of the arrangement
learn and its nature. neither the student, nor the process, nor the result will be
When potential meaning becomes content significant, if the material is not potentially
new, differentiated, and idiosyncratic cognitive within significant, and if it is not relatable to its structure
an individual in particular as a result of learning cognitive.
significant, it can be said that has acquired a
psychological meaning of this way the emergence of
psychological meaning not only depends on the 2. Types of meaningful learning
representation that the student makes of the material logically
significant, 'not only that such a student truly possesses It is important to emphasize that meaningful learning does not
the necessary ideational background it is the "simple connection" of new information with the already existing
in their cognitive structure. attempts in the cognitive structure of the learner, for the
against the river, only mechanical learning is the 'simple'
The fact that the psychological meaning is individual does not ex. "connection", arbitrary and non-substantive; learning
includes the possibility that there are meanings that are significant involves the
shared by different individuals, these meanings THEORY OF MEANINGFUL LEARNING 5

of concepts and propositions from different individuals

modification and evolution of the new information, as well as of the
are homogeneous enough to
cognitive structure wrapped in learning.
enable communication and understanding between the
Ausubel distinguishes three types of meaningful learning: of
people.
representations, of concepts and propositions.
For example, the proposition: 'in all cases in
For a body to be accelerated, it is necessary for a
Learning of representations
 symbol and its attributes of common criteria. Hence,
It is the most fundamental learning upon which the others [Link] learn the concept of 'ball' through various
types of learning. It consists of attributing meanings to encounters with his ball and those of other children.
finished symbols, in this regard Ausubel says: 'This happens when' The learning of concepts through assimilation occurs at
they equate arbitrary symbols with their referents (the measure in which the child expands their vocabulary, as the attributes of
topics, events, concepts) and mean for the student any criteria of the concepts can be defined using the combinations
"that to which its references allude" (Ausubel, 1983: 46). available actions in the cognitive structure therefore the child po
This type of learning generally occurs in the to distinguish different colors, sizes and assert that it is about
children, for example, the learning of the word 'ball' occurs of a 'ball', when I see others at any time.
when the meaning of that word comes to represent, or is
convert into equivalent for the ball that the child is Learning of propositions
perceiving at that moment, consequently, means the same
it is not just a simple association between the symbol This type of learning goes beyond simple assimilation.
and the object but the child relates them relatively tion of what the words represent, combined or isolated,
substantive and not arbitrary, like a representational equivalence since it requires capturing the meaning of the expressed ideas
with the relevant contents existing in their cognitive structure. in the form of propositions.
The learning of propositions involves the combination and
Learning of concepts a relationship of several words each of which constitutes a
unit reference, then these are combined in such a way that the
The concepts are defined as 'objects, events, situations the resulting idea is more than the simple sum of the meanings
or properties that possess attributes of common criteria and that of the individual component words, producing a
designed through some symbol or signs" (Ausubel, 1983: 61), new meaning that is assimilated into the cognitive structure.
Starting from this, we can affirm that in a certain way it is also true that a potentially significant proposition,
a learning of representations. expressed verbally, like a statement that has
Concepts are acquired through two processes. significado denotativo (las características evocadas al oír los
Formation and assimilation. In the formation of concepts, the conceptual) and connotative (the emotional, attitudinal, and
criteria attributes (characteristics) of the concept are acquired at idiosyncratic provoked by the concepts of the concepts
through direct experience, in successive stages of involved, interacts with the already established relevant ideas
formulation and testing of in the cognitive structure and, from that interaction, emerge the
meanings of the new proposition.
THEORY OF SIGNIFICANT LEARNING 63. Principle of the
hypothesis, from the previous example we can say that the child ad
wants the generic meaning of the word 'ball', that symbol
it also serves as a signifier for the cultural concept 'pe' assimilation
"lota", in this case, an equivalence is established between the
 The Principle of assimilation refers to the interaction between the
such as the loss of the ability to reminisce and re
new material that will be learned and the existing cognitive structure
production of subordinate ideas.
Try to originate a reorganization of the new and old meanings
To have a clearer idea of how the meanings re
two to form a differentiated cognitive structure, this
assimilated five become available during the period of
interaction of new information with relevant ideas that
they exist in the cognitive structure that facilitates their assimilation.
learning, Ausubel suggests that for a certain time "they are
they are disabled from their subsources
By assimilation, we understand the process through which 'the
reproduced as individual entities which promotes the
new information is linked to relevant and pre-existing aspects retention of a'.
attempts in the cognitive structure, a process in which the
The theory of assimilation also considers a process
recently acquired information and the pre-existing structure
posterior of 'forgetting' and consists of the gradual 'reduction'
(Ausubel, 1983: 71), regarding this, Ausubel emphasizes: "This process of
of the meanings regarding the subsumers. Forget
interaction modifies both the meaning of the new information
it represents a progressive loss of dissociability of the
like the meaning of the concept or proposition to which it is anchored.
newly assimilated ideas regarding the ideative matrix to which
da." (Ausubel, 1983: 120).
are incorporated in relation to which their arise
The product of the interaction of the learning process is not
meanings (Ausubel, 1983: 126).
not only the new meaning of (a'), but also includes the modification
It can be said then that, immediately after
subsumption and it is the compound meaning (A'a').
to produce meaningful learning as a result of the
Let's consider the following case: if we want the student to
interaction A'a', begins a second stage of assimilation to
learn the concept of phase change (a) this must have the con what Ausubel calls 'obliterative assimilation'.
heat concept (energy in transit) (A) in its structure
At this stage, new ideas become spontaneous and pro
previous cognitive, the new concept (phase change) is assimilated
progressively less disassociated from the subsumers (ideas and
to the most inclusive concept (heat) (A'a'), but if we consider that
until they are not reproducible as individual entities
Phase changes are due to a transfer of energy, not
Yes, this means that at a certain moment the
only with the concept of phase change will it be able to acquire
interaction A'a', it is simply indivisible and reduces to (A')
meaning for the student, but also the concept of heat that
And it is said that they forget, from this perspective, forgetting is a
it will be modified and will become more inclusive, this will
continuation of "subsequent time phase" of the process of
will allow, for example, to understand concepts such as internal energy,
meaningful learning, this is because it is easier to retain
specific heat capacity. etc.
the subsuming concepts and propositions, which are more
Evidently, the product of the interaction A' a' can
stable to remember the new ideas that are assimilated in
to change after a while; therefore, assimilation is not relationship with said concepts and propositions.
a process that concludes after meaningful learning It is necessary to mention that the obliterated assimilation 'sa
but continues over time and can involve new
"crifica" a certain volume of detailed information and
I learned
specific to any body of knowledge.
 The obliterating assimilation is a natural consequence. the criticisms reflect a relationship of subordination, as they involve
of the assimilation, however, does not mean that the subsumer the subsumption of concepts and potentially propositions
return it means ties to the most general and inclusive existing ideas
THEORY OF MEANINGFUL LEARNING 7 in the cognitive structure.
to its form and initial state, but rather, the residue of assimilation Ausubel states that cognitive structure tends to an organi
hierarchical organization in relation to the level of abstraction, generality and
obliteradora (A'), is the most stable member of the interaction
(A'a'), which is the modified subsunsor. It is important to highlight that
describe the assimilation process as the only interaction A'a' inclusivity of ideas, and that, "the mental organization" [...]
it would be a simplification, for it is to a lesser degree, a new one exemplifies a pyramid [...] in which the most inclusive ideas
Information also interacts with other subsources and quality. they are at the apex, and include progressively ideas
The degree of assimilation depends in each case on the relevance of less the extensive (Ausubel, 1983: 121).
subsunsor. Subordinate learning can in turn be of two
In summary, the essence of the theory of assimilation lies intypes: Derivative and Correlative. The first occurs when the
that new meanings are acquired through the material is learned and understood as a specific example
interaction of new knowledge with concepts or from an already existing concept, confirm or illustrate a
pre propositions, existing in the cognitive structure of the who previously learned general proposition. The meaning of
learn, from that interaction results a product (A'a'), in which a new concept emerges without much effort, as it is
not only does the new information acquire a new meaning directly derivable or is implicit in a concept or
but also the subsundor (A) acquires additional meanings more inclusive proposition already existing in the structure
(A'). During the retention stage, the product is dissociable into A' and cognitive, for example, if we are talking about the changes of
to later enter the obliterating phase where (A'a') is reduced to water phase, mention that in liquid state it is found in
Giving way to forgetfulness. the "pools", solid in the ice and as a gas in the clouds
Depending on how the new information interacts with the is it will be promoting derivative learning in the student,
cognitive structure, the forms of learning proposed by the to have a clear and precise concept of phase changes in their
the theory of assimilation is as follows. cognitive structure. It should be noted that the criterion attributes
the concept does not change, but new ones are recognized
Subordinated learning examples.
Subordinate learning is correlational, 'if it is an exten
This learning occurs when the new information is session for the preparation, modification, or limitation of proposals
linked to the relevant knowledge of the structure previously learned" (Ausubel, 1983: 47). In this case the
previous cognitive knowledge of the student, that is to say when there is a relationshipnew information is also integrated with the subsonic devices
of subordination between the new material and the cognitive structure more inclusive relevant but its meaning is not implicit
pre-existing, it is the typical process of subsumption. for which the criteria attributes of the included concept
The learning of concepts and propositions, up to here they can be modified. This is the typical process through
when a new concept is learned.
 Considering the availability of relevant content ape
Superordinate learning In general terms, in this type of learning, the propositions
son, probably the least relatable and the least capable of
It occurs when a new proposition is related to "to connect" in existing knowledge, and therefore more
specific subordinate ideas already established, "take place in difficult to learn and retain than the propositions
the course of inductive reasoning or when the material subordinate and superordinate; this fact is a consequence
exposed [...] implies the synthesis of component ideas directly from the crucial role played by the availability of subsumers
(Ausubel, 1983: 83) relevant and specific for meaningful learning.
THEORY OF MEANINGFUL LEARNING 8 Finally, the new material, in relation to the knowledge-
for example: when the concepts of pressure, temperature are acquired
Area and volume, the student will later be able to learn the meaning. the previous ones are neither more inclusive nor more specific, but rather they
from the equation of state of perfect gases; the first ones you can consider that it has some criteria attributes in co
subordinating to the concept of the equation of state what it would representmature with them, and despite being learned with greater difficulty
a superordinate learning. Based on that, it can be said that in the previous cases it can be stated that 'They have the
that the superordinate idea is defined by a new set of same stability […] in the cognitive structure" (Ausubel,
1983: 64), because they were developed and differentiated based on
criteria attributes that encompass the subordinate ideas, on the other hand
Next to the concept of state equation, it can be useful for learning. of learned derivative and correlational branches, are examples of
the kinetic theory of gases. I learned the relationships between mass and energy, between
The fact that superordinate learning becomes subordinate. heat and volume this shows that they imply analysis,
At a certain moment, she confirms to us that she structures differentiation, and on rare occasions generalization, synthesis.
cognitive is constantly modified; as the individual can
to be learning new concepts by subordination and at the same time,
be carrying out superordinate learning (as in the previous one)4. Progressive differentiation and
Later, the opposite can occur highlighting the characteristic.
dynamic metric of the evolution of cognitive structure. integrative reconciliation
Combinatorial learning As has been said before, in the process of assimilation the
existing prior ideas in the cognitive structure are modified
This type of learning is characterized by the new information acquiring new meanings. The successive presence of this
the relationship is neither subordinate nor superordinate Produce an additional hierarchical development of the with
with the previous cognitive structure, but it relates in a way concepts or propositions" (Ausubel, 1983: 539), giving rise to
General with relevant aspects of the cognitive structure. It is a progressive differentiation. This is a fact that occurs
as if the new information were potentially significant You complain about assimilation, for the subsuming concepts are
with the whole cognitive structure. are constantly reworked and modified,
acquiring new meanings, that is, progressively from an all-inclusive previously learned, that reaching the whole to
differentiated. This process generally occurs in the based on its differentiated components since the organization of
subordinate learning (especially in the correlational). the contents of a certain discipline in the mind of an individual
On the other hand, if during assimilation the ideas are already established "it is a hierarchical structure" (Ahumada, 1983: 87).
cognitive structures are recognized and related Therefore, the programming of the content should not only be pro
in the course of a new learning enabling a new or provide a progressive differentiation but must also
organization and the attribution of a new meaning to this process explicitly explore the relationships between concepts and relationships,
it can be referred to as reconciliation, according to Ausubel. to highlight the important differences and similarities, and then
integrative, this process occurs during learning reconcile the real or apparent incongruities.
superordinate and combinatorial, as they require a Finally, the progressive differentiation and reconciliation
THEORY OF SIGNIFICANT LEARNING 9
integrative are closely related processes that occur at
recombination of the existing elements in the structure
cognitive. (Moreira, 1993). as meaningful learning occurs. In the
Progressive differentiation and integrative reconciliation subordinate learning presents an assimilation
they are dynamic processes that occur during learning (subsumption) that leads to a progressive differentiation of
significant. The cognitive structure is thus characterized by concept or subsuming proposition; while in the process
for presenting a dynamic organization of the contents of superordinate learning and in the custom combinatorial
learned. According to Ausubel, the organization of these, for an area that the new information is acquired, the elements are already
determined knowledge in the mind of the individual tends to be aexisting in the cognitive structure can be specified,
related and to acquire new meanings and how
hierarchical structure in which the most inclusive ideas are situated in
the summit and progressively include propositions, concepts and consequence reorganizes itself as well as acquiring new ones
less inclusive and less differentiated data (Ahumada, 1983). meanings. In this last one, reconciliation consists.
All learning produced by integrative reconciliation integrator.
It will also lead to greater differentiation of the concepts or
existing proposals since the integrative reconciliation is
a form of progressive differentiation present during the 5. Bibliography
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