Activating+Schema

What is Schema? How do we activate schema? Why is activating schema an important pre-listening activity? Knowledge (or learning) is constructed from experience and stored in memory. We all have a uniquely personal store of knowledge gained through a lifetime of experiences.

This stored knowledge along with its storage structure is called schemata. This term is often used in its singular form - schema - that refers to an organized chunk of knowledge or experience, often accompanied by feelings or emotions associated with experience at the time the information was stored. For example, when someone mentions the word "exams," your mind begins searching all the related information stored in memory. That information may include specific information you learned for exams, feelings associated with exams, or even sounds associated with taking an exam.

When students have little or no schema (background knowledge or prior experience) for a subject, comprehension is more difficult. To activate schema before you listen, answer the following questions: 1. What do I know about the American concept of freedom? 2. What do I know about American History? 3. What do I expect this lecture to be about? 4. What difficulties might I encounter while listening to this lecture? 5. What can I do to overcome these difficulties?