Prof' Alex Kozulin, Ph'D' International Center for the Enhancement of Learning Potential Jerusalem

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Prof. Alex Kozulin, Ph.D.International Center
for the Enhancement of Learning
PotentialJerusalem

• Learning potential assessment as a tool for
  enhancing vocational opportunities of young
  minority adults

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Problem

• Admission to more challenging vocational training
  courses is often based on candidates' standard
  psychometric scores.
• Because of their low psychometric scores
  many young minority adults are denied prestigious
  vocational training opportunities.

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What is wrong with the psychometric approach?

• The psychometric approach does not distinguish
  between current task performance and learning
  potential.
• As a result candidates with high learning
  potential but a low performance level are
  discriminated in favor of candidates with high
  standard scores who may actually have low
  learning potential.

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Why is affirmative action not a solution?

• Why is affirmative action via reduced
  admission criteria for minority candidates not a
  solution?
• Such an action still fails to identify candidates
  with higher learning potential.
• Lower admission criteria may negatively affect
  candidates self-image.
• In the absence of cognitive enhancement there is
  a high probability that some of the minority
  candidates would fail during the vocational
  training.

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Solution

• Placement into specific vocational training
  program on the basis of candidates learning
  potential rather than psychometric scores

• Intensive cognitive enrichment course given to
  candidates before the start of vocational
  training.

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Learning Potential Assessment

• The Learning Potential Assessment Device (LPAD)
  developed by Prof. Reuven Feuerstein incorporates
  the learning phase into the interactive
  assessment procedure.
• Pre-test ? Mediation ? Post-test

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Cognitive Enrichment

• Enrichment of general learning and
  problem-solving skills using Feuerstein et al,
  Instrumental Enrichment (IE) program
• Teacher mediated development of analytic
  perception, classification, spatial and temporal
  relations, numerical and syllogistic reasoning,
  etc.

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Example of IE tasks

• Representational Stencil Design tasks that
  develop analytic perception, comparison, and
  hypothetical reasoning

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Candidates (N 94)

• Young adults, predominantly female, immigrants
  from Ethiopia in Israel or Israeli-born children
  of Ethiopian immigrants.
• All candidates finished 12 years of study in
  Israeli schools.
• If standard psychometric scores were used all the
  candidates would be recommended for less
  challenging vocational training programs (food
  preparation, drivers, etc.)

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Procedures

• Interview with candidates
• Learning Potential Assessment
• Intensive cognitive enrichment program (60
  hours)
• Placement into vocational training course
• Follow-up.

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Evidence of change in non-verbal problem solving

• Pre-program cognitive test 76.9 (SD10.2)
• Post-program cognitive test 87.5 (SD7.1)
• Effect size 1.2

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Psychometric vs. Learning Potential ranking of
candidates

• Candidates scores in psychometric Figural
  Analogies Test was compared to their LP scores in
  similar tasks
• The analysis of the difference between z-scores
  demonstrated that there is a definite tendency
  for the psychometric test to underestimate the
  ability of candidates who performed better in the
  LP tasks.

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Case of S.C.

• Cognitive Pre test Rank 72
• LP tasks Rank 10
• Advanced Cognitive Post Test Rank 17

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Modifiability of high-level verbal-logical
reasoning

• Individual candidates made a remarkable progress
  in high-level verbal-logical reasoning
• A.R. showed weak results in the pre-program
  verbal-logical test (33). However, her learning
  potential proved to be good (60) and she reached
  an impressive 80 performance level in the
  post-program test.

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Case of A.R.

• Verbal-logical reasoning
• Pre-test 33
• LP tasks 60
• Post test 80

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Vocational Training Placement Based on LP

• Using LP results candidates were placed into
  specific training courses
• 82 of trainees successfully finished courses
• 4 of trainees changed courses or dropped out for
  psychological, personal and family reasons
• 14 dropped out because of learning problems
• (Average drop out rate for non-immigrant
  trainees is 10-15)

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Conclusion

• Learning potential assessment together with
  intensive cognitive enhancement activities is
  efficient in preparing minority candidates for
  more challenging vocational training courses
  (computer operator, dental assistant, etc.)

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References

• Feuerstein, R. et al (2002). Dynamic assessment
  of cognitive modifiability. JerusalemICELP.
• Feuerstein, R. et al (2006). Creating and
  enhancing cognitive modifiability.
• JerusalemICELP.
• Kozulin, A. Rand, Y. (Eds.)(2000). Experience
  of mediated learning. Oxford Pergamon.

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Acknowledgements

• The program was co-sponsored by ICELP, IDF and
  JDC-Israel
• Learning potential assessment and cognitive
  enhancement activities were supervised by Lea
  Yosef and Anat Cagan.

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Contact Information

• Prof. Alex Kozulin, Ph.D.
• alexk_at_icelp.org.il
• www.icelp.org