Concept Attainment Model

 Concept Attainment Model

The goal of this model is to have students construct an understanding and definition of a concept in their own words through exposure to numerous examples. This is a great model for introducing brand new concepts to students. The concept may be abstract (e.g. democracy, friendship) or concrete (e.g. a specific grammatical rule, a species). 

Steps of the Model. 

1. Select and define a concept and select the attributes (teacher preparation)

• Your definition and attributes need to be very specific and numbered. If your definition is vague, your students' understanding will be vague. 
• As a variation on the model, you can have binary concepts (|Concept A and Concept B); as opposed to only one concept. (e.g. meiosis vs mitosis, colons vs. semi-colons, distress vs eustress, etc.)

2. Develop Examples and Non-Examples (teacher preparation)

• Your text says to develop "positive" and "negative examples. However, these terms are problematic because students will think "good" and "bad." Say "examples" and "non-examples" to avoid potential problems. 
• Examples should contain all the essential attributes. Non-examples may include some but not all of the attributes. 
• Examples may be multi-media (e.g. pictures, sound bytes, words). 
• Examples should be short. 

3. Introduce the process to the students. 

• Carefully explain the goal and the steps to the process. If applicable, tell them how many attributes you are looking for. Be specific when articulating your target. 

4. Present the examples and list the attributes. 

• List the attributes on the board as students come up with the them. When they eliminate an attribute, cross it off but don't erase it. 
• Present the examples and non-examples in any order. You may present all examples and then all non-examples, or you may alternate between examples and non-examples. 

5. Develop a concept definition. 

• Students should develop a concept definition that includes all of the essential attributes. 

6. Give additional test examples. 

• Show more examples and non-examples to assess student understanding. 
• Have students provide their own examples and explain them.

7. Discuss the process with the class. 

• Metacognition. Have students evaluate the process: Did they learn? Why? Why not? 

8. Evaluate

• Formative assessment with regard to concept and essential attributes.