Human schemas evolve and with time can produce automatic responses that require little, if any, thought. In a cognitive based classroom, the teacher is the source of information and the prompter. Students are guided to specific ends through a process of discovery based upon their experiences. There is much more flexibility in the classroom and more responsibility is placed on the student to participate in their learning. If a student does not understand, the teacher is available for consultation and information.
Students have to learn to operate in a problem-centered environment and search for solutions.
Cognitive styles have been incorporated into schools for about three decades now, but they are still used on a limited basis. The newest theory in educational psychology is constructivism. Though useful and practical in the classroom, it is particularly pertinent to on-line education. If learners make sense of the world, they are creating knowledge. There is a strong belief in the inherent ability of people to explore subject matter and create their own understandings at various levels of sophistication, and effectively solve problems.