FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

- What is Instrumental Enrichment (IE)?

IE is a cognitive skills program designed by Israeli psychologist, Reuven Feuerstein, to address cognitive deficits and close learning gaps. It is based on enhancing learning through Mediated Learning Experiences.

- What is a Mediated Learning Experience?

A Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) is a focused interaction between the teacher or other caregiver and the learner. It is intentional in nature and always involves transcending the immediate situation and guiding the learner to transfer what has been learned to new situations.

- What are the goals?

IE is designed to create active, independent, lifelong learners. Subgoals include learning the vocabulary and concepts needed to accomplish specific learning tasks, addressing cognitive deficits, and developing habits that enable the individual to learn efficiently from direct experience.

- What populations is IE designed to be used with?

There are two forms of IE, Basic and Standard.

Basic IE is designed for use with children as young as kindergarten age and with persons of any age who have more severe developmental disabilities.

The Standard version of IE is generally used in grades three and higher. The flexible nature of the program allows adaptations for adult populations as well.

- What types of cognitive deficits are addressed by the program?

Deficits can occur at the input, elaboration and output phases of the learning process. These include impulsivity, blurred and sweeping perception, difficulty with temporal and spatial concepts, lack of precision and accuracy. There may also be problems with using comparative behavior, generating and testing a hypothesis, working with multiple sources of information simultaneously to name a few.

- How is IE used in a classroom setting?

Lessons are presented two to three times a week or more. Each lesson involves data gathering to plan for how to complete the given task, independent work on the page, and follow-up discussion. Students develop a general principle of learning that is then used to bridge the classroom activity to another academic area, a vocational area, an independent living situation, and an interpersonal scenario.

- Can IE be used in a tutorial setting?

Yes, a teacher trained in IE and familiar with the scope of the program and the cognitive needs of an individual can design and implement a program that addresses specific cognitive gaps.

- Describe the training process.

Training is generally arranged in one week sessions around the different program levels. We begin with developing an understanding of structural cognitive modifiability and the use of Mediated Learning. Participants learn the instruments for the particular level they are working with, as well as techniques for lesson planning. Focus is on developing a positive but challenging approach to coaching learners to achieve. An important part of the process is ongoing supervision and consultation that provides support to persons as they begin using the IE tools.

- What is an instrument in the context of this program?

An instrument is a unit of work. Each instrument presents paper and pencil tasks that make up the curriculum. They are planned sequentially and taught in a way that pairs a verbal instrument with a nonverbal one, in order to provide challenge to the learner while allowing for times in the comfort zone. Instruments are designed to be generally content free in order to provide clear access to the specific cognitive skills addressed. There are fourteen instruments in the Standard curriculum. Currently the North Carolina School for the Deaf Authorized Training Center also provides training in the first five of the Basic instruments.