Advance organiser cognitive support – UGC NET Question

Ausubel argued that meaningful learning occurs when new material is anchored to relevant ideas already present in the learner’s cognitive structure. Advance organisers are introductory materials that bridge existing knowledge and new content. They work by activating and organising prior concepts so that learners can assimilate incoming information more easily. Thus,the main function described in the stem is to activate learners’ existing cognitive structures.

Option A:
Erasing cognitive structures would undermine learning,as prior knowledge provides the foundation for understanding new ideas. Advance organisers seek to use and strengthen prior knowledge,not remove it.

Option B:
Ignoring existing cognitive structures would mean presenting new material without considering what learners already know,leading to rote learning or confusion. Ausubel’s theory emphasises the exact opposite.

Option C:
Fragmenting cognitive structures implies breaking them into disconnected pieces,which would make integration of new knowledge more difficult. Advance organisers instead aim at unifying and organising ideas.

Option D:
By activating prior knowledge,advance organisers prepare learners to integrate new material meaningfully. This aligns precisely with Ausubel’s view,so activate is the correct completion.