Cognitivism is a theoretical framework for understanding the mind that gained popularity in the 1950s as a response to behaviorism). It is a learning theory that focuses on how a persons mind receives, organizes, saves, and retrieves information. The cognitive theory believes that the human mind functions like an information processor or computer, and that humans learn from thinking and can change their behaviors based on new information. Cognitivism has two major components: one methodological and the other theoretical. Methodologically, cognitivism has a positivist approach and says that psychology can be fully explained by the use of the scientific method). The theoretical component of cognitivism is largely a reductionist goal, with the belief that individual components of mental function (the cognitive architecture) can be identified and meaningfully understood). Cognitivism became the dominant force in psychology in the late-20th century, replacing behaviorism as the most popular paradigm for understanding mental function).

Cognitive learning theories focus on the ability of students to guide their own learning using mental strategies. The cognitivist approach to learning assumes that the learner uses cognitive processes as an active participant in the learning process. The variety in the learning objectives and student capacities in any given situation require an instructional designer to have a breadth and depth of knowledge of instructional theories in order to meet the needs of each situation.

In summary, cognitivism is a theoretical framework for understanding the mind that focuses on how humans receive, organize, save, and retrieve information. It is a learning theory that emphasizes the importance of cognitive processes in learning and assumes that learners use cognitive processes as active participants in the learning process.