Cognitivist learning theory focuses on how people actively construct knowledge through thinking rather than passively receiving it. It differs from behaviorism in that it emphasizes the role of cognitive processes like problem solving, memory, and language processing in learning. Key contributors to cognitivism developed theories about how knowledge is organized and processed in the brain, such as dual coding theory, schema theory, Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive domains. Cognitivism supports the use of interactive tools and visual aids to engage students in applying and building upon their existing knowledge through higher-order thinking.