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L1LC 312 64C


!ennlfer 8os
#33634000


november 30
Lh
, 2008



















1hroughouL Lhls course we have sLudled a number of dlfferenL learnlng Lheorles and whlle each may have orlglnally been
presenLed ln order Lo provlde a compleLe model of how people learn, lL ls my bellef LhaL Lhey only do LhaL ln parL. l feel
LhaL ln order Lo galn a comprehenslve vlew of how and why people learn LhaL one musL Lake pleces from each of Lhe varlous
learnlng Lheorles.
8efore we conslder how learnlng lLself Lakes place, l feel LhaL lL ls lmporLanL Lo conslder poLenLlal obsLrucLlons Lo learnlng,
as Lhey wlll llmlL Lhe poLenLlal for meanlngful learnlng Lo occur. ln my experlences as a hlgh school Leacher, l have found
LhaL a large ma[orlLy of Leenagers have lnsecurlLles wlLhln Lhe classroom. lear of fallure or embarrassmenL ofLen prevenLs
Lhem from focuslng on learnlng Lasks and Lherefore prevenLs Lhem from belng successful. l belleve LhaL lL ls lmperaLlve LhaL
we as lnsLrucLors creaLe an accepLlng and respecLful culLure before we expecL effecLlve learnlng Lo Lake place. ln my vlew,
Lhe 8ehavlourlsL model holds a greaL deal of poLenLlal when conslderlng lssues such as classroom managemenL and
esLabllshlng a classroom culLure. oslLlve and negaLlve relnforcemenL, modellng, shaplng and cuelng are all behavlourlsL
Lechnlques LhaL can help gulde sLudenLs Loward approprlaLe classroom behavlour. 8ehavloural change occurs for a
reason, sLudenLs work for Lhlngs LhaL brlng Lhem poslLlve feellngs, and for approval from people Lhey admlre. 1hey change
behavlours Lo saLlsfy Lhe deslres Lhey have learned Lo value" (SLandrldge, 2002). Cnce sLudenLs are comforLable wlLhln
Lhelr envlronmenL, Lhey wlll feel comforLable Laklng Lhe rlsks LhaL meanlngful learnlng requlres
ln a number of Lhe learnlng Lheorles, Lhe concepL of learner moLlvaLlon came lnLo play. ln facL l would propose LhaL
moLlvaLlon for learnlng ls almosL as lmporLanL as Lhe learnlng lLself. lf sLudenLs are noL moLlvaLed Lo learn Lhey won'L and
Lherefore moLlvaLlon, aLLenLlon, and lnLeresL are all prerequlslLes for meanlngful learnlng. Soclal CognlLlon LheorlsLs have
developed a model of Lrladlc reclprocallLy, ln whlch self-efflcacy, or Lhe bellefs concernlng one's capablllLles, plays an
lmporLanL role ln Lhe learnlng process. !"#"$%&' #')*# +'$+ #",-."--/&$&0 1",/"-# /2-,3"2&" #3&' $&'/"4"5"2+ 1"'$4/)3%# $#
&')/&" )- +$#6#7 8"%#/#+"2&"7 "--)%+ "98"2:/+3%" $2: #6/,, $&;3/#/+/)2 <=&'3267 >??@A. ln oLher words sLudenLs wlll only be
moLlvaLed Lo engage ln learnlng Lasks lf Lhey belleve LhaL Lhey have Lhe poLenLlal Lo be successful. lL ls Lherefore lmporLanL
for lnsLrucLors Lo provlde learnlng Lasks LhaL are wlLhln Lhe sLudenL's zone of proxlmal developmenL, as well as provlde Lhe
approprlaLe level of supporL for each lndlvldual sLudenL as ls proposed by vygoLsky's Lheory of learnlng (Mlller, 2002).
AnoLher facLor medlaLlng sLudenL moLlvaLlon ls sub[ecL relevance. Learnlng Lasks musL help sLudenLs connecL Lhe maLerlal
Lo real world appllcaLlons so LhaL lL ls noL slmply roLe memorlzaLlon LhaL wlll be forgoLLen afLer Lhe LesL. ln all buL Lhe flrsL
couple of Lheorles LhaL we sLudled LhroughouL Lhls course, Lhe ldea LhaL learnlng musL occur ln conLexL was paramounL.
roponenLs of SlLuaLed Learnlng argue LhaL knowlng cannoL be separaLed from dolng, and LhaL one learns by dolng whaL
experLs ln LhaL sub[ecL maLLer do. (urlscoll, 2003) l feel LhaL we as Leachers musL Lry Lo provlde our sLudenLs wlLh as many
auLhenLlc learnlng acLlvlLles as ls posslble, glven Lhe flnanclal and Llme resLralnLs placed upon us. When sLudenLs are able
Lo connecL wlLh maLerlal and see Lhe valldlLy ln whaL Lhey are learnlng, Lhey are far more llkely Lo be moLlvaLed, Lhereby
lncreaslng Lhelr chances of success wlLhln a course and Lhelr reLenLlon of LhaL knowledge.
Learnlng lLself ls dlfflculL Lo deflne, wlLh each of Lhe LheorlsLs descrlblng lL wlLhln Lhe unlque framework and Lermlnology of
Lhelr own Lheory. As l reflecL back on Lhe course, Lhere are Lwo ldeas LhaL seem Lo connecL wlLh my own ldeologles. llrsL
LhaL 5"$2/2B-3, ,"$%2/2B /# $ 8%)&"## /2 *'/&' 2"* /2-)%5$+/)2 /# %",$+": +) $2 "9/#+/2B %","4$2+ $#8"&+ )- $2 /2:/4/:3$,C#
62)*,":B" #+%3&+3%" (novak, 1998) and second LhaL learnlng ls a 8%)&"## /2 *'/&' 8$%+/&/8$2+# &'$2B" $2: $%" +%$2#-)%5":
+'%)3B' +'"/% $&+/)2# $2: %",$+/)2# /2 +'" *)%,: (urlscoll, 2003). 1he flrsL ldea comes from Ausubel's AsslmllaLlon Lheory
and l chose lL because lL suggesLs LhaL as learnlng occurs, Lhere ls a process of llnklng lnformaLlon wlLhln Lhe braln. My
8lology background has led me Lo belleve LhaL Lhlnklng lnvolves neural neLworks and synapLlc lnLegraLlon wlLhln Lhe braln.
1he ldea LhaL learnlng connecLs new lnformaLlon Lo pre-esLabllshed neural paLhways makes sense Lo me aL a molecular
level. l chose Lhe second quoLe because ln conLrasLs wlLh Lhe flrsL, ln LhaL lL moves learnlng from a physlologlcal response,
occurrlng enLlrely wlLhln Lhe lndlvldual, Lo a process LhaL occurs ln relaLlon Lo Lhe world ln whlch Lhe learner exlsLs. Whlle
modern Lechnology lndlcaLes LhaL Lhere are physlcal changes occurrlng wlLhln Lhe lndlvldual as Lhlnklng occurs, Lhose
LhoughLs ulLlmaLely dlcLaLe how we lnLeracL wlLh and undersLand our exLernal world. D35$2# $%" "51"::": /2 $
#)&/)&3,+3%$, 5$+%/9 $2: '35$2 1"'$4/)3% &$22)+ 1" 32:"%#+)): /2:"8"2:"2+,0 )- +'/# "4"% 8%"#"2+ 5$+%/9 (Mlller, 2002).
Whlle my vlew of learnlng wlll llkely conLlnue Lo evolve over my professlonal career, l belleve LhaL lL wlll always lnvolve a
balance beLween Lhe lnner worklngs of Lhe braln and Lhe exLernal changes of Lhe lndlvldual.
1(2()(#3(45
SLandrldge, M.. (2002). 8ehavlorlsm. ln M. Crey (Ld.), Lmerglng perspecLlves on learnlng, Leachlng, and
Lechnology. Avallable onllne: hLLp://www.coe.uga.edu/eplLL/8ehavlorlsm.hLm

Schunk, u. P. (2004). E"$%2/2B F'")%/"#G H2 I:3&$+/)2$, J"%#8"&+/4", pp. 83-136 (may sLop aL 110) (ch. 3). upper
Saddle 8lver, n!: earson

Mlller, . P. (2002). F'")%/"# )- K"4",)85"2+$, J#0&'),)B07 @+' I:. (pp. 367-396, vygoLsky's Soclo-CulLural
Approach). new ?ork: WorLh.

urlscoll. M.. (2003). J#0&'),)B0 )- E"$%2/2B -)% L2#+%3&+/)2 (pp. 133-182, Ch. 3 - SlLuaLed CognlLlon). 1oronLo,
Cn: earson

novak, !. u. (1998). E"$%2/2B7 M%"$+/2B7 $2: N#/2B O2)*,":B"G M)2&"8+ P$8# $# Q$&/,/+$+/4" F)),# /2 =&')),# $2:
M)%8)%$+/)2# (pp. 49-78, ch 3 - Ausubel's AsslmllaLlon Learnlng 1heory). Mahwah, n!: Lrlbaum