Personal Theory of Learning

Throughout my life experiences as both a student and an educator, I have learned, failed

to learn, and witnessed learning. Learning is multifaceted and there are a number of ways it can

be fostered or hindered. Below I discuss the ways people learn through exploration, learn with

others, learn through consequences, and learn through self-assessment.

People learn through exploration…

Learning happens when people are given opportunities to experiment, fail, and engage in

a variety of life and academic experiences. This happens through several mechanisms. Consider

a child who touches a hot fireplace. The child will be burned and learn not to touch the fireplace

because they do not want to get burned. This type of exploratory learning relies on operant

conditioning in which the child learns by experiencing an unpleasant response (Cherry, 2019a).

Another way people learn through exploration is by engaging with something unfamiliar and

learning how it works. In my classroom I see students learning problem solving skills when they

are given opportunities to play with different math manipulatives. When my students use pattern

blocks, I notice them trying to fit blocks together like a puzzle and see the excitement on their

faces when they discover how multiple pieces fit together. An educational researcher, Sugata

Mitra, conducted a study that supports my idea of how children learn through exploration. When

he placed a computer in a rural Indian village, children came up to the mysterious machine, and

through exploration discovered how to click, scroll and browse the internet (Mitra, 2007). The

children had never seen a computer like this before, but throughout the video they were

exploring different buttons on the control panel and discovered that by clicking on an icon, a new
page would appear on the screen. This new knowledge drove the children to continue exploring

the control panel to see what else would happen on the computer.

People learn with others...

Learning happens when people have the chance to collaborate and work with others.

When people interact and share ideas, they have the opportunity to shift their perspectives and

understandings through learning from others because they are sharing their individual

understandings (Cherry, 2019c). When people are grouped with more capable peers, they have

the opportunity to learn through others and through their Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

(Cherry, 2019d). In my classroom when I pair students together, I notice that the student with

more ability takes on somewhat of a teacher role and guides the student with less ability through

the task.

People, particularly children, also learn with others through play. Children can expand

their conceptual abilities and knowledge of the world through play and imagination (Cherry,

2019c). The act of playing allows children to develop cognitive skills, physical abilities, social

skills, literacy skills, and new vocabulary (Bongiorno, n.d.). Children learn through dramatic

play, construction, games, and art. When my students engage in dramatic play, they learn

turn-taking and how to cooperate with others. They also learn literacy skills by matching words

to print when they use play food or play menus.

People learn with others through observation, as well. Humans are naturally inclined to

engage in observational learning (Cherry, 2019b). Babies imitate the faces that adults make.

Children imitate the behavior of teachers, peers, and their family members, whether prosocial or

not. Modeling is an important part of learning through observation in classrooms and

households. Likewise, negative behavior can be copied. People are more likely to imitate

behavior of similar people, admired people, and people in positions of authority (Cherry, 2019b).

People also imitate behavior when they lack confidence in their own abilities and when they are

in an unfamiliar situation. One example of this is if someone wants to join in a game they have

never played before. They observe the behavior of people participating in the game and learn

how to play. There is a great deal of power in learning from others.

People learn through consequences…

Behaviorist B.F. Skinner believed that external and observable causes impacted human

behavior. He introduced operant conditioning, which was the idea that actions were more likely

to be repeated if they were followed by some type of reinforcement. There are four major key

concepts to Skinner’s operant conditioning that Cherry (2019a) describes: positive

reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. Positive

reinforcement are favorable outcomes, like praise or rewards, after a behavior. An example of

this in the classroom would be a student receiving a punch on a rewards punch card for following

directions. Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unfavorable outcome after the

display of a behavior. An example of this in the classroom would be allowing a child to

discontinue their check-in and check-out process with the school social worker everyday because

their positive behavior is consistent. Both of these types of reinforcement aim to increase

positive behavior. Punishment, however, looks to decrease negative behavior. Punishment is not

as effective because it only shows people what they should not be doing, rather than focusing on

what they should be doing. In my own life, I was and still am learning because of consequences.

When I was a student in high school I wanted to learn so that I could receive good grades, make
my parents proud, and participate in sports. Because of these consequences for my efforts, I

worked hard, studied, and made school and my learning a priority.

People learn through reflection and self-assessment...

Reflection and self-assessment are imperative to the development of new knowledge and

the application of that knowledge to new situations. When learners monitor their level of

comprehension and seek to learn more when they discover deviations in their understanding,

there is great opportunity to deepen understanding (Bransford et al. 2000). I have recently been

dedicating a lot of time learning more about the social justice issues that plague our nation. I am

frequently thinking about what I know, while noticing details I do not have a thorough

understanding of, thus motivating me to research further. This reflection process is similar to

what happens for students in the classroom, however, my students need more guidance to reflect

on their understanding. When students are provided with feedback in the form of hints and

questions, they are often able to self-correct and come to answers themselves (Bransford, et al,

2000; Shepard, 2000). Additionally, when students know the specific criteria they will be

assessed on, they can examine their own work and correct it as necessary. For my Young Fives

students, I help them self-assess by asking questions such as “What do you remember that is

special about names of people?” and offering hints such as “It is something about the first letter.”

I ask them to look at my modeled example, and decide how their work looks differently. When I

provide opportunities for them to take ownership of their learning, it helps them be able to

deepen understanding.

Conclusion
 The process of learning is complex and can be affected in many different ways. People learn

through exploration. People learn through others by collaborating, observing, and playing.

People learn when they are involved in self-assessment and can be responsible for their own

learning. The process of learning is always being reinforced and changed; the pathway of

learning is not linear, but it is continuous.

 References

Bongiorno, L. (n.d.). 10 things every parent should know about play. NAEYC. Retrieved from

https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/10-things-every-parent-play

Bransford, J. L., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind,

experience, and school (Expanded Edition). National Academy Press.

Cherry, K. (2019a, September 5). What is operant conditioning and how does it work?. Verywell

Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/operant-conditioning-a2-2794863

Cherry, K. (2019b, September 6). How observational learning affects behavior. Verywell Mind.

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-observational-learning-2795402

Cherry, K. (2019c, November 26). Sociocultural theory of development. Verywell Mind.

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-sociocultural-theory-2795088

Mitra, S. (2007). Kids can teach themselves [Video]. TED.

https://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_kids_can_teach_themselves?utm_campaign=ted

spread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare#t-1230204

Shepard, L. (2000). The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher, 29(7),

4-14.