Assignment for Lesson 2.

1. Why learning and living are co-existent?

In our current age of rapid social, economic and technological change,

including urbanization, globalization and information overload, human beings
are more than ever seeking orientation and meaning. In this situation, education
is the potential key to individual empowerment, cultural prosperity, social
cohesion and economic development.

It is important to be a student in entire life. Constant learning is essential part of

life and should crave new information. An instructor should always keen to
deliver this learning passion to learners. For being a lifelong learner one should
collect some strategies on how you can make learning a priority in your life.

The importance of Lifelong Learning has been increasing for some important
reasons. These are increasing of life expectancy, desire for increasing life
quality, and trying to keep themselves in good physical and mental condition.
The benefits of lifelong learning is that it provides job security, better career
options, stronger soft skills, better cognitive health, excellent networking
opportunities etc.

The structure of job has been changing during the passing process from
industrial society to information society. The workers need to learn new skills
and improve themselves to have new skills. The qualifications of workers have
been improved due to Information Technologies. High skill workers have
become main aspect to sustain society’s life. Beside this, the technologies and
products can become old fashion in a short time. The firms have been forced to
create differences and innovate themselves to compete in global world. People
cannot use what they learned in early age forever. This explanation may be
considered as the first awareness of Lifelong Learning in society.

2. What are the main theories of learning?

Learning theories are conceptual framework that describes and guides how the
learners absorb, process and retain knowledge during learning. Psychologists,
educationists and psychologists have contributed a lot for the comprehension of
the learning experiences which is a complex and complicated process. Results
based on the experiments they have contributed to the development of theories
of learning. Some of the important learning theories applied in educational and
vocational training are as follows:

a) Classical conditioning theory by Ivan Petrovich Pavlov

Pavlov's theory of classical conditioning states that stimulus and response

are inter-related while learning process takes place. Pavlov's discovery of
classical conditioning remains one of the most important in psychology's
history, the conditioning process remains important today for numerous
applications, including behavioral modification. Classical conditioning is
often used to treat phobias, anxiety and panic disorders also.

b) Trial and Error theory by Edward Lee Thorndike

Thorndike - an American psychologist, his work on animal behavior and the

learning process led to the theory of connectionism (a set of approaches in
the fields of artificial intelligence and cognitive psychology, helped to lay
the scientific foundation for modern educational psychology). He also
worked on solving industrial problems, such as employee exams and testing.
He has been considered as father of modern educational psychology in US.
In his theory the learners set a goal and he tries to achieve it after making
several trails. This theory is known as Thorndike theory or Trial and Error.

c) Insight Learning Theory by Kohler Wolfgang Kohler

Kohler was one of the founders of Gestalt psychology along with Max
Werheimer and Kurt Koffka. He is also famous for his description of insight
learning which he tested on animals, particularly chimpanzees. When we
solve a problem completely, we experience a pleasant feeling called by
Kohler the - "AHA Experience".

The cognitive answer to the question ‘how insight learning occurs’ is the
insight involves a perceptual reorganization of elements in the environment.
Kohler worked out a number of insight experiments on chimpanzees and
summarized the findings.
Kohler employed five types of problems to study how the chimpanzees
solve complex problems. The two most fascinating and important problems
were the 'stick' problem and the ‘box’ problem both the problems involved
insightful solution.

The theory states that, the learner acts according to the situation and
achieves success and in a similar situation next time they act without any
problem because of his past experience.

d) Operant conditioning theory by B.F Skinner

Skinner introduced a new term Reinforcement. That is, behavior which is

reinforced tends to be repeated (i.e., strengthened); behavior which is not
reinforced tends to die-out or be extinguished (i.e. weakened). Skinner
studied operant conditioning by conducting experiment using rats which he
placed in a ‘Skinner box’ similar to Thorndike’s puzzle box.

Skinner identified three types of responses or operands that can follow

behavior

• Neutral operands

• Reinforces

• Punishers

e) Theory of Imitation by Albert Bondura

We all try to imitate. Children try to imitate action of their elders. Imitation
is learnt from school, institute, and home and outside environment. Imitation
is considered to be one of the natural qualities of human being. From
elders/adults imitate like their precedents. Imitation is very useful in
attaining skill. The imitation can be effected consciously or unconsciously.
Sometime, complex and tough actions either new or difficult to imitate also
reduces this specific skill. Imitation helps backward learners. It has some
disadvantages sometimes bad qualities are also learnt through imitation. It is
the responsibility of the instructor to guide the learner properly to avoid
imitating wrong methods and means instrument or agency to learn a skill or
 attitude. Many teachers and parents today realize the importance of
modeling acceptable behavior.

3. Which of the laws of learning are applied in the following steps of

learning?
a. Presentation step
b. Application step
c. Testing step