Principle Of Learning and Education Course

NUR 315

Chapter 3

Applying Learning Theories to

Healthcare Practice
 LEARNING
 Learning: a relatively permanent change in mental
processing, emotional functioning, and behavior as a
result of experience

 Learning Theory: a coherent framework of integrated

constructs and principles that describe, explain, or
predict how people learn
 CONTRIBUTION OF
LEARNING THEORIES
 Provide information and techniques to guide teaching
and learning

 Can be employed individually or in combination

 Can be applied in a variety of settings as well as for
personal growth and interpersonal relations
 Application Questions to Keep in Mind

 How does learning occur?

 What kinds of experiences facilitate or hinder the
process?
 What helps ensure that learning becomes permanent?
 Learning Theories
 Behavioral

 Cognitive

 Social

 Humanistic
 Behaviorist Conditioning

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 BEHAVIORIST THEORY
 Behaviorism refers to the school of psychology
founded by John B. Watson based on the belief that
behaviors can be measured, trained, and changed.
Behaviorism was established with the publication of
Watson's classic paper "Psychology as the
Behaviorist Views It" (1913).
 BEHAVIORIST THEORY
 Behaviorism, also known as behavioral psychology, is a
theory of learning based upon the idea that all
behaviors are acquired through conditioning.
Conditioning occurs through interaction with the
environment. Behaviorists believe that our responses
to environmental stimuli shape our actions.

 .
 BEHAVIORIST THEORY
 According to this theory ,behavior can be studied in a
systematic and observable manner with no
consideration of internal mental states. It suggests
that only observable behavior should be considered
as cognition, emotion and moods are too subjective.
 Behaviorist Dynamics

 To change behavior, change the stimulus conditions in

the environment and the reinforcement after a
response
 Changing Behavior Using Operant Conditioning

 To increase behavior
 Positive reinforcement
 Negative reinforcement (escape or avoidance
conditioning)

 To decrease behavior
 Nonreinforcement
 Punishment
COGNITIVE THEORY
 COGNITIVE THEORY
 According to this theory ,the key to learning and
changing behavior is the individual cognition
,metacognition(perception, thoughts, memory and ways
of processing and structuring information)
 To change behavior, work with the developmental stage
and change cognitions, goals, expectations, equilibrium,
and ways of processing information.
 Cognitive Development Perspective

 Learning depends on the stage of cognitive functioning,

with qualitative, sequential changes in perception,
language, and thought occurring as children and adults
interact with the environment.
 Recognize the developmental stage and provide
appropriate experiences to encourage discovery.
Social Constructivist Perspective
 Social Constructivist Perspective

 According to this theory , learning is heavily influenced

by the culture and occurs as a social process in
interaction with others.

 A person’s knowledge may not necessarily reflect

reality, but through collaboration and negotiation, new
understanding is acquired.
 Social Cognition Perspective
 An individual’s perceptions, beliefs, and
social judgments are affected strongly by social
interaction, communication, groups, and the
social situation.
 Individuals formulate causal explanations to account
for behavior that have significant consequences for
their attitudes and actions (attribution theory).
 SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY
 This theory is largely based on the work of Alberta
Bandura (1977,2001).who mapped outa perspective of
learning that includes consideration of the personal
characteristics of learner behavior patterns, and the
environment)
 SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY
 Concepts: role modeling, vicarious reinforcement, self-
system, self-regulation

 To change behavior, utilize effective role models who

are perceived to be rewarded, and work with the social
situation and the learner’s internal self-regulating
mechanisms.
 SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY
 Concepts: stage of personality development, conscious
and unconscious motivations, ego-strength, emotional
conflicts, defense mechanisms
 To change behavior, work to make unconscious
motivations conscious, build ego-strength, and resolve
emotional conflicts.
 HUMANISTIC LEARNING THEORY

 Learning occurs on the basis of a person’s motivation,

derived from needs, the desire to grow in positive ways,
self-concept, and subjective feelings.
 Learning is facilitated by caring facilitators and a
nurturing environment that encourage spontaneity,
creativity, emotional expression, and positive choices.
Generalizations about Learning
 Learning is a function of physiological and
neurological developmental changes.

 Brain processing is different for each learner.

 Learning is active, multifaceted, and complex.
 Meaningful practice strengthens learning
connections.

 Stress can interfere with or stimulate learning.

 Common Principles of Learning

 Promoting change
 Relate to what learner knows and is familiar with
 Keep experiences simple, organized, and meaningful
 Motivate learner (deprivation, goals, disequilibrium,
needs, tension)
 May need incentives and rewards, but not always
 Common Principles of Learning
(cont’d)

 Promoting change
 Experiences must be at the appropriate developmental
level
 Make learning pleasurable, not painful
 Demonstrate by guidance and attractive role models
 Common Principles of Learning (cont’d)

 Making learning relatively permanent

 Relate experiences to learner
 Reinforce behavior
 Rehearse and practice in variety of settings
 Have learner perform and give constructive feedback
 Make sure interference does not occur before, during, or
after learning
 Common Principles of Learning (cont’d)

 Making learning relatively permanent

 Promote transfer
 Have learner mediate and act on experience in some way
(visualize, memory devices, discuss, talk, discuss, write,
motor movement)
 Questions to Consider
 In what ways do the learning theories differ?
 In what ways are they similar?
 How can the learning theories be used in combination
to change behavior and enhance learning?
 Why are some theories more effective with certain
individuals than with others?
Reference
 Bastable, S. (2014): Nurse As Educator: Principles of
Teaching and Learning For Nursing Practice. 3rd ed
Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury.