Learning

Theory

Presentation by Danielle Bothe

EDIT 610
Assignment 12
Behaviorism
• A theory of learning where all behaviors are learned through
interaction with the environment through a process called
conditioning.
• All behavior is simply a response to the environment.
• Primarily concerned with observable behavior.
• There is little difference between the learning in animals and humans.
• Notable behaviorists: Pavlov, Watson, Skinner, Bandura, Thorndike.
• Behaviorism strategies
• Immediate feedback
• Repetitive tasks
• Positive reinforcement
Ivan Pavlov
• A Russian physiologist known for his work on classical conditioning.
• His famous research included the study of how dogs salivate and how he
could change their behavior through reinforcement. He found that when a
bell was rung with the presentation of food, he could get dogs to salivate
before the food was even consumed. The dogs ended up making a
connection between the bell and the food, so a new behavior was
conditioned.
• Teachers can use classical conditioning in the classroom to help students
overcome anxiety. Teachers can provide constant reassurance and positive
reinforcement to assist a child who may be anxious with reading aloud or
presenting in front of the class. This could help the child become more
comfortable in the classroom.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/behaviorism.html
https://www.firstdiscoverers.co.uk/ivan-pavlov-child-development-theories/
Cognitivism
• A learning theory that focuses on the processing of information rather
than observation.
• New information is compared to existing cognitive structures called
schema.
• Learning is concerned not so much on what learners do, but what they
know and how they acquire that information.
• Notable cognitivists: Gagne, Piaget, Bloom
• Cognitivism strategies:
• Repetition
• Summarizing meaning
• Using images for memorization

https://lidtfoundations.pressbooks.com/chapter/behaviorism-cognitivism-constructivism/

https://web2.utc.edu/~tjd169/basics_of_cognitivism.htm
Robert
Gagne
• An educational psychologist who
identified the mental conditions that are
necessary for effective learning.
• Developed a nine-step process that
explained each step required for
effective learning.
• Teachers can use this nine-step process
as a checklist before the start of a lesson
or activity. Each step highlights a form
of communication that aids the learning
process. When each step is completed,
students are more likely to be engaged
and retain the information that is being
taught.

https://www.mindtools.com/page
rticle/gagne.htm
Constructivism
• A learning theory where learning is creating meaning
by doing.
• Learners build new knowledge based on the foundation
of previous learning.
• Constructive learning is an active process. The learner
needs to do something in order to learn.
• Notable constructivists: Piaget, Vygotsky, Dewey,
Bruner
• Constructivism strategies
• Reciprocal teaching: Teacher models the strategies
and then the students become the teacher.
• Cognitive apprenticeship.
Jerome Bruner
• A constructivist who believes that learning is an active process and
learners construct new ideas based on previous learning.
• Developed discovery learning where students are placed in
problem solving situations where they are required to draw on past
experiences and existing knowledge to discover facts,
relationships, and new information.
• Teachers can use models that are based upon discovery learning
model in the classroom such as guided discovery and problem-
based learning. Students are more likely to retain knowledge
acquired by engaging in real-world experiences and problem-
solving.

http://www.ucdoer.ie/index.php/Education_Theory/Constructivism_and_Social_Constructivism
#:~:text=John%20Dewey%20(1933%2F1998),theorist%20among%20the%20social%20constru
ctivists.
Reflection
How can teachers use these theories in the classroom?
• Behaviorism
• Providing students with immediate feedback that is
specific and providing positive reinforcement for
appropriate and acceptable behavior.
• Cognitivism
• Gain student’s attention at the beginning of the lesson,
activate prior knowledge and apply it to the learning
being done currently, include examples or graphics to
make learning more effective, and allow students to
demonstrate what they’ve learned in the form of a
project or presentation.
• Constructivism
• Providing students with real-world experiences and
problem-based learning in the classroom such as coding,
constructing a robot, or producing a plan to solve a real-
world problem within their community.