Learning Theories and Instruction

Learning Theory Matrix

Definitive
Questions
for
Learning
Theories
Behaviorist Theory Cognitive Theory Constructivist
Theory
Social Learning Theory Connectivism Adult Learning
How does
learning
occur?
Behaviorism equates
learning with changes in
either the form or
frequency of observable
performance. Learning is
accomplished when a
proper response is
demonstrated following
the presentation of a
specific environmental
stimulus. (rtmer! "##$%
Blac& bo'! observable
behavior main focus.
((avis! )**+%
Learning is equated with
discrete changes
between states of
&nowledge rather than
with changes in the
probability of response,
Learning is concerned
not so much with what
learners do but with
what they &now and how
they come to acquire it
(rtmer! "##$%
-tructured!
computational. ((avis!
)**+%
.onstructivism is a
theory that equates
learning with creating
meaning from
e'perience,cognitive
psychologists thin& of
the mind as a reference
tool to the real world/
constructivists believe
that the mind filters
input from the real world
to produce its own
unique reality,the mind
is believed to be the
source of all meaning
(rtmer! "##$%
-ocial meaning created
by each learner.
((avis! )**+%
.ognitive change results
from using cultural tools in
social interactions and from
internali0ing and mentally
transforming these
interactions,. Mediation is
the &ey mechanism in
development and learning1
Human development occurs
through the cultural
transmission of tools
(language! symbols%.
(2rmrod! )**#%
-ocial constructivists view
learning as a social process. 3t
does not ta&e place only
within an individual! nor is it a
passive development of
behaviors that are shaped by
e'ternal forces (4c4ahon!
"##5%. 4eaningful learning
occurs when individuals are
engaged in social activities.
(6im! )**"%
Learning and
&nowledge rest in
diversity of opinions.
Learning is a process of
connecting speciali0ed
nodes or information
sources.
(istributed within a
networ&! social!
technologically
enhanced! recogni0ing
and interpreting
patterns. ((avis! )**+%
'perience (including
mista&es% provides the
basis for learning...
(.onlan! )**$%
Learning Theories and Instruction
7hat factors
influence
learning?
8lthough both learner
and environmental
factors are considered
important by
behaviorists!
environmental conditions
receive the greatest
emphasis. Behaviorists
assess the learners to
determine at what point
to begin instruction as
well as to determine
which reinforcers are
most effective for a
particular student. 9he
most critical factor/
however! is the
arrangement of stimuli
and consequences
within the environment.
(rtmer! "##$%
:ature of reward!
punishment! stimuli.
((avis! )**+%
9he cognitive approach
focuses on the mental
activities of the learner
that lead up to a
response and
ac&nowledges the
processes of mental
planning! goal;setting!
and organi0ational
strategies ...9he real
focus of the cognitive
approach is on changing
the learner by
encouraging him<her to
use appropriate learning
strategies. (rtmer!
"##$%
'isting schema!
previous e'periences.
((avis! )**+%
Both learner and
environmental factors
are critical to the
constructivist! as it is
the specific interaction
between these two
variables that creates
&nowledge,situations
actually co;produce
&nowledge (along with
cognition% through
activity. (rtmer! "##$%
ngagement!
participation! social!
cultural. ((avis! )**+%
=ygots&y>s sociocultural
theory emphasi0es ,the
interaction between persons
and their environments,
-ocial interactions are critical/
&nowledge is co;constructed
between two or more people
(2rmrod! )**#%
Historical developments
inherited by the learner as a
member of a particular
culture. -ymbol systems!
such as language! logic! and
mathematical systems! are
learned throughout the
learner?s life. 9hese symbol
systems dictate how and what
is learned ,9he nature of the
learner?s social interaction
with &nowledgeable members
of the society is important.
7ithout the social interaction
with more &nowledgeable
others! it is impossible to
acquire social meaning of
important symbol systems
and learn how to use them.
@oung children develop their
thin&ing abilities by interacting
with adults,-ocial
constructivists see as crucial
both the conte't in which
learning occurs and the social
conte'ts that learners bring to
their learning environment.
(6im! )**"%
:urturing and
maintaining connections
is needed to facilitate
continual learning.
8bility to see
connections between
fields! ideas! and
concepts is a core s&ill.
(iversity of :etwor&.
((avis! )**+%
8dults need to be
involved in the
planning and
evaluation of their
instruction

8dults are most
interested in learning
about subAects that
have immediate
relevance to their Aob
or personal life
8dult learning is
problem;centered
rather than content;
oriented.
Life e'perience
(including life altering
events that affect
cognitive abilities%!
wor& e'perience
(including development
of thin&ing patterns
based on this
e'perience%!
positive<negative
previous adult learning
e'periences!
performance affectors!
including cognitive
abilities! time between
learning interactions!
aging factors.
(.onlan! )**$%
Learning Theories and Instruction
7hat is the
role of
memory?
4emory! as commonly
defined by the layman! is
not typically addressed
by behaviorists. 8lthough
the acquisition of Bhabits>
is discussed! little
attention is given as to
how these habits are
stored or recalled for
future use. Corgetting is
attributed to the Bnonuse>
of a response over time.
(rtmer! "##$%
4emory is hardwiring of
repeated e'periences D
where reward and
punishment are most
influential. ((avis! )**+%
Learning results when
information is stored in
memory in an organi0ed!
meaningful manner,
Corgetting is the inability
to retrieve information
from memory because of
interference! memory
loss! or missing or
inadequate cues needed
to access informationE.
(rtmer! "##$%
ncoding! storage!
retrieval. ((avis! )**+%
9he goal of instruction
is not to ensure that
individuals &now
particular facts but
rather that they
elaborate on and
interpret information
Fnderstanding is
developed through
continued! situational
use,a concept will
continue to evolve with
each new use as new
situations! negotiations
and activities recast it in
different! more densely
te'tured
form,>memory> is
always under
construction as a
cumulative history of
interactions. (rtmer!
"##$%
Grior &nowledge
remi'ed to current
conte't. ((avis! )**+%
>8ll human psychological
processes,are mediated by
such psychological tools as
language! signs! and
symbols... 8fter children
internali0e these tools they
function as mediators of ,
more advanced psychological
processes> (2rmrod! )**#%
3 honestly don>t &now.
8daptive patterns!
representative of
current state! e'isting in
networ&s. ((avis!
)**+%
8gain! 3>m not
convinced 3 understand
the role of memory in
this learning theory.
8lthough not
addressed directly in
any of the material
presented in this
course! first hand
e'perience allows me
to posit the role of
memory in the adult
learner is primarily
related to appropriate
purging of obsolete
and<or unnecessary
material in order to
accommodate new
information. 8s
memory stores fill up!
self;directed cognitive
processes are required
to preserve the
retention of important
material.
=ast stores of
memori0ed information
support more efficient
learning since much
fundamental
&nowledge is already
stored and organi0ed.
Learning Theories and Instruction
How does
transfer
occur?
9ransfer refers to the
application of learned
&nowledge in new ways
or situations! as well as
to how prior learning
affects new learning. 3n
behavioral learning
theories! transfer is a
result of generali0ation.
-ituations involving
identical or similar
features allows
behaviors to transfer
across common
elements. (rtmer!
"##$%
-timulus! response.
((avis! )**+%
,transfer is a function
of how information is
stored in memory ,
7hen a learner
understands how to
apply &nowledge in
different conte'ts! then
transfer has occurred.
(rtmer! "##$%
(uplicating &nowledge
constructs of B&nower>.
((avis! )**+%
9he constructivist
position assumes that
transfer can be
facilitated by
involvement in authentic
tas&s anchored in
meaningful conte'ts,
constructivist view is
that learning always
ta&es place in a conte't
and that the conte't
forms an ine'orable lin&
with the &nowledge
embedded in it,3f
learning is
deconte'tuali0ed there
is little hope for transfer
to occur,the ultimate
measure of learning is
based on how effective
the learner>s &nowledge
structure is in facilitating
thin&ing and performing
in the system in which
the tools are used,
(rtmer! "##$%
-ociali0ation ((avis!
)**+%
6im offers one e'planation for
how transfer occurs in a
sociocultural environment1
3ntersubAectivity is a shared
understanding among
individuals whose interaction
is based on common interests
and assumptions that form the
ground for their
communication ,
3ntersubAectivity not only
provides the grounds for
communication but also
supports people to e'tend
their understanding of new
information and activities
among the group members...
6nowledge is derived from
interactions between people
and their environments and
resides within cultures,9he
construction of &nowledge is
also influenced by the
intersubAectivity formed by
cultural and historical factors
of the community,7hen the
members of the community
are aware of their
intersubAective meanings! it is
easier for them to understand
new information and activities
that arise in the community.
(6im! )**"%
.onnecting to (adding
nodes%. ((avis! )**+%
3mmediate application
of newly acquired
&nowledge. (.onlan!
)**$%
Learning Theories and Instruction
7hat types
of learning
are best
e'plained by
this theory?
Behaviorists attempt to
prescribe strategies that
are most useful for
building and
strengthening stimulus;
response associations ,
including the use of
instructional cues!
practice and
reinforcement. (rtmer!
"##$%
9as& based learning.
((avis! )**+%
,cognitive theories are
usually considered more
appropriate for
e'plaining comple'
forms of learning
(reasoning! problem;
solving! information;
processing,%
(rtmer! "##$%
Heasoning! clear
obAectives! problem
solving. ((avis! )**+%
.onstructivists argue
that constructivist
learning environments
are most effective for
the stage of advanced
&nowledge acquisition!
where initial
misconceptions and
biases acquired during
the introductory stage
can be discovered!
negotiated! and if
necessary! modified
and<or removed.
Curther! constructivists
suggest a transition to
constructivist
approaches as learners
acquire more
&nowledge which
provides them with the
conceptual power
needed to deal with
comple' and ill;
structured problems.
(rtmer! "##$%
-ocial! vague (ill
defined%. ((avis! )**+%
Language acquisition!
speech! and verbali0ation to
name the most obvious.
.omple' learning!
rapid changing core!
diverse &nowledge
sources. ((avis! )**+%
Groblem;centered
(.onlan! )**$%
How is
technology
used for
learning in
your
industry?
9echnology is used for
learning through the use
of computer based
training (.B9% which
provide for practice!
allowing for repeated
attempts to complete!
with feedbac& based on
learner response. .g.
.B9 for teaching users
how to &ey<enter an
order into an order
fulfillment system.
:ot necessarily in my
industry but an e'ample
of technology being used
for learning would be the
use of computer based
trainings (.B9% which
provide standardi0ed test
preparation (49L! for
e'ample%.
9echnology is used for
learning through the use
of .B9 and simulators
for teaching computer
programming
languages! operating
systems! proAect
management strategies
and other comple'
material related to
computer systems.
:ot necessarily in my industry
but an e'ample of technology
being used for learning would
be the BHecord;a;Boo&>
applications that allow
Irandma to record herself
reading a children>s boo& (the
recording is done directly into
a the boo&%. 9he child then
hears Irandma>s voice
reading along as they Bread>
the boo& for themselves. 9his
supports the socialcultural
influence on acquiring
language s&ills.
3nstant messaging!
-ocial :etwor&ing!
Blogs! 3ntranets! 7i&is!
4obiles! .loud
.omputing and =ideo
.onferencing bring
distributed wor&forces
together for sharing of
information! &nowledge
transfer! etc.
9echnology is used for
learning through the
use of semantic
training materials
which provide training
on how to utili0e
e'isting applications
(such as 'cel% for
different purposes.
Learning 'cel is not
the obAective of these
courses! the obAective
is to learn when to use
'cel (as opposed to a
more comprehensive
database application%.
Learning Theories and Instruction
Heferences1
Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In . !"ey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology.
#et"ieved $"om %tt&'((&"o)ects.coe.u*a.edu(e&ltt(inde+.&%&,title-Connectivism
rtmer! G. 8.! J :ewby! 9. K. ("##$%. Behaviorism! cognitivism! constructivism1 .omparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance
Improvement Quarterly, 6(L%! M*D5".
Conlan, .., /"a0o1s2i, 3., & 3mit%, K. (2004). 5dult lea"nin*. In . !"ey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology.
#et"ieved $"om %tt&'((&"o)ects.coe.u*a.edu(e&ltt(inde+.&%&,title-5dult67ea"nin*
8oley, /. (Ed.). (2009). Dimensions of adult learning: Adult education and training in a global era. c/"a1-:ill Education.
6im! B. ()**"%. -ocial constructivism. 3n 4. 2rey (d.%! Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Hetrieved from
http1<<proAects.coe.uga.edu<epltt<inde'.php?titleN-ocialO.onstructivism
2rmrod! K.! -chun&! (.! J Iredler! 4. ()**#%. Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom edition%. :ew @or&1 Gearson