Learning Theories, Models,

and Methods
A GILD Tutorial

Presenter: M.E. Sanseverino

Jan 22, 2003

"Aah, there's nothing more exciting than science. You

get all the fun of sitting still, being quiet, writing down
numbers, paying attention...yes, science has it all."
Principal Skinner

Tutorial Goals
2. MODELS
1. THEORIES

3. METHODS

4.
SCENARIO

Segue to
Learning Tools
5. LEARNING GOALS
AND ACTIVITIES

1.1 Theories: Behavioural

Primary Focus

Observable behaviour
Stimulus-response
connections

Assumptions
Learning is a result of
environmental forces

Subcategories
Contiguity
Respondent (Classical)
Operant (Instrumental)

Major Theorists

Thorndike
Pavlov
Watson
Skinner

Principles
Time/place pairings
Biological basis of
behaviour
Consequences
Modelling

1.2 Theories: Cognitive

Primary Focus

Mental behaviour
Knowledge
Intelligence
Critical Thinking

Bloom
Piaget

Assumptions
Learning is a result of mental operations/
processing

Subcategories

Information Processing
Hierarchical
Developmental
Critical Thinking

Major Theorists

Gagne

Principles
Memory is limited
Changes in
complexity
Changes over time
Good thinking
requires standards

1.3 Theories: Humanistic

Primary Focus
Affect/Values
Self-Concept/Self-Esteem
Needs

Rogers
Maslow

Assumptions
Learning is a result of affect/emotion
and goal-orientation

Major Theorists

N. V. Peale

Subcategories

Affect
Motivation/Needs
Self-concept
Self-esteem

Principles
Individual
uniqueness
Self-determination
Dreams and goals
are vital for success

1.4 Theories: Social Cognition

Primary Focus

Modelling
Vicarious Learning
Attitudes
Goals

Bandura
Vygotsky

Assumptions
Learning is a result of influences of social
environment on thinking.

Subcategories

Observational (Social)
Self-efficacy
Goal-setting
Self-regulation

Major Theorists

Sears

Principles
Reciprocal
determinism
Individual
responsibility

3. Methods: Putting theories and models together

Adapted from Romiszowski, 1984

3.1 Methods: How do you think?

The Block Problem:
Visualisation

Draw a picture

Mathematically

How did you do it?

Were you successful on the first or second attempt?
Did you use more than one strategy?
(ie. Visualise and deduce that blocks have eight corners)

3.1 Methods: How do you think?

The Sticks Problem:

Visualising

Drawing

Manipulating Objects

If you manipulate objects:

Be aware of how it feels to do solve the problem this way.
Are you carrying on a verbal dialogue (verbalizing)? .

3.1 Methods: How do you think?

The Who Did It problem:

In this problem only one statement is true. Determine from the information given who
did it?
A said, "B did it."
B said, "D did it."
C said, "I did not do it."
D said, "B lied when he said I did it."

Verbal/Logical solution

Easy to confuse the information statement with the problem statement:

Many learners try to figure out which statement is a true,
rather than which person is guilty.

3.1 Methods: How do you think?

The Who Did It problem continued:
Begin by assuming A is guilty,
determine if it is the case that
only one statement is true, then
assume B is guilty, and so on
until you find that only one
statement is true.
(This method is most common
for those who do solve the
problem, and will result in a
correct answer)

If you noticed that since only one

statement is true and C says that he
didn't do it, one need only discover
that one of A, B, or D is telling the
truth to establish that C is guilty (if
A, B, or D is true, C is false; thus
C did it). Since B and D contradict
each other, only one of them can
be true. Since we've found one true
statement (it doesn't matter
whether it's B or D), we can
deduce that C did it.
(A more efficient, but often
overlooked strategy).

3.2 Methods: Determining Your Learning Styles

Principles of Thinking Styles

ACTIVE AND REFLECTIVE LEARNERS

How can active learners help themselves?

How can reflective learners help themselves?

SENSING AND INTUITIVE LEARNERS

How can sensing learners help themselves?

How can intuitive learners help themselves?

VISUAL AND VERBAL LEARNERS

How can visual learners help themselves?

How can verbal learners help themselves?

SEQUENTIAL AND GLOBAL LEARNERS

How can sequential learners help themselves?

How can global learners help themselves?

4.0 Scenario
GOALS
Explain/understand
why repetition is
needed.

WHY
To put the problem in
some context. Students
comprehend problem.

ACTIVITY

Demo/explain
different repetition
structures.

To put structures
in a more defined
context.

Discuss why and when

one structure might be
more appropriate
than another.
Have students learn
debugging strategies
using repetition as a
catalyst.

To get the students

thinking of these
structures in terms of
problem solving.

Give a problem. Ask

students to select structure
and justify choice.
EVALUATION

To develop debugging
/logical problem
solving strategies.

Have an in-class find and

fix competition. Logical
errors, syntax, and runtime. ANALYSIS

Students write a program

without a repetition
structure. KNOWLEDGE
Give a problem. Ask
students to code it in all
repetition types.
APPLICATION

Bibliography

Educational Psychology Interactive

<http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/index.html>
Valdosta State University, Georgia, USA.
Recommended for GILD members
Looking at Carl Rogers (Humanistic Theory)
<http://facultyweb.cortland.edu/~ANDERSMD/ROGERS/ROGERS.
HTML>
Learning to Learn
<http://www.ldrc.ca/projects/atutor/login.php>
Recommended for GILD members
The Next Step Teacher Education
<http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/teachereduc/indexTE.html>
Theory into Practice: TIP
<http://tip.psychology.org/>
Resources in Science and Engineering Education
<http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/>
Recommended for GILD members

Bibliography cont.

How People Learn, Expanded Edition.2000. John Bransford et al

Full book online at
<http://books.nap.edu/books/0309070368/html/index.html>
Recommended for GILD members -- if you can only fit in one
item on learning, make it this book. It blends theory and
practice into a very readable, useable resource.
Funderstanding: educational products for kids.
<http://www.funderstanding.com/engaging_kids.cfm>
Great Expectations: Leveraging America's Investment in
Educational Technology
<http://www.benton.org/e-rate/execsummary.html>
Integrating Technology in Learning and Teaching. Pat Maier and
Adam Warren. Kogan Page Limited, London, UK. 2000.