How do we learn as adults? A peek into various theories

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How do we learn as adults? A peek into various
theories

• Latha Chandran MD, MPH
• Interim Chair of Pediatrics
• Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
• SUNY at Stony Brook

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The paradox

• We are not going to teach you anything today
• You are going to learn a lot today

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CONFLICT OF INTEREST

• No disclosures of conflict of interest relevant
  to this discussion

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Thinking exercise

• John Dewey, Chicago school,
• What is the condition of the center of earth?
• igneous fusion

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Five Key Theories of Learning

• Behaviorist
• Cognitivist
• Humanist
• Social Learning
• Constructivist

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What is learning?

• Learning is a process by which behavior changes
  as a result of experiences ( Maples and Webster
  1980)
• transformation of perspective?

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Behaviorist orientation

• Encompasses a number of theories
• Three assumptions
• Observable behavior rather than internal thought
  process is the focus
• Environment shapes behavior
• Principles of contiguity and reinforcement are
  central to explain the learning process

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Behaviorist Orientation

• Thorndikes connectionism or SR theory of
  learning
• Through repeated trial and error learning,
  certain connections between sensory impressions
  or stimuli (S) and subsequent behavior or
  responses (R) are strengthened or weakened by the
  consequences of behavior

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Thorndikes three laws

• Law of effect Learner will acquire and remember
  responses that lead to satisfying after effects
• Law of Exercise Repetition of a meaningful
  connection results in substantial learning
• Law of Readiness If the organism is ready for
  the connection, learning is enhanced

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Cognitive Orientation

• Perception, insight and meaning are key
  contributions to cognitivism
• Human mind is not a passive exchange terminal for
  S to cause R
• The learner thinks about the ingredients nec to
  solve the problem and puts them together
  cognitively one way or another till solved
• Locus of control?

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Cognitive orientation

• Meaningful vs rote learning
• Bruners theory- three simultaneous acts-
  acquisition of new info, manipulating knowledge
  to fit new tasks, and evaluating whether it
  worked
• Subconcepts of learner needs, learning styles

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Humanist orientation

• Dont accept that behavior is predetermined by
  environment or ones own subconscious
• Perceptions are centered in experience as well as
  the freedom to become what one is capable of
  becoming
• Stresses self directedness, value of experience

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Humanist orientation

• Carl Rogers Freedom to learn for the 80s
• Student centered learning
• Personal involvement- affective cognitive
• Self initiated- sense of discovery from within
• Pervasive- affects behavior
• Learner evaluated
• Essence is meaning

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Social Learning Orientation

• Combines elements of behaviorism and cognitivism
• People learn by observing others and imitating
  them and being reinforced
• Vicarious learning
• Four processes- attention, retention, behavioral
  rehearsal and motivation
• Locus of control?

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Constructivism

• Learning is a process of constructing meaning-
  Internal cognitive activity
• Personal constructivism (Piaget) vs social
  constructivism (feminist theorists)- Continuum?
• Notion of self direction and the role of
  experience in adult learning

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Aspect Behaviorist Cognitivist
Learning theorists Guthrie, Hull, Pavlov, Skinner, Thorndike, Watson Ausubel, Bruner, Gagne, Koffka, Kohler, Lewin, Piaget
Learning process Change in behavior Internal mental process (including insight, information processing, memory, perception)
Locus of learning Stimuli in external environment Internal cognitive structuring
Purpose of education Produce behavioral change in desired direction Develop capacity and skills to learn better
Teachers role Arranges environment to elicit desired response Structures content of learning activity
Manifestation in adult learning Behavioral objectives Competency-based education Skill development and training Cognitive development Intelligence, learning, and memory as function of age Learning how to learn
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Humanist Social Learning Constructivist
Maslow, Rogers Bandura, Rotter Candy, Dewey, Lave, Piaget, Rogoff, vonGlaserfeld, Vygotsky
A personal act to fulfill potential Interaction with and observation of others in a social context Construction of meaning from experience
Affective and cognitive needs Interaction of person, behavior,and environment Internal construction of reality by individual
Become self-actualized, autonomous Model new roles and behavior Construct knowledge
Facilitates development of whole person Models and guides new roles and behavior Facilitates and negotiates meaning with learner.
Andragogy Self-directed learning Socialization Social roles Mentoring Locus of control Experiential learning Self-directed learning Perspective transformation Reflective practice
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Concept of dog
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Knowledge

• Understanding comes from the internal
  representation of concepts
• Refining this understanding happens from repeated
  acts of constructing and construing

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Concepts of an idea
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Seven principles of cognitive learning

• Prior knowledge is key
• Prior knowledge must be activated
• The links are more important than the elements
• Making more and stronger links require time
• Context provides important cues for storing and
  retrieving info

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Seven principles of cognitive learning

• Intrinsic motivation is associated with deep
  approaches to learning, extrinsic motivation with
  surface approaches
• Teaching should be geared towards development of
  learner autonomy as well as intellect

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Paragraph 1
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Prior knowledge is key to learning

• Start with the learner
• Understand the learners conceptions and
  misconceptions
• It is the teachers responsibility to adjust the
  content to the learners prior understanding
• If content is unfamiliar less is more

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Paragraph 2
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Prior knowledge must beActivated

• Free water load story
• Plant important concepts by reactivating them
  from the learners memories
• Dont assume, let them tell you their prior
  knowledge and thus activate it
• Use common sense example, move from concrete to
  abstract and vice versa

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The links are more important than the elements

• Learners must be actively involved in
  constructing meaning( understanding)
• Understanding happens when new elements are
  acquired and linked to existing patterns of
  association
• Learning has to do with knowing differently
  than knowing more

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Bridging knowledge

• Content expert vs expert teacher

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Good teachers and learners

• Create good bridges
• Create multiple and strong links to a piece of
  knowledge
• Teach less materials with more links
• Links elaborate knowledge base
• The higher the number of links, the easier it is
  to retrieve/access

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Making more and stronger links requires time

• Anatomy flash card story

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Context provides important cues

• Content cannot be separated from context
• Learners should be taught in the context from
  which they will eventually use their knowledge
• Teach from several contexts to create links
  across contexts

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Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation

• Vicarious motivation
• Biggest influence on student learning?
• Atmosphere of trust and respect
• Learner self esteem should be nurtured for
  intrinsic motivation to develop (safe place)

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Learner autonomy

• Opportunities to exert control over ones
  learning
• Provide the necessary support and direction

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Seven principles of cognitive learning

• Prior knowledge is key
• Prior knowledge must be activated
• The links are more important than the elements
• Making more and stronger links require time
• Context provides important cues for storing and
  retrieving info

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Seven principles of cognitive learning

• Intrinsic motivation is associated with deep
  approaches to learning, extrinsic motivation with
  surface approaches
• Teaching should be geared towards development of
  learner autonomy as well as intellect

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The memorable teacher

• Curriculum as planned versus curriculum as lived
• Interpreting the curriculum into meaningful
  experiences from the students point of view
• Teacher is an interpreter/ translator
• Content expertise, process expertise and bridging
  expertise

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So what should I do?

• Adapt material to suit learner
• speak the same language
• use examples to provide insight
• aha experience
• balance between big picture and the elements
• there are multiple layers to learning
• reflect on your teaching encounters

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Reflection

• What was the process today?

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• Example is not the main thing in influencing
  others, it is the only thing
• Albert Schweitzer

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References

• Ric Arseneau/Dirk Rodenburg The Developmental
  perspective Cultivating ways of thinking Five
  perspectives on Teaching in Adult and Higher
  Education Daniel Pratt, Malabar, FL Kreiger Pub,
  1998
• Learning in Adulthood. A Comprehensive Guide.
  Sharan B Merriam and Rosemary S Caffarella.
  Jossey Bass Inc. California 1999