Learning Theories, Models, and Methods

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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
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Tutorial Goals
2. MODELS
1. THEORIES
3. METHODS
4. SCENARIO
Segue to Learning Tools
5. LEARNING GOALSAND ACTIVITIES
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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

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1.1.1 Behavioural Subcategories

• Contiguity
• Stimulus and response connected and associated in
  time and space
• Example The Lucky Bathrobe.

• Respondent or Classical Conditioning
• We make associations with stimuli
• Example The Pavlov Dog.

• Operant or Instrumental Conditioning
• Learning is the result of the application of
  consequences that is, learners begin to connect
  certain responses with certain stimuli.
• Examples Positive Reinforcement, Negative
  Reinforcement

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2.1 Models Pavlovs Dog
From W. Huitt and J. Hummel http//chiron.valdost
a.edu/whuitt/edpsyint.html
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1.2 Theories Cognitive

• Primary Focus
• Mental behaviour
• Knowledge
• Intelligence
• Critical Thinking
• Assumptions
• Learning is a result of mental operations/
  processing
• Subcategories
• Information Processing
• Hierarchical
• Developmental
• Critical Thinking

• Major Theorists
• Bloom
• Piaget
• Gagne
• Principles
• Memory is limited
• Changes in complexity
• Changes over time
• Good thinking requires standards

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1.2.1 Cognitive Subcategories

• Information Processing
• study of the structure and function of mental
  processing within specific contexts,
  environments, or ecologies .
• Example Stage Model of Information Processing

• Hierarchical
• The classification of educational goals and
  objectives
• Example Blooms Taxonomy

• Developmental
• stages in cognitive development
• Example Piaget

• Critical Thinking
• How we apply our cognitive processes to
  evaluating arguments (propositions) and making
  decisions
• Examples Thinking to a standard. Critical
  Thinking Model

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2.2.1 Models Information Processing
From Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968).
http//chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/edpsyint.html
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2.2.2 Models Blooms Taxonomy
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2.2.3 Models Thinking to a Standard
From Linda Elder and Richard Paulhttp//www.criti
calthinking.org/University/unistan.html
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2.2.4 Models Critical Thinking Model
From W. Huitt and J. Hummel
http//chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/edpsyint.html
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2.2.5 Piagets Model of Cognitive Development

• Sensorimotor stage (Infancy).
• Pre-operational stage (Toddler and Early
  Childhood) Use of symbols, language use matures,
  memory and imagination are developed, thinking is
  nonlogical, nonreversable.
• Concrete operational stage (Elementary and early
  adolescence). Intelligence demonstrated through
  logical and systematic manipulation of symbols
  related to concrete objects.
• Formal operational stage (Adolescence and
  adulthood). Intelligence demonstrated through the
  logical use of symbols related to abstract
  concepts.

From W. Huitt and J. Hummel
http//chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/edpsyint.html
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1.3 Theories Humanistic

• Primary Focus
• Affect/Values
• Self-Concept/Self-Esteem
• Needs
• Assumptions
• Learning is a result of affect/emotion and
  goal-orientation
• Subcategories
• Affect
• Motivation/Needs
• Self-concept
• Self-esteem

• Major Theorists
• Rogers
• Maslow
• N. V. Peale
• Principles
• Individual uniqueness
• Self-determination
• Dreams and goals are vital for success

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1.3.1 Humanistic Subcategories

• Affect
• The affective/emotional system colours,
  embellishes, diminishes or otherwise modifies
  information processed by people.
• Example The Affective Domain

• Self-Concept

• Motivation/Needs
• What needs motivate us to act?
• Example Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

• Self-Esteem
• Basic faith in oneself as being growth-directed
  and positively oriented.
• Individuals cannot progress because they do not
  have faith in their ability to solve problems or
  to accurately experience the here-and-now.

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2.3.1 Models The Affective Domain
Adapted from Krathwohl, D., Bloom, B., Masia,
B. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives.
Handbook II Affective domain. New York David
McKay.
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2.3.2 Models Maslows Hierarchy
Source William G. Huitt, 2000http//chiron.valdo
sta.edu/whuitt/col/regsys/maslow.html
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1.4 Theories Social Cognition

• Primary Focus
• Modelling
• Vicarious Learning
• Attitudes
• Goals
• Assumptions
• Learning is a result of influences of social
  environment on thinking.
• Subcategories
• Observational (Social)
• Self-efficacy
• Goal-setting
• Self-regulation

• Major Theorists
• Bandura
• Vygotsky
• Sears
• Principles
• Reciprocal determinism
• Individual responsibility

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1.4.1 Social Cognition Subcategories

• Observational (Social)
• Observational learning - vicarious learning
• Imitating/modelling behaviour of those they
  admire

• Self-efficacy
• Belief in one's capabilities to organise and
  execute the courses of action required to manage
  prospective situations

• Self-Regulation and Goal-setting
• setting goals for upgrading knowledge
• deliberating about strategies to select those
  that balance progress toward goals against
  unwanted costs
• monitoring the accumulating effects of such
  engagement.
• Example Self-regulating model

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2.4.1 Models Self-Regulation
LEARNER
Plan to achieve goal
Tasks
confidence
- confidence
Problem
Quit
What must I do to achieve goal
Plan is modified
Goal is changed
GOAL
From Carver and Scheier (1990)
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3. Methods Putting theories and models together
Adapted from Romiszowski, 1984
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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)

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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)? .

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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.
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3.1 Methods How do you think?

• The Who Did It problem continued

• 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).

• 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)

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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?

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3.2.1 Principals of Thinking Styles

• Styles can vary across the life span.
• Styles are measurable.
• Styles are teachable.
• Styles valued at one time may not be valued at
  another.
• Styles valued in one place may not be valued in
  another.
• Styles, on average, are not good or bad -- it's a
  question of fit.
• We confuse stylistic fit with levels of ability.
• People differ in there stylistic flexibility.

• Styles are preferences in the use of abilities,
  not abilities themselves.
• A match between styles and abilities creates
  synergy that is more than the sum of its parts.
• Life choices need to fit styles as well as
  abilities.
• People have profiles (or patterns) of styles, not
  just a single style.
• Styles are variable across tasks and situations.
• People differ in the strength of their
  preferences.
• Styles are socialised.

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4.0 Scenario
GOALS
WHY
ACTIVITY
To put the problem in some context. Students
comprehend problem.
Explain/understand why repetition is needed.
Students write a program without a repetition
structure. KNOWLEDGE
Demo/explain different repetition structures.
To put structures in a more defined context.
Give a problem. Ask students to code it in all
repetition types. APPLICATION
Discuss why and when one structure might be more
appropriate than another.
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
Have students learn debugging strategies using
repetition as a catalyst.
To develop debugging /logical problem solving
strategies.
Have an in-class find and fix competition.
Logical errors, syntax, and run-time. ANALYSIS
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Bibliography

• Educational Psychology Interactive
  lthttp//chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/index.htmlgtVal
  dosta State University, Georgia, USA.
  Recommended for GILD members
• Looking at Carl Rogers (Humanistic
  Theory)lthttp//facultyweb.cortland.edu/ANDERSMD/
  ROGERS/ROGERS.HTMLgt
• Learning to Learnlthttp//www.ldrc.ca/projects/atu
  tor/login.phpgt Recommended for GILD members
• The Next Step Teacher Educationlthttp//www.teache
  rs.ash.org.au/teachereduc/indexTE.htmlgt
• Theory into Practice TIPlthttp//tip.psychology.o
  rg/gt
• Resources in Science and Engineering
  Educationlthttp//www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/user
  s/f/felder/public/gtRecommended for GILD members

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Bibliography cont.

• How People Learn, Expanded Edition.2000. John
  Bransford et alFull book online at
  lthttp//books.nap.edu/books/0309070368/html/index.
  htmlgt 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.
  lthttp//www.funderstanding.com/engaging_kids.cfmgt
  
• Great Expectations Leveraging America's
  Investment in Educational Technology
  lthttp//www.benton.org/e-rate/execsummary.htmlgt
• Integrating Technology in Learning and Teaching.
  Pat Maier and Adam Warren. Kogan Page Limited,
  London, UK. 2000.