Understanding Learning Dr Emma Dawson

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Understanding LearningDr Emma Dawson

• worldlits_at_gmail.com
• Office hours Thurs 12-1, Fri 10-11
• Tel 33121

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Overview of the module

• Week 1 - Introduction to Educational Studies
• Weeks 2 and 3 - Naturalism, Behaviourism
• Weeks 4 and 5 - Cognitivism and Cogstructivism
• Week 6 - Social backgrounds and learning
• Week 7 - Gender and learning
• Week 8 - Intelligence and testing
• Week 9 - Inclusive Education SEN (Special Ed
  Needs)
• Week 10 - The National Curriculum
• Week 11 - Learning in Higher Education
• Week 12 - Tutorials

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Todays lectureBehaviourism

• By the end of this lecture you will be able to
• associate certain names with the theory of
  Behaviourism
• recognise the defining ideas of Behaviourism

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The Behaviourists

• Locke (1632-1704)
• Herbart (1776-1841)
• Thorndike (1874-1949)
• Skinner (1904 1990)

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Tell me a story.
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The theory of Behaviourism involvesapperception.

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Apperception involves association.

• Mental association (Locke, Herbart)
• 2. Physical stimulus-response associations
  (Thorndike, Skinner)

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Locke (1632-1704)

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Herbart (1776-1841)

• When an idea enters the mind it is in the
  conscious. It is then stored in the unconscious
  as part of the apperceptive mass.

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• The apperceptive mass is like an iceberg

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Five Herbartain steps for education

• 1. Preparation bring relevant ideas to
  consciousness.
• 2. Presentation new facts and ideas presented.
• 3. Comparison and abstraction students will
  make links with old and new.

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4. Generalisation the common elements of both
sets are considered (the objective of the
lesson). 5. Application the new idea is used to
explain other facts or to solve problems.
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Follow these five steps to teach someone the
notion of a savings account.
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Problems with this approach to learning-
Teaching is rigid with pre-determined
objectives.- Reflection or critical thinking is
not required by the pupil.- The pupil is not
active or interactive just receptive.
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mini break two minutes folks?
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Thorndike (1874-1949)

• Thorndike moved work on from Herbarts work and
  linked mental development with physical
  development.

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Thorndikes three laws

• Law of Effect
• Law of Readiness
• Law of Exercise/repetition

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Skinner (1904 1990)
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Classical conditioning (Pavlovian)

• Change in response to behaviour.
• Respondents behaviour is elicited by a stimulus.

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Operant conditioning

• Change in response for future behaviour.
• It is behaviour which is controlled by its
  consequences, that is the stimulus that follows.

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Im going to read to you now. Whenever I read the
words STARBUCKS orCOFFEE then stand up. ?
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Operant conditioning in learning contextsThe
teachers aim is to create desired behaviour by
offering the right stimuli and reinforcers at the
right time
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Behaviourism and education today.

• How do behaviouristic notions of learning sit
  against todays education system do you think?
• Do we employ behaviourism in schools today?

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Vote!

• Who is for Naturalism?
• Who is for Behaviourism?

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Write down the four names associated with
Behaviourism and what you can remember about each
one.