Learning Theory

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Learning Theory

• EDUC 275Winthrop University
• Lisa Harris, Marshall Jones, Suzanne Sprouse

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How does learning theory inform teaching?

• Source of instructional strategies, tactics, and
  techniques.
• Provide a foundation for appropriate strategy
  selection.
• Provide information about relationships among
  instructional strategies and instructional
  contexts.
• Allow teachers to select strategies that are the
  most likely to work.

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Learning theories help explain

• How learning occurs.
• Factors that influence learning.
• The role of memory.
• How students transfer information to other
  contexts.
• How instruction should be structured to
  facilitate learning.

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Ways of knowing

• Knowledge has a separate, real existence of its
  own outside the human mind. Learning happens when
  this knowledge is transmitted to people and they
  store it in their minds. (Roblyer, page 53)
• Humans construct all knowledge in their minds by
  participating in certain experiences learning
  happens when one constructs both mechanisms for
  learning and his or her own unique version of the
  knowledge. (Roblyer, page 53)

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Three Major Branches

• Behaviorism/ Direct Instruction
• Cognitivism
• Constructivism

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Behaviorism

• Learning occurs when students are able to provide
  the proper response to the given stimulus
• Methods include the use of instructional cues,
  reinforcement and practice.
• Students learn basic skills before moving to more
  complex processes.
• Instructional goal elicit the desired response
  from the learner who is presented with a garget
  stimulus

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Behaviorism Continued

• Teacher role Transmitter of knowledge/expert
  source
• Student role Receive information demonstrate
  competence all students learn the same
  material
• Curriculum Skills are taught in a set sequence
• Learning goals Stated in terms of mastery
  learning
• Types of activities Lecture, demonstration,
  seatwork, practice, testing
• Assessment strategies Written tests, same
  measures for all students

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Examples of Content Taught using Behaviorism

• Multiplication Tables
• Branches of Government
• Procedural tasks
• Driving a stick shift
• Listing State Capitals

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Cognitivism

• Shift in thinking about learning
• Behaviorists learning as observable behavior
• Cognitivists learning as complex cognitive
  processes
• How people reason, problem solve, learn language
  and process information
• Learners thoughts, beliefs, attitudes and values
  impact learning
• Focus on relationships between pieces of
  information (ex. chunking)

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Cognitivism Continued

• Teacher role Construct appropriate learning
  environments and materials, scaffolding the
  learning process
• Student role Actively involved in the learning
  process through self-planning, monitoring,
  revising, understanding relationships
• Curriculum Relationships among information is
  stressed
• Learning goals Understanding processes as well
  as basic skills, learning how to learn
• Types of activities using graphic organizers,
  demonstration/ think aloud, matrices, advanced
  organizers
• Assessment strategies performance assessment,
  project-based learning, essay questions (i. e.
  summarize, compare and contrast)

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Examples of Cognitivist Content

• Compare and contrast two characters in a novel.
• Draw the stages of the water cycle.
• The writing process (drafts and revision).

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Constructivist Learning

• Knowledge is a function of how the individual
  creates meaning from his or her own experiences
  (Ertmer, p. 9)
• Meaning is created rather than acquired.
• Content knowledge is embedded in the context in
  which it is used.

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Constructivist Instruction Cont.

• Teacher role Acts as a guide and facilitator
  collaborative resource as students explore
  topics
• Student role Collaborate develop competence
  may learn different material
• Curriculum Based on projects that foster higher
  level and lower level skills at the same time
• Learning Goals Stated in terms of growth from
  where the student began work independently and
  with groups
• Types of Activities Group projects, hand-on
  exploration product development
• Assessment Performance tests and products (ex.
  Portfolios) quality measured by rubrics and
  checklists measure may differ among students

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Examples of Constructivist Content

• Causes of WWII
• The strengths and weaknesses of Democracy
• How technology fosters collaboration
• The effects of global warming

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Which theory is better?

• Neither
• Depends on your needs
• Depends on your content
• Depends on your environment
• Depends on your students

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Why are these theories important?

• Gets to the notion of HOW you learn
• How you LIKE to learn
• How to manage favorite and least favorite
  environments
• Affords us variety in pedagogy

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Now, an activity
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In groups create a list of the following

• How do you like to learn
• To use a new electronic device (phone, PDA, etc)
• Manuals? Play around? Watch an expert? Others?
• To play a new board/card/video game
• Read directions? Play a practice round? Others?
• A list of items or set of definitions
• Read? Recite many times? Flash cards? Others?

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Take your list

• Rank your learning strategies by voting on them.
  
• Record your votes on the list
• 100, or ¾, or 1 out of 3
• Find out which ones your group thinks are best to
  use.
• Are they behaviorist, cognitivist or
  constructivist in nature?

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Make a hard decision

• Thinking as a teacher, your group should pick
  three learning strategies from your list that you
  would recommend to your students. You must pick
  three and only three.
• Thinking as a teacher, your group should pick
  three learning strategies from your list would
  you NEVER use. You must pick three and only
  three.

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Heres the thing

• Good teaching is all about examples and options
  for learning
• You should never discard a possible learning
  theory PARTICULARLY the ones that few people will
  use.
• Dont forget the principles of UDL/ Multiple
  Intelligence
• Yes, this was a dirty trick to make a point.

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Exploring Theorists

• In groups, use Inspiration to create a concept
  map of the three major learning theories
  discussed in this article.
• Compare and contrast the characteristics of each
  theory.
• Give highlights of the theory.
• Give examples of appropriate technology
  integration for each theory.

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Sources

• Ertmer, P.A. Newby, T.J. (1993). Behaviorism,
  Cognitivism, Constructivism Comparing Critical
  features from an instructional design
  perspective. Improvement Quarterly, 6 (4)
  50-72.
• Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching,
  M.D. Roblyer
• Constructivist vs. Directed PowerPoint by Dr.
  Marshall Jones