Psychology of Learning

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Psychology of Learning
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Branch of Philosophy
Epistemology
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Epistemological viewpoints

• Positivism (objectivism)
• Knowledge is independent from learner
• Absolute truths
• Stick to what we can observe and measure

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Epistemological viewpoints

• Relativism (Constructivism)
• Truth is contextual
• Our observations are fallible
• Context is important for negotiating and
  constructing meaning
• Knowledge is constructed by the learner

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Positivism vs Relativismobjectivism
constructivism

• Multiple Realities
• Learning Goals
• Teacher as Learning Facilitator
• Student as Active Participant
• Students is Responsible
• Context-driven evaluation

• One Separate Reality
• Objectives
• Teacher as Knowledge Transmitter
• Student as Passive Recipient
• Teacher is Responsible
• Criterion-referenced materials

As they relate to learning
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Two psychological perspectives
Learning
Constructivist
Behavioral
Cognitive
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Behaviorism
Theories of learning that emphasize changes in
observable behavior. Behavior is largely
controlled by outside stimuli. Example A baby
cries and you pick it up. The baby learns that if
it cries, you will come. You have provided the
necessary reinforcement. Behaviorist
methodology is more focused on what I do as a
teacher than what is going on in your head.
S R R
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Cognitivism

• Theories of learning that emphasize unobservable
  mental processes.
• Information processing
• Like a computer input-processing-output
• Memory processes

• Attention
• Encoding
• Making connections to prior knowledge
• Retrieval (transfer)

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Constructivism

• Constructing knowledge from the information or
  environment rather than just receiving it.
• From the inside out

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Constructivism

• Environment is important
• Authentic activities
• Collaboration
• Set ones own goals
• Regulate own learning
• Reflection

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Two Instructional Models (practice)

• Directed Instruction
• Teacher directed
• Learner receives information
• Objectives defined
• Assessment, activities, materials are teacher
  driven
• Guided Instruction
• Teacher as guide or facilitator
• Problem oriented activities
• Rich learning environments
• Cooperative/collaborative learning
• Exploratory learning/discovery learning