1.1 Pre-Reading Flashcards
What are the four broad dimensions of learning?
- The brain plays a role in processing and organizing information.
- The learning environment and stimuli affect understanding.
- Learning is based on associations between new and prior knowledge.
- Learning occurs in social and cultural contexts, influenced by home, community, and school.
What are the three main structures of the brain involved in learning?
- Reptilian brain – controls survival functions.
- Limbic system – manages emotions and memory.
- Neocortex – handles higher-order thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving.
Question: What is brain-based learning?
It is a theory suggesting learning is maximized when teaching engages all three brain regions—minimizing stress (reptilian brain), creating emotional connections (limbic system), and stimulating critical thinking (neocortex).
What is the main principle of behaviorism?
Learning occurs through conditioning, where behaviors are shaped by reinforcement or punishment.
What are the four key mechanisms of operant conditioning (Skinner, 1954)?
- Positive reinforcement – Strengthening behavior by reward.
- Negative reinforcement – Strengthening behavior by removing an unpleasant stimulus.
- Extinction – Weakening behavior by ignoring it.
- Punishment – Reducing behavior by applying negative consequences.
What is Piaget’s Constructivist Theory?
Learning is an internal, personal process where individuals build knowledge through stages of cognitive development.
What are Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development?
- Sensorimotor (0-2 years) – Learning through sensory experience.
- Preoperational (2-7 years) – Symbolic thinking but egocentric views.
- Concrete operational (7-12 years) – Logical reasoning but limited abstract thought.
- Formal operational (12+ years) – Abstract and hypothetical thinking.
What is Vygotsky’s Social-Constructivist Theory?
Learning is shaped by social interaction, with more knowledgeable others (teachers, peers) scaffolding knowledge.
What is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)?
The range of tasks a learner can perform with guidance but not yet independently.
What is Seymour Papert’s Constructionism?
A learning theory emphasizing knowledge construction through creating tangible products, such as coding, designing games, or making digital projects.
How does constructionism differ from constructivism?
Constructivism focuses on mental knowledge construction, while constructionism emphasizes building external artifacts to facilitate learning.
What is Cognitivism?
A theory that explains learning as an internal process where information is received, processed, and stored in memory.
What are the three components of the human cognitive model of information processing?
- Sensory memory – Receives stimuli from the environment.
- Working memory – Processes and manipulates information.
- Long-term memory – Stores knowledge permanently
What are the three types of cognitive load (Sweller, 1988)?
- Intrinsic load – Inherent difficulty of material.
- Extraneous load – Cognitive effort caused by poor instructional design.
- Germane load – Beneficial effort that enhances learning.
What is Connectivism?
A learning theory proposed by Siemens (2004) that emphasizes learning through digital networks and social connections.
What are the key principles of Connectivism?
- Learning occurs through digital networks and connections.
- Knowledge is distributed across multiple sources.
- Critical skills include filtering information and evaluating accuracy.
- Learning is a continuous, social process in online communities.
What is Situated Learning?
Learning happens best in authentic, real-world contexts where knowledge is actively applied.
What is a Community of Practice?
A group of learners working together, sharing knowledge and improving through social interaction.
How does technology support Situated Learning?
Digital platforms allow learners to collaborate, share knowledge, and engage in real-world problem-solving beyond traditional classrooms.
Why do modern digital learning environments blend multiple learning theories?
Different theories address different aspects of learning, such as cognition (Cognitivism), interaction (Social-Constructivism), and real-world application (Situated Learning).
