Learning Theories Flashcards
What are the two variants of the ‘Behaviourist Theory’?
- Classical conditioning
- Operant Conditioning
Who came up with ‘classical conditioning’?
Pavlov
Who came up with ‘operant conditioning’?
Skinner
What is the ‘Behaviourist Theory’?
A learning theory that only focuses on objectively observable behaviors and discounts any independent activities of the mind. Behavior theorists define learning as nothing more than the acquisition of new behavior based on environmental conditions.
Very much an ‘outcome based’ approach
What did Pavlov focus on in classical conditioning?
The manipulation of stimuli in order to secure a desired response in the animal. In his classic experiment with the dog, following the observation that salivation [Response] followed the presentation of food [Stimulus]; the stimulus was paired with the ringing of a bell, which similarly produced the salivation response. Finally, the presentation of food was removed with the unnatural conditioned response of the dog salivating at the sound of the bell.
What is the main focus of ‘classical conditioning’?
- The power of the experimenter (teacher) and the simple ‘reflex actions’ of the learner
- Occurs when a natural reflex responds to a stimulus.
We are biologically “wired” so that a certain stimulus will produce a specific response. One of the more common examples of classical conditioning in the educational environment is in situations where students exhibit irrational fears and anxieties like fear of failure, fear of public speaking and general school phobia
What is ‘operant conditioning’?
- Involves voluntary behaviour, unlike the involuntary reflex response involved in classical conditioning
- Reinforcement (rewards) is central to this theory, where the frequency of desired behaviour can be increased (or shaped) by using intermittent rewards.
What is the ‘Cognitive Constructivism Learning Theory’?
Constructivist teaching is a very much a ‘process’ based approach, where the educator will facilitate the formation of “constructs” in the minds of the learners.
Focuses on the processes involved in learning rather than on the observed behavior. As opposed to Behaviorists, Cognitivists do not require an outward exhibition of learning, but focus more on the internal processes and connections that take place during learning.
Why did cognitivists react to behaviourists?
Cognitivists objected to behaviorists because they felt that behaviorists thought learning was simply a reaction to a stimulus and ignored the idea that thinking plays an important role
How did Bruner develop ideas on cognitivism?
- ‘Discovery learning’, where learners are engaged in a task with some requirement for ‘enquiry’.
- The ‘spiral curriculum’; following Bruner’s concern about Piaget’s stages of intellectual development, he suggested that subject matter be presented at a level matching the learner’s thinking. Re-visiting topics later in time will add more information and thinking at a deeper level, as the acquisition of knowledge develops qualitatively as well as quantitatively.
What was Piaget’s cognitive theory?
Focused on the stages of learning that children progress through as they mature and the importance of providing a stimulating environment. Piaget’s view is that an individual child constructs their own knowledge alone as a result of interacting with the external world
What does the ‘Humanist Learning Theory’ emphasise?
- The importance of uniqueness of the individual (person-centredness)
- ‘Positive regard’ - develop self-esteem
- Applied from field of counselling to the academic settings
- Highlights the relevance of student-centeredness for learning and teaching and ‘empowering the individual’
- Implies a high level of innate drive and intrinsic motivation on the part of the learner
- We should ‘own’ our own feelings and our lives; and are encouraged to ‘become who we wish to become’. As individuals we exercise our own free will in overcoming difficulties, rather than them being ‘fixed’ by others
What does the Social Learning Theory imply?
Knowledge acquisition is constructed as a result of social interaction through collaborative learning; importantly this interaction with others takes place in a social world where language is the main means of communication
What does the Social Learning Theory imply about group work?
Cooperative learning builds on the social constructivist idea that we learn better when we are interacting and talking; and consequently we are working in groups and sharing in tasks
