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OverviewofLearningTheories
Introduction
Learningtheoryisabodyofresearchthatattemptstodescribe,explain,andpredicthow
learningoccurs(Smith&Ragan,1993).Knowledgeoflearningtheoriesprovidesinstructors,
coursedesigners,andlearningprofessionalswiththetoolsneededtointerpretthetheoriesand
applythemtothedesignanddevelopmentofinstructionandlearningactivities.Thereare
threemaincategoriesorphilosophicalframeworksunderwhichlearningtheoriesfall:
behaviorism,cognitivism,andconstructivism.
Definition
Behaviorism
Cognitivism
Constructivism
Behaviorismviewslearning
asanactthatmustbe
observable.Learning
occurswhenacorrect
responseisdemonstrated
followingthepresentation
ofaspecificenvironmental
stimulus.
Cognitivismviewslearning
asanactivementalactivity
thatinvolvesinternalcoding
andstructuringbythe
learner.Thistheoryfocuses
onhowlearnersremember,
retrieve,andstore
informationinmemory.
Constructivismviews
learningasaprocessin
whichthelearneractively
constructsorbuildsnew
ideasorconceptsbased
uponcurrentandpast
knowledgeorexperience.In
otherwords,learning
involvesconstructingone's
ownknowledgefromone's
ownexperiences.
Handout4
GoalsofInstruction
Behaviorism
Cognitivism
Instructionelicitsthe
Focusofinstructionisto
desiredresponsefrom
createlearningorchange
thelearnerwhois
byencouragingthe
presentedwithatarget
learnertouse
stimulus.
appropriatelearning
strategies.
Learnersmustknow
Learningresultswhen
howtoexecutethe
properresponse.
informationisstoredin
memoryinanorganized
andmeaningfulway.
Learnersacquireskills
ofdiscrimination
Instructorsare
(recallingfacts),
generalization(defining
responsibleforassisting
andillustrating
learnersinorganizing
concepts),association
informationinanoptimal
(applyingexplanations),
waysothatitcanbe
andchaining
readilyassimilated.
(automatically
performingaspecified
procedure).
Constructivism
Learningisanactive
processofconstructing
ratherthanacquiring
knowledge.
Instructionisaprocess
ofsupportingknowledge
constructionratherthan
communicating
knowledge
Theroleoftheinstructor
isamentor,nota
teller.
Instructorsdonot
structurelearningbut
engagelearnersin
authenticlearning
activitiesthatcenter
aroundrealworld
problems.
Instructorsencourage
reflectivethinkingand
higherorderlearning
skills.
Handout4
InstructionalStrategies
Behaviorism
Chaining(teaching
complexbehaviors
comprisedofdiscrete,
simplerbehaviors)
Drillandpractice
Fading(gradually
reducingcuesinitially
usedtoestablisha
desiredbehavior)
Cognitivism
Negative
reinforcement
Positivereinforcement
Advancedorganizers
Attachingnewideasto
previouslylearnedideas
Chunkinginformation
(breakingcomplextasks
intomoremanageable
steps)
Discriminatingbetween
examplesandnon
examples
Logicalsequencingof
content
Repetition
Summarization
Constructivism
Articulation(students
makingknowledge
explicitbyexplainingto
otherswhattheyknow)
Coaching
Collaboration
Exploration
Modelingandexplaining
Problemsolving
activities
Scaffolding(supporting
novicelearnersby
limitingthecomplexities
ofthecontextand
graduallyremoving
thoselimitsaslearners
gaintheknowledge,
skills,andconfidenceto
copewiththefull
complexityofthe
context)
Selfdirectedlearning
Handout4
ImplicationsforInstruction
Behaviorism
Developingbehavioral
objectives
Developing
performancebased
assessments
Cognitivism
Conductingneeds
assessments
Determining
prerequisiteskills
Developingcognitive
objectives(Blooms
Taxonomy)
Developingtask
analyses
Constructivism
Providingcomplex
learningenvironments
thatincorporate
authenticactivity
Developingproblem
orientedactivities
Developingauthentic
assessmentmethods
References
Dabbagh,N.(n.d.)Theinstructionaldesignknowledgebase.Retrievedfrom
http://classweb.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/models_theories.htm
Driscoll,M.P.(1994).PsychologyoflearningforInstruction(3rded.).Columbus,OH:Allyn&Bacon.
Smith,P.,&Ragan,T.(1993).Instructionaldesign.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:PrenticeHall.