Basic Learning Theories

Prepared by:Allen Jay JimenoCathlene BelderolIrra MagnoJane Secretaria

Constructivist Learning Theory

What is Constructivism?

“Constructivism is a philosophy of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world we live in”(Brooks&Brooks)

It is “based on a type of learning in which the learner forms, or construct, much of what she learns or comprehends”( Cashman et al 390)

What does that mean?

Constructivism is the idea that learning doesn`t just happen by the traditional methods of teachers standing in front of the class and lecturing

•It is best described by Confucius’ quote: “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” (Cashman et al 390)

Constructivism posits general concepts ofindividuality, such as:Learners construct knowledge based off of past

experiences .Each learner has a unique interpretation and

construction of knowledge processes. It also emphasizes active learning,

such as:Group ActivitiesConstructing knowledge rather than acquiring itDebatesReflecting on experienceSocialization

TEACHERS: Instructors are meant to be facilitators, not teachers.Facilitators provide an environment for the learner to

construct their own conclusions. Instructors make use of group work Instructors may utilize Socratic methods for student

oriented discussions. Instructors might utilize the internet to research

current events. Instructors could assign collaborative research

projects and Powerpoint presentations.

How is it Used

How is it UsedSTUDENT:Learner should be active in classroom

discussions.They could reflect on the material with one

another.They could relate the lesson to a past

experience.They could utilize the internet to research

connections between the material and the current events.

Cognitive Learning Theory

•The best known theory of cognitive developed by Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, who became interested in how children think and construct their own knowledge. Based on his studies and observations, Piaget theorized that children proceed through four distinct stages of cognitive development: the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete-operational stage, and the formal-operational stage.

Developmental Stages

• Sensory-motor - understands his environment through the basic senses.

•During the sensorimotor stage, which lasts from birth to about age 2, understanding is based on immediate sensory experience and actions. Thought is very practical but lacking in mental concepts or ideas

• Pre-operational - Thoughts more flexible, memory and imagination begin to play a part in learning, capable of more creativity

• In the preoperational stage, which spans the preschool years (about ages 2 to 6), children’s understanding becomes more conceptual. Thinking involves mental concepts that are independent of immediate experience, and language enables children to think about unseen events, such as thoughts and feelings. The young child’s reasoning is intuitive and subjective.

• Concrete Operational – Can go beyond the basic information given, but still dependent on concrete material and examples to support reasoning

•During the concrete-operational stage, from about 7 to 11 years of age, children engage in objective, logical mental processes that make them more careful, systematic thinkers.

Formal Operational stage

•Around age 12 children attain the formal-operational stage, when they can think about abstract ideas, such as ethics and justice. They can also reason about hypothetical possibilities and deduce new concepts.

•According to Piaget, children progress through these four stages by applying their current thinking processes to new experiences; gradually, they modify these processes to better accommodate reality. This occurs not through direct instruction, but rather through the child’s own mental activity and internal motivation to understand.

Behaviorist Learning Theory

WHAT IS BEHAVIORISM? This theory implies that the learner

responds to environmental stimuli without his/her mental state being a factor in the learner’s behavior

Individuals learn to behave through conditioning

Two types of conditioning -Operant -Classical

IVAN PAVLOV Researched the physiology of

digestion in mammals This research led to his interest

in conditioned reflexes Discovered classical conditioning Pavlov’s dog is a well-known

experiment in which Pavlov used classical conditioning

Ivan Pavlov trained the dogs to salivate when they heard a bell after he associated the sound of the bell with the dogs being fed

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1904

•One of the most widespread and important types of learning is operant conditioning, which involves increasing a behavior by following it with a reward, or decreasing a behavior by following it with punishment.

•Unlike classical conditioning, in which the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli are presented regardless of what the learner does, operant conditioning requires action on the part of the learner. The term operant conditioning refers to the fact that the learner must operate, or perform a certain behavior, before receiving a reward or punishment.

OPERANT CONDITIONING

Learner is able to make a connection with the consequences associated with his/her behavior through positive and negative reinforcement and punishment

Positive reinforcement- offering a rewarding factor to increase a response

-Words of encouragement or physical rewards

Negative reinforcement-relinquishing a negative factor to increase a response

-A teen cleans his room after being nagged by his mom.

Punishment- decreases the chances of a negative behavior happening again

-A child is spanked by his/her parent after behaving inappropriately

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING• Another form of learning is classical conditioning,

in which a reflexive or automatic response transfers from one stimulus to another.

Pavlov`s Experiments

•Example, a person who has had painful experiences at the dentist’s office may become fearful at just the sight of the dentist’s office building. Fear, a natural response to a painful stimulus, has transferred to a different stimulus, the sight of a building. Most psychologists believe that classical conditioning occurs when a person forms a mental association between two stimuli, so that encountering one stimulus makes the person think of the other. People tend to form these mental associations between events or stimuli that occur closely together in space or time.

CLASSROOM IMPLICATIONS: WHAT THE TEACHER DOES UNDER THIS THEORY

A teacher uses behaviorism to manage his/her classroom.

Teacher could use operant conditioning to reward or punish his/her students

-When a student does well on a test, the teacher could use candy as an incentive to continue do well on a test (positive reinforcement)

-Whenever a student misbehaves, the teacher may prevent the student from going

outside during recess (punishment)

MY CLASSROOM

Under this theory, a student learns what behaviors are or are not appropriate

-A student received a bad behavior mark for talking during class. The bad behavior mark (or punishment) will teach the student that talking while the teacher is talking is not an appropriate behavior.

A student could also be classically conditioned to behave a certain way in a classroom

-If students realize that they always have pop quizzes when their teacher is carrying an orange-colored folder, they will learn to prepare for a pop quiz at the sight of the orange-colored folder, even if there is not a pop quiz.

MY CLASSROOM I would use this theory in my classroom for classroom

management purposes. Providing positive reinforcements to reward

appropriate behavior, and punishments to demean inappropriate behavior will allow students to become familiar with my classroom expectations

-As positive reinforcement, I would reward my students with “Kelly Dollars” when he/she get A’s on tests or ask thought- provoking questions

-Kelly Dollars could be exchanged for bonus points, candy, or a free homework grade (if a student missed a homework assignment)

MY CLASSROOM

I would use this theory in my classroom for classroom management purposes.

Providing positive reinforcements to reward appropriate behavior, and punishments to demean inappropriate behavior will allow students to become familiar with my classroom expectations

-As positive reinforcement, I would reward my students with “Kelly Dollars” when he/she get A’s on tests or ask thought- provoking questions

-Kelly Dollars could be exchanged for bonus points, candy, or a free homework grade (if a student missed a homework assignment)