Required Learning Theories

Elements Behaviorism Congnitivism Constructivism

Brief 1. Focuses on observable behavior.
History 2. Rejected the emphasis on the
unconscious mind.
3. Rose to prominence in the early 20th
century.
4. Started with Ivan Pavlov
5. An outcome is behavior
modification.
1. Replaced behaviorism in the
1960’s
2. Edward Tolman studies rats and
mazes, publishing "Cognitive maps of
Rats and Men" in 1948.
3. Albert Bandura in a 1977
experiment showed that learning can
occur without reinforcement being
present.
4. Responded to behaviorist claims
that we merely respond to external
stimuli, but have actual internal
processes.
1. Piaget theories and studies of how children
learn contributed to the constructivist theory
2. John Dewey introduced the idea that
problems need to be based upon real
experiences.
3. Vygotsky introduced the Zone of Proximal
Development
4. Bruner added that learning is an active,
social process
5. Seymour Papert's introduced using
computers to teach in a constructivist
environment

Brief All things that people and animals do
Description should be considered behaviors and
(for easy recall) these behaviors can be shaped and
modified by the environment.
Key 1. Learning in shown by a change in
Principles behavior.
2. The environment shapes behavior.
3. Classical conditioning.
4. Operant Conditioning
5. Reinforcement needs to be provided
closely in time to the behavior
The learner is viewed as a black box
and understanding the human mind is
valuable to find out how people
learn.
1. Learning is an internal process.
2. Learning can take place without
reinforcement
3. Learning is organized within a
structure in the brain, called schema.
4. Only humans have certain thought
processes
5. Learning is an active process
People construct their own knowledge by
activating prior knowledge and applying it to
new situations.
1. Start with the whole and lead to the part
2. Learning is an active process
3. Build upon background knowledge
4. The process is as important as the product
5. Knowledge is ever changing

Theorists & 1. Ivan Pavlov 1. Albert Bandura 1. Jean Piaget

Contributions 2. John B. Watson 2. Rummelhart 2. Lev Vygotsky
3. B.F. Skinner 3. Gagne 3. Jerome Bruner
4. Edwin Ray Guthrie 4. Bruner 4. John Dewey
Goals for Instruction 1. Specifically state the desired 1. Learner has ability to transfer 1. Use cooperative groups
behavior knowledge in an efficient manner 2. Use dialogue and discussion
2. Create a positive and nurturing 2. Helping the learner to find 3. Build on background knowledge
environment efficient strategies for learning. 4. Provide real world experiences
3. Reinforce behavior 3. Helping the learner organize 5. Create problems that cause students
4. Provide consequences for negative information cognitive dissonance
behavior 4. Set objectives
5. Model appropriate behavior 5. Use advance organizers
 Keywords to 1. Positive Reinforcement 1. Schema 1. Construct knowledge
describe the learning 2. Negative Reinforcement 2. Information processing 2. Problem Solve
process 3. Consequences 3. Symbol manipulation 3. Cognitive dissonance
4. Punishment 4. Information mapping 4. Hypothesize
5. Control behavior 5. Mental models 5. Inquire
6. The learner is a clean slate and
responds to external stimuli
How Learning Takes 1. Reward with positive comments 1. Summarize 1. Create authentic problems
Place 2. Reward with tangibles 2. Use advance organizers 2. Use cooperative learning
3. Extinguish negative behaviors with 3. KWL 3. Build upon background knowledge
punishment 4. Through explanation 4. Create problems that cause cognitive
4. Withhold tangibles 5. Through step building dissonance
5. Use intermittent reinforcement 5. Use experiments
Technology *Online rote practice games. * Use Webspiration for organizing * Use movie making software to create projects
Integration *Use power point to present information. * Use internet for analytical research
information. * Use Gizmos * Use Wordle Cloud Generator
*Use computer to present information *Graphic Organizers in Word * Glogster Poster Tool
*Have a computer program that rings a * Evernote *Use Skype to interact with other classrooms
bell every time the student does well.
(haha )
Key Resources (links) 1. http://www.learning- 1. http://www.learning- 1.
for each theory. theories.com/behaviorism.html theories.com/cognitivism.html http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/
2. 2. constructivism/index_sub4.html
http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index. www.hsc.csu.edu.au/pro_dev/teachin 2.
php?title=Behaviorism g_online/how_we_learn http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_(lear
3. 3. ning_theory)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behaviorist http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitivis 3.
_theory m_(psychology) http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Constructivism_&_T
echnology/Introduction