Module+1b.+Scavenger+Hunt+1,+Four+Learning+Theories



Coursework for Ed Tech 709, Applications of Learning Principles, Spring Semester, 2011 Marianne Rose

=**Module 1b. Scavenger Hunt 1, Four Learning Theories** =

__ Instructional Media Examples __
 * 1) 1. Click web video below to view elementary students participating in a Language for Learning Lesson. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCGC_5u9ya8)

Behaviorism rationale: The teacher repeatedly verbalizes specific directions and to elicit a specific response from the students. The students behavior is reinforced by the teacher's response as they perform correctly (deliver the correct answer) at a specific time in response to the teacher's verbal prompting and pointing to the bowl shapes (stimuli). Although the student behavior is shaped during this participation in a group activity, because the stimulus and response are so structured, and occur close together in time, I'm placing this instructional example with the behaviorism learning theory.

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 * 1) 2. Click the web video below to view the GoDaddy.com Jillian Michaels First Impressions Commercial. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO-8p0TKow0&NR=1 )

Behaviorism rationale: In this scenario, Julian enters the room repeatedly (stimuli) and motivates the individuals in the room to display a similar set of observable responses each time (i.e., standing quickly, sucking in their stomachs, demonstrating actions of respect with waving hand motions). The only behavior that is not sustainable (as she enters the room each time) is centered around physical limitations of the individuals holding in their stomachs. As this behavior is repeated in response to the stimuli (occurring close together in time), it can be described as predictable and observable behavior directly motivated by the specific stimuli. The learning is based on negative reinforcement as a button pops, bounces from surface to surface around the room at lightning speed and is caught before "somebody gets hurt."

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__Characteristics of Behavioralism Learning Theory __ Behaviorism emphasizes observable and measurable behaviors, while disregarding the impact of mental activities on learning. Classical conditioning is exhibited when a learner's natural reflex responds to a stimulus. Operant conditioning argues that all behavior is the result of the application of consequences--when a response to a stimulus is reinforced. If a reward or reinforcement follows the response to a stimulus, the response is more likely to recur in the future.

Learning is the acquisition of new behavior through conditioning with positive and negative reinforcement. Application of this theory is used by teachers to reward or punish student behaviors.

Three basic assumptions are:
 * Learning is manifested by a change in behavior.
 * The environment shapes behavior.
 * The principles of contiguity (how close in time two events must be for a bond to be formed) and reinforcement (any means of increasing the likelihood that an event will be repeated) are central to explaining the learning process.

__Theorists and Notable Concepts__
Theorists who are associated with this educational theory include:
 * John B. Watson (Objective study of behavior)
 * Edward Thorndike (Connectionism--forming of associations between stimuli and response)
 * Ivan Pavlov (Classical Conditioning)
 * B. F. Skinner (Operant Conditioning)

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__ Instructional Media Examples __
 * 1) 1. Click the web video below to view Mr. G's Drama Class. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_qh3urEOK8&feature=related)

Humanism rationale: This media example shows the high school drama teacher assessing the needs and wants of his students, as he focuses on experiential methods of learning. The teacher acts with intentionality and values to accommodate his students' needs for a nonthreatening learning environment and motivational activities directed toward a learning goal in a holistic way. He uses seemingly unrelated performances to expand students' thinking about drama (these performances by the teacher are intended to show the broad scope of acceptable drama/dance possibilities--they are not activities to be modeled by the student in class). This learning environment promotes self-competence, self-esteem, and autonomy for high school students.

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(www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/games/mad_libs/)
 * 1) 2. Click [|Mad Libs] to view the game screen (displayed below) that can encourage creative writing.

Humanism rationale: It is often hard to start a creative activity such as writing a story. Adult learners especially can sit for hours with only a blank sheet of paper to show for their efforts. This game provides an approach to creative writing that can be turned into a learning experience. As the learner completes each field of the form and clicks the Create Story button, a story comes to life. The teacher/facilitator can direct the learner's excitement (motivation to act) and the newly expanded self-confidence to a higher level where the learner explores new learning goals based on creative writing.



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__Characteristics of Humanism Learning Theory __ ===== The purpose of humanism in education is to provide a foundation for personal growth and development so learning will continue throughout life in a self-directed manner (DeCarvalho, 1991).

A central assumption of humanism, according to Huitt (2001), is that people act with intentionality and values. Educational humanism considers the person as a whole physical-mental-emotional unit, with needs that can change over time. To advance through Maslow's hierarchy of needs, one must accommodate needs that include safety, motivation, goal-setting that can lead to self-actualization. The concept of motivation is very important because it impacts learners' confidence through perception of their self-competence, self-esteem, autonomy--that can lead, once again, to self-actualization.

For Carl Rogers, experiential learning is promoted through the attitude of the facilitator as it accommodates the needs and wants of the learner. But there is a danger of underestimating the importance of teaching.

__Theorists and Notable Concepts__
Theorists who are associated with this educational theory include:
 * Abraham Maslow (Hierarchy of Needs)
 * Carl Rogers (Facilitation Theory; "Freedom to Learn"; Theory into Practice; Experiential Learning; Self-initiated learning)
 * Malcolm Knowles (Theory of Andragogy--adult learning)
 * John Holt (author of "How Children Fail" and "How Children Learn")
 * David A. Kolb (Experiential Learning)

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__ Instructional Media Examples __
 * 1) 1. Click the web video below to view the Learning the German Color Vocabulary (with an evaluation at the end). (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHuaCKq8dOU&feature=related)

Cognitivism rationale: Color in German is the focus of this instructional example. Learning a foreign language can be overwhelming. The strategy of chunking to focus the learner's attention on selected colors can prevent the learner's sense of cognitive overload by breaking the learning content into this smaller part. For learner's with low self-efficacy, successful completion of the module can lend itself to analysis of ways to study a language for improved learning.

For students starting their studies of the German language Keller's ARCS model can be applied to the cognitive analysis of this module. This module provides a visual stimulus to gain the student's attention that's focused on specific colors. The learning is relevant to the anticipated test at the end. Confidence is stimulated when test questions are answered successfully. Satisfaction is gained with the sense of accomplishment. And using volition the student overcomes discouragement and commits to the next level of learning complexity.

To support different learning preferences, this module provides visual and sensual information (the word along with the color) along with the audio pronunciation of each word.

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 * 1) 2. Click the web video below to view Joshua Klein's "The Amazing Intelligence of Crows" story. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXQAgzfwuNQ)

Cognitivism rationale: This instructional example establishes a generalized schema of varied concepts about the basic nature of crows upon which higher level analysis and conclusions can be based. The presenter uses various methods to gain the learner's attention (e.g., meaningful monologue, short video clips with narration, an invented vending machine for study of crow behavior) with humorous comments interjected along the way. We typically think of crows in a city as a problem. Therefore, managing the crow population holds meaning for us (e.g., his example of training crows to pick up garbage after stadium events).

The presentation allows us to grow past our thought that we need to just tolerate or kill off the crow population, as the presenter looks at their behaviors and ponders some ways we can coexist with them in a positive way. The satisfaction that results from this learning event is uplifting as the presenter strives to find "equilibrium [with crows] that's a useful balance" in the world around us. After watching this video, I felt a sense of mental management take place--applying self-evaluation of my thinking process about the living creatures I encounter in my daily life.

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__Characteristics of Cognitivism Learning Theory __ ===== This learning theory looks closely at the cognitive information processing of an individual. In this sense, similar to the functions of a computer with the input of data, the incoming information is managed and processed for transfer to long-term memory for storage. The learning structure is governed by internal memory processes rather than external environmental stimuli as in behaviorism. Cognitivism views the mind as a “black box” to be explored and understood.

Cognitivism recognizes the differences between individual learners and the variety of learning strategies involved. Knowledge can be viewed as schema or symbolic mental constructions. In this context, learning is a change in the learner's schemata. Practice, repetition, and active participation support the learning process.

__Theorists and Notable Concepts__
Theorists who are associated with this educational theory include:
 * Robert Gagne (Conditions of Learning--events of instruction; Learning Hierarchy-- provide a basis for the sequencing of instruction according to complexity)
 * David Ausubel (Meaningful Reception Learning Theory; Subsumption; Advance Organizers)
 * Albert Bandura (Social Cognitivism; Self-Efficacy)
 * John Keller (ARCS model of motivation)

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Constructivism
__ Instructional Media Examples __
 * 1) 1. Click the web video below to view a World War II lesson. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O4S7t77EeE)

Constructivism rationale: The purpose of this activity was to encourage elementary students to empathize with children during World War II when they were moved away from their parents in larger cities, for safety in the country. Numerous activities engage the students (e.g., say goodbye to parents, take seats on a train, play a children's game "Beetle") to relate to "what life would be like for children during World War II." Guest performers come to the classroom to give the children work activities. Role playing and social interaction is also used among the students. The children express how they would feel in the situations proposed by the teacher, showing their internalization of the concepts.

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 * 1) 2. Click the web video below to view a Comparative Thinking Lesson. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxKtqDLNG6Y&NR=1)

Constructivism rationale: During this lesson a group of children are asked to collect small objects from their desks to place in a box labeled "small." Once they see all the objects in the box, one child starts analyzing her choice and removes it (it looks too big compared to the other items in the "small" box). Students are given a chance to evaluate their choice and move it to another box.

During this experience students must accommodate their previous concept of "small" and recognize that new meaning now must be integrated. By giving the students time to evaluate their selections for the "small" box and to move it to another box, the teacher is encouraging students to resolve any conflicts related to the comparison of small to large sizes. The learning is in the newly constructed meaning for each child.

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__Characteristics of Constructivism Learning Theory __
Application of this learning theory typically involves presentation of a broad concept with activities that motivate the leaner to transform and internalize the new leaning--often in a social environment where language supports the learning process. The learner's responsibilities include constructing knowledge and self-regulation. The learner uses strategies such as exploration, exploitation, reflection, and articulation of concepts. Compared to behaviorism, this theory places a greater emphasis on providing experiences that are personally meaningful for the learner.

Accommodation and assimilation are important terms for this educational theory. Through accommodation learners take their existing mental framework and make adjustments to integrate new learning that yields unexpected outcomes. As learners assimilate new knowledge into the their memory of past experiences, they resolve conflicting concepts to reconstruct new meaning and adjust their perceptions of reality. The learner's resistance to change is noted by Boethel and Dimock (2000, p. 6-8).

__Theorists and Notable Concepts__
Theorists who are associated with this educational theory include:
 * Jerome Bruner (Discovery Learning)
 * Lev Vygotsky (Zone of Proximal Development; Active Theory; Social Cognitive Development Theory--emphasis on the factor of social environment as a facilitator of development and learning; Instructional scaffolding)
 * Piotr Galperin (Object-Oriented Activity)
 * Lave and Wenger (Community or Practice)
 * John Dewey (Learning is a social and interactive process)
 * Jean Piaget (Cognitive development as four distinctive stages in children; Experiential Learning)

__Work Sited__
Beothel, Martha and K. Victoria Dimock. (2000). “Constructing Knowledge with Technology.” Austin, TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

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