Things You Must
Know About
Learning Theory
Ronald C. Persin, Ed. D. Florida Atlantic University
College of Education
Progressive Education
John Dewey - advocated "child-centered" and "social reconstructionist" approaches
Two essential elements:
Respect for diversity – an individual
should be recognized for his or her own abilities, interests, and cultural identity
Development of critical,
socially-engaged intelligence which enables individuals to understand and
participate effectively in a democratic society
Practices to make schools more effective in democratic society
Elements of Progressive
Education
Behaviorism – Skinner and Watson
Cognitivism – Piaget and Bruner
Social Learning Theory - Bandura
Social Constructivism - Vygotsky
Multiple Intelligences - Gardner
Brain-Based Learning – Souza, Caine, Jensen
Behaviorism
Focuses solely on observable behaviors
Learning is context-independent
A biological basis for learning - you have it
or you don’t…it’s a thing you inherit
Theorists: B. F. Skinner & John B. Watson
Learning is defined by the outward expression of new behaviors
Behaviorism in the
Classroom
Responsibility for
student learning rests squarely with the teacher
Lecture-based,
highly structured
Rewards and
Critiques of Behaviorism
Does not account for processes taking
place in the mind that cannot be observed
Passive student learning in a
teacher-centric environment
Knowledge itself is
given and absolute
One size fits all
Cognitivism
Grew in response to Behaviorism
Learning is the process of connecting
symbols in a meaningful & memorable way
Knowledge is stored cognitively as symbols
Studies focused on
the mental
Cognitivism cont.
Jean Piaget
Genetic Epistemology - how people
develop cognitively from birth
Assimilation and Accommodation
(1896-1980)
Jerome Bruner (1915- )
Jerome Bruner
Discovery Learning - Learner as
Cognitivism in the
Classroom
Opportunities for the testing of hypotheses
Curiosity encouraged
Inquiry-oriented
projects
Critiques of Cognitivism
Like Behaviorism, knowledge itself is given
and absolute
Input – Process – Output model is
mechanistic and deterministic
Does not account
enough for individuality
Social Learning Theory
(SLT)
Grew out of Cognitivism
Albert Bandura – observational learning
Learning occurs through observation and sensory experiences
Albert Bandura (1925- )
Imitation is the sincerest
form of flattery
SLT is the basis of the
movement against violence in media & video games
SLT in the Classroom
Collaborative earning and group work
Modeling responses
and expectations
Opportunities to
Critiques of Social Learning
Theory
Suggests students learn best as passive
receivers of sensory stimuli, as opposed to being active learners
Emotions and motivation not considered
important or connected to learning
Social Constructivism
Grew out of and in response to
Cognitivism, framed around metacognition
Learning is…
A search for meaning by the learner Contextualized
An inherently social activity Dialogic and recursive
The responsibility of the learner
Knowledge is actively constructed
Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)
Lev Vygotsky
Social Learning
Social Constructivism in the
Classroom
Journaling
Experiential
activities
Personal focus
Critiques of Social
Constructivism
May not fit well with
traditional age grouping and rigid terms and
semesters
Suggests that knowledge
is neither given nor
absolute, but is rather an individual construct
Seen as less rigorous than traditional
approaches to instruction
Multiple Intelligences (MI)
Grew out of Constructivism,
framed around knowing who you are as a learner
(metacognition)
Enables students to
leverage their strengths and
purposefully target, then develop their weaknesses 1. Verbal-Linguistic 5. Musical
2. Visual-Spatial 6. Naturalist 3. Logical-Mathematical 7. Interpersonal 4. Kinesthetic 8. Intrapersonal
Howard Gardner - All people are born with eight intelligences
MI in the Classroom
Delivery of instruction
via multiple mediums
Student-centered
classroom
Authentic Assessment
Critiques of MI
Development process is a time-sink
Suggestive of a departure from core curricula
and standards
Lack of quantifiable evidence
that MI exist
Lack of evidence that use of
MI has any noticeable impact on learning
Brain-Based Learning (BBL)
Grew out of Neuroscience & Constructivism
Dinesh Souza, Geoffrey & Renate Caine, Eric Jensen
1. Brain is a parallel processor 2. Whole body learning
3. A search for meaning 4. Patterning
5. Emotions are critical
6. Processing of parts and wholes
12 governing principles
7. Focused attention & peripheral perception 8. Conscious & unconscious processes
9. Several types of memory 10. Embedded learning sticks 11. Challenge & threat
BBL in the Classroom
Opportunities for group
learning
Regular environmental
changes
A multi-sensory
environment
Opportunities for
self-expression and making personal connections to content
Community-based
Critiques of BBL
Research conducted by neuroscientists, not
teachers & educational researchers
Lack of understanding of the brain itself
makes “brain-based” learning questionable
You can’t make leaps
Other Learning Theories of
Note
Andragogy (M. Knowles)
Information Processing (G. Miller)
Situated Learning (J. Lave)
Subsumption Theory (D. Ausubel)
Conditions of Learning (R. Gagne)
