Download learning theories

LEARNING THEORIES
Behaviourist theory
Constructivist theory
Situated learning
LEARNING - DEFINITION
 Change in behavior as a result of experience,
education, training & practice
 Learning is any relatively permanent change in behavior
as result of previous experience/ acquired through
experience
 Learning has taken place if an individual behaves, reacts,
response, as a result of experience in a manner different
from the way he formally behave
PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING
REINFORCEMENT :
The term reinforcement means to strengthen, and is used in psychology to refer to
anything stimulus which strengthens, encouraging the designated behavior, or
increases the probability of a specific response.
For example, if you want your dog to sit on command, you may give him a treat
every time he sits for you. The dog will eventually come to understand that sitting
when told to will result in a treat. This treat is reinforcing because he likes it and
will result in him sitting when instructed to do so
TYPES OF REINFORCEMENT:
 Positive Reinforcement
 Negative Reinforcement
 Punishment Reinforcement
 Extinction Reinforcement
1) Positive Reinforcement: Giving a positive response when an individual shows
positive and required behavior. Think of it as adding something in order to increase
a response. The most common types of positive reinforcement or praise and
rewards.
For example: Immediately praising an employee for coming early for job. This will
increase probability of outstanding behavior occurring again. Reward is a positive
reinforcement.
PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING
2) Negative Reinforcement
Negative reinforcement as taking something negative away in order to increase a
response. It is a more effective tool for motivating employee behavior.
For Example: Driving in heavy traffic is a negative condition for most of us. You
leave home earlier than usual one morning, and don't run into heavy traffic. You
leave home earlier again the next morning and again you avoid heavy traffic. Your
behavior of leaving home earlier is strengthened by the consequence of the
avoidance of heavy traffic.
3) Punishment Reinforcement
Punishment refers to adding something aversive in order to decrease a behavior.
For example: Disciplining (e.g. spanking) Suspending an employee for breaking the
organizational rules. Punishment involves either presenting or taking away a
stimulus in order to weaken a behavior.
4) Extinction Reinforcement
When you remove something in order to decrease a behavior, this is called
extinction. You are taking something away so that a response is decreased.
For Example: If an employee no longer receives praise and admiration for his good
work, he may feel that his behavior is generating no fruitful consequence.
Extinction may unintentionally lower desirable behavior.
TYPE OF LEARNERS
TYPE OF LEARNERS
Here are brief descriptions of the four Kolb learning styles:
1)Diverging (feeling and watching - CE/RO) - These people are able to look at
things from different perspectives. They are sensitive. They prefer to watch rather
than do, tending to gather information and use imagination to solve problems.
They are best at viewing concrete situations several different viewpoints. Kolb
called this style 'Diverging' because these people perform better in situations that
require ideas-generation, for example, brainstorming. People with a Diverging
learning style have broad cultural interests and like to gather information. They are
interested in people, tend to be imaginative and emotional, and tend to be strong
in the arts. People with the Diverging style prefer to work in groups, to listen
with an open mind and to receive personal feedback.
2) Assimilating (watching and thinking - AC/RO) - The Assimilating learning
preference is for a concise, logical approach. Ideas and concepts are more
important than people. They excel at understanding wide-ranging information and
organizing it a clear logical format. People with an Assimilating learning style are
less focused on people and more interested in ideas and abstract concepts.
People with this style are more attracted to logically sound theories than
approaches based on practical value. These learning style people is important for
effectiveness in information and science careers. In formal learning situations,
people with this style prefer readings, lectures, exploring analytical models,
and having time to think things through.
TYPE OF LEARNERS
3)Converging (doing and thinking - AC/AE) - People with a Converging
learning style can solve problems and will use their learning to find
solutions to practical issues. They prefer technical tasks, and are
less concerned with people and interpersonal aspects. They can solve
problems and make decisions by finding solutions to questions and
problems.. A Converging learning style enables specialist and technology
abilities. People with a Converging style like to experiment with new
ideas, to simulate, and to work with practical applications.
4) Accommodating (doing and feeling - CE/AE) - The Accommodating
learning style is 'hands-on', and relies on intuition rather than logic.
These people use other people's analysis, and prefer to take a
practical, experiential approach. They are attracted to new challenges
and experiences, and to carrying out plans. They commonly act on 'gut'
instinct rather than logical analysis. People with an Accommodating
learning style will tend to rely on others for information than carry out
their own analysis. This learning style is prevalent and useful in roles
requiring action and initiative. People with an Accommodating learning
style prefer to work in teams to complete tasks. They set targets and
actively work in the field trying different ways to achieve an objective.
LEARNING PROCESS
Various steps in learning process are as follows
1)Stimuli:
Stimuli are any objects and language which draw the attention of people. Employees
get stimuli from the actions of their supervisors.
2)Attention:
The degree of attention depends upon the nature of the stimuli. All stimuli are not
paid attention to. Technical and interested stimuli are highly attended. Career
oriented stimuli are generally accepted by stimuli.
3)Recognition:
Attention paid stimuli are recognized as acceptable factors of improvement and new
life styles. Employees paying attention to stimuli are recognizing the stimuli for
learning process
4)Translation:
Recognized stimuli are evaluated at the mental level to eliminate the irrelevant
points for accepting a part of the stimulus for changing behaviour
5)Reinforcement:
Reinforced perception is learning. The perceptual process includes stimuli,
Attention, recognition, translation and behaviour. Perception leads to learning, but
perception itself is not learning unless it is reinforced
LEARNING PROCESS
6)Behaviour:
Learning changes behaviour through reinforcement of perceived knowledge. It
makes permanent changes behaviour. A temporary change in behaviour is not
learning. Positive behaviour gives rewards to employees
7)Rewards:
Employees expect rewards for learning. If the translated behaviour provides a
reward. It is accepted, otherwise it is not accepted.
8)Habits:
A permanent change in behaviour becomes a habit which helps continuous
improvement in behaviour and performance. Employees develop the habit of self
appraisal and development.
9)Motives
Motives depends on the level of satisfaction. Employees getting more satisfaction
through learning, develop high motives. Less satisfied learners have low motives.
Learning is complete only when motives are fully realized and translated in to
efforts
10)Efforts:
Habits help achieve good efforts and performance. This is a continuous process.
Efforts are the automatic outcome of good habits which are acquired through the
learning process.
LEARNING THEORIES
The learning theories are:
 Behaviourist theory
 Constructivist theory
 Situated Learning
 Cognitive Learning Theory
 Social Learning Theory
LEARNING THEORIES
CONSTRUCTI
VIST
THEROY
BEHAVIORIST
THEORY
LEARNING
THEORIES
SITUATED
LEARNING
THEORY
COGNITIVE
LEARNING
THEORY
SOCIAL
LEARNING
THEORY
1.Behaviourist theory
 Its main influences were
 Ivan Pavlov, who investigated classical
conditioning
 John B. Watson (1878-1958) who rejected
introspective methods and sought to restrict
psychology to experimental laboratory
methods.
 B.F. Skinner, sought to give ethical grounding
to behaviorism, relating it to pragmatism.
Behaviourist theory
 Behaviourist Theory maintains a focus on
the change in observable behaviours as the
manifestations of learning.
 Thus the theory states that is learning is the
acquisition of new behaviour through
conditioning
Behaviourist theory
 The means of conditioning is achieved in two ways namely, classical and
operant.
 Operant conditioning also called instrumental conditioning refers to the
process that our behavior produces certain consequences are. If our
actions have pleasant effects, then we will be more likely to repeat them
in the future. If, however, our actions have unpleasant effects, we are less
likely to repeat them in the futureOperant conditioning is where there is
reinforcement of a behaviour by a reward or punishment. Reinforcement
is any means of increasing the likelihood that an event will be repeated.
Behaviourist theory
 Classical conditioning is where the behaviour becomes
a reflex response to stimulus. For example Dogs who
were fed continuously by persons in lab coats reacted
as if food was on its way whenever they saw a lab coat
Characteristics
 Behaviourist believes:
 Learning is manifested by a change in behaviour
 Environment shapes behaviour ( nurture)
 Contiguity and reinforcement are integral to the
learning process. Contiguity describes how close
in time two events must be for a bond to be
formed and Basic laws of learning are the same
for all animals whether dogs or humans.
Implications: Learning environment
Behaviourist view learning as a change in
behaviour, therefore educators arrange
the environment to get desired responses
through:
Behavioural objectives
Competency based education
Skill development and training
2.COGNITIVE LEARNING
 Cognitive learning- attitude changing in individual
 Cognition-Refers to individual thoughts, knowledge,
interpretations, understanding or views about oneself &
his/her environment
 One stimulus lead to anothe
 Edward Tolman – Rats- learn to run through a
complicated web/ network towards their goal of food,
rat founded out some cue to reach the goal
 Theory Recognizes the role of organism in receiving,
memorizing, retrieving & reacting
COGNITIVE LEARNING
COGNITIVE VIEW OF LEARNING:
Step:1
In the cognitive view, people draw on their experiences and uses past learning
as a basis for present behaviour. These expectations represent For eg: an
employee faced with a choice of job assignment will use previous experiences
in deciding which one to accept
Step 2:
People make choices about their behaviour. The employee recognises two
alternatives and choose one
Step:3
People recognise the consequences of their choices. Thus, when the employee
finds the job assignments rewarding and fulfilling he will recognize that the
choice was a good one and will understand why
Step:4
People evaluate
those consequences and add them to prior learning which affects future
choices. Faced with the same job choices next year, the employee very likely to
choose the same one.
3.Social learning theory
People learn through observing others behaviour. Most human behaviour
is learned observationally through modeling observing others, and one
forms an idea of how new behaviors' are performed. And on later
occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action. Social
learning theory explains human behaviour in terms of continuous
reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioural and environmental
influences.
The following steps are involved in the observational learning and modeling
process:
 Attention:
In order to learn, you need to be paying attention. Anything that distracts
your attention is going to have a negative effect on observational
learning. If the model interesting or there is a novel aspect to the
situation, you are far more likely to dedicate your full attention to
learning.
 Retention:
The ability to store information is also an important part of the learning
process. Retention can be affected by a number of factors, but the ability
to pull up information later and act on it is vital to observational learning.
Social learning theory
 Reproduction:
Once you have paid attention to the model and retained the
information, it is time to actually perform the behavior you
observed. Further practice of the learned behavior leads to
improvement and skill advancement.
 Motivation:
Finally, in order for observational learning to be successful, you
have to be motivated to imitate the behavior that has been
modeled. Reinforcement and punishment play an important role
in motivation. While experiencing these motivators can be
highly effective, so can observing other experience some type
of reinforcement or punishment. For example, if you see
another student rewarded with extra credit for being to class on
time, you might start to show up a few minutes early each day.
4.Constructivist theory
 Constructivism is a synthesis of multiple
theories diffused into one form. It is the
assimilation of both behaviorialist and
cognitive ideals.
 The “constructivist stance maintains that
learning is a process of constructing
meaning; it is how people make sense of
their experience”
Characteristics of the
Constructivist theory
 Constructivist believe that:
 Peoples construct their own understanding of
the world through experiencing things and
reflecting on these experiences.
 When learners encounter something new,
they reconcile it with previous knowledge and
experiences. In the end they may change
what they believe , or they may discard the
new information as irrelevant.
Implications: Learning environment
 The teacher acts as a facilitator and guide in
helping the students to become active
participants in their learning. Thus enabling
them to make the connection between prior
knowledge and new knowledge.
 The teacher helps the student to construct
knowledge rather than reproduce a series of
facts.
Implications: Learning environment
 The teacher provide tools such as problem
solving and inquiry based learning
activities so that student can formulate
and test their ideas, and draw their own
conclusions.
5.Situated Learning Theory
 Situated Learning Theory, created by Jean
Lave and Etienne Wenger as a model of
learning in a community of practice,
advances that learning is involuntary and
situated within authentic activity, context,
and culture.
 Simply put, situated learning is learning that
takes place in the same context in which it is
applied.
Situated Learning
 Situated learning is related to Vygotsky’s
notion of learning through social
development
 Regular classroom learning activities
involve:
 1) Abstract knowledge which is in and out
of context,
Characteristics
 Lave argues that learning is situated; that is,
 It occurs normally (unintentional rather than
deliberate)
 It is embedded within activity
 It is embedded within context and
 It is embedded within culture.
 Lave and Wenger (1991) call this
unintentional learning a process of
“legitimate peripheral participation” or LPP
Implications
 Knowledge needs to be presented in
authentic contexts — settings and situations
that would normally involve that knowledge.
 Social interaction and collaboration are
essential components of situated learning —
learners become involved in a “community of
practice” which embodies certain beliefs and
behaviours to be acquired.
Implications
 As the beginner or novice moves from the
periphery of a community to its center, he
or she becomes more active and engaged
within the culture and eventually assumes
the role of an expert.
Learning activity:
Constructivist theory
 Students will go on a nature walk and will
be encourage to choose a hibiscus flower.
They will be guided by the teacher in
taking apart the flower then they will
examine and name the different parts.