Perspectives on Learning
Paradigms
Mary Risner
EME5054
Goals of Educational Technology
Organization of
Processes
Facilitating
Learning
Organization of
People, Materials,
Settings
Facilitating Learning Roles
• Learner
Emphasis on interests and abilities, managing
own learning, controlling mental processes.
• Facilitator
Influences learning process, does not control it.
Learning vs. Instructional Theories
•
Learning Theory- Describes how humans learn.
• Instructional Theory- Prescribes teaching methods
and best conditions to acquire new knowledge and
skills.
Why is Understanding and Awareness
of These Theories Important?
How we see
learning….(teacher
vs. learner control)
Personal beliefs on
learning theories
How we teach in a
classroom and
what policies we
support
Major Learning Theories
Theory
Key Thinkers
Key Characteristics
Behaviorism
Skinner, Pavlov
-Operant /respondent conditioning, view
that learning can be observed
Cognitivism
Piaget, Vygotsky
-View of learning as internal process.
-Learners use memory and thought to
create, organize, and store ideas
Constructivism
Von Glaserfeld,
Lakoff, Piaget,
Vygotsky
-From the basis of social constructivism,
elements of cognitivism, collaborative
and problem-based learning, learning
through and for authentic experiences
Behaviorism
Contributions to Ed Tech/Facilitating
Learning
Limitations
Templates and frameworks for instruction Institutions slow to accept programmed
instruction at institutions due to power
struggles, institutional inertia, conflict of
interest
Application not limited only to cognitive
domain
Lacking social interaction and
collaboration
Concepts of: Feedback, teacher –student
interaction, sequential units, material in
small steps, self-pacing
No focus on internal processes
Ed Tech focus: Teaching machines,
programmed instruction, direct
instruction, computer assisted instruction,
personalized system of instruction.
Within Behaviorism
Respondent
learning: Involuntary
actions, classical
conditioning
(Pavlov’s dog)
Operant learning:
Stimuli-responseconsequence
Cognitivism
Contributions to Ed Tech/Facilitating
Learning
Limitations
Presentation, visual and auditory learning Applies primarily to cognitive domain and
not to motor skills or attitudes
Organization of content to make things
easy to remember
Linking to prior knowledge
From reception to engagement, connect
to real world
Ed Tech Focus: audio-visual media,
message design, digital multimedia
No social or collaborative efforts included
in learning
Within Cognitivism
Piaget: Fixed
stages of
development
Information
processing
theory: how
info is stored in
memory
Schema theory:
New material
integrated with
existing
cognitive
structure
Neuroscience:
Imaging
technologies to
observe
neurological
activities
Constructivism
Contributions to Ed Tech/Facilitating
Learning
Limitations
Apprenticeship: scaffolding, modeling,
mentoring, coaching
New research on “minimal guidance”
concerns
Construction of own learning
Does constructivism work depending on
audience? i.e. Beginner vs. intermediatedoes it overload learner cognitively and
interfere with cognitive processing?
Involvement in creative thinking for
problem-solving, importance of
authenticity of experience
Media vs. methods
Collaboration and group work
Ed Tech Focus: Engaged learning, need
for change in learning assessment
methodology focused on performance
Other Learning Theories
Critical Theory
Horkheimer (social theory) View of understanding
and critiquing society
through the social sciences
and desire to bring about
social change
Eclectic
Reeves
Flexible use of principles
from all learning theories
to reach goals in their
applied context
Readings
• Before the readings I never thought about
which learning theories I believed in or how I
was affected by them in my teaching over the
years. I only had a basic background and
found it very valuable to learn more on the
aspects of the theories as they have
developed through time and how they have
contributed to understanding learning
processes.
Readings (cont.)
It was interesting how the readings
made me more aware and helped me
identify which learning theories have
influenced my teaching practices so I
could actually pinpoint and
contemplate where I actually stand on
these issues based on research over
time and not only on what might be
the current trend(s) in education.
My Personal Views
• For whatever reason I think this way, I would definitely say I am very
much a cognitivist as a learner and a teacher. On a personal and
professional level, I see the benefits of organizing thoughts and
concepts and making associations by building on prior knowledge and
experience. Humankind by nature is driven to organize and classify the
world around us and most people are comforted by the familiar. So it
would only make sense that the cognitivist assertions hold some
substance for how people define and shape their knowledge base.
• I was enlightened by the detailed explanation of the significance of
behaviorism and where it has made strong contributions in the realm
of “soft technology” since I had mainly associated it with tedious drill
for skills techniques that can be pretty boring as a methodology , but
may have a value in specific contexts.
My Views (cont.)
My experience as a foreign language
and ESL teacher is a natural fit to the
constructivist way of thinking
through the use of authentic
materials, collaborative activities,
and real world application.
Years ago, I originally began teaching
with a more teacher controlled focus
due to my own educational experiences,
though in recent years of teaching
opportunities I have been training
myself to effectively give learners
control in the classroom and I try to
practice the learner-centered approach
in teacher training workshops.
Evidence of My View of Learning Paradigms In
the Foreign Language Classroom
I am currently in more of an administrative position
at UF so have to look back a few years in retrospect
to how the views of learning theory are prescribed in
the classroom. My experience has never been
through teaching online, but many foreign language
activities have great potential for use in an online
course.
Behaviorist Perspective
Choral repetition of new vocabulary
would primarily be a stimulusresponse with feedback. Through
new software programs, individuals
can practice their pronunciation
individually, record themselves, and
be rated on how close they are to a
native accent.
The traditional teacherstudent/question-response is another
format where students practice in
unnatural drills and can respond
correctly without even knowing what
they are saying. This can take place
orally, in multiple choice written
format, and especially in verb
conjugations.
Cognitivist Perspective
The visual and auditory components are obviously huge in foreign language
study where recordings and films have been used in the past, but are little
by little being replaced with short video clips like those found on You Tube or
from any other media source available on the net.
The presentation of grammar and vocabulary as building blocks where one
must learn and master certain forms before proceeding would also be a
result of cognitivist theory.
The use of case studies can be effective in terms of scenarios to learn about
cultural sensitivity and intercultural relations.
Constructivist (cont.)
The interaction with “realia” or
authentic artifacts from the
target language country is
definitely the result of a
constructivist perspective. With
new technology, more
multimedia sources are available
for use in the classroom.
Traditional collaborative work
that was done only in the
classroom with non-native
speakers can now be done
through technology with students
in other places.
Constructivist (cont.)
Even as I work with language teachers now, the interest is there to encourage
communication and acquisition of real world applicable skills, but many schools still
focus on just getting through the grammar of so many chapters without concern for
mastery or practicality for the students once they are in the workplace.
Simulations will be a very valuable tool in foreign language by putting students in
real-life situations to prepare them culturally and linguistically.
Inquiry and problem-solving is approached through webquests that encourage
students to find information and solutions on their own or in a group for a given
situation.
First Step in Reflection as an Educator
Overall, I would say I have an
eclectic view of learning theories
and elements of each affect the
instructional methodologies I have
used in teaching and teacher
training now and in the past.
Reflecting on and becoming aware
of what we as individuals believe is
a start . Then there are questions to
be answered on how to ensure that
best practices come from
contemplation of all learning
paradigms, and not only by what
happens to be a current trend.
How Can We Make Sure Our Paradigms
Guide Us Well As Educators?
• How do we as teachers keep reflecting on our
views of learning so that it has a positive and
influence on learning environments and
implement best practices in the classroom?
• Is how we teach a product of our own past
learning experience, training, or a matter of
personality? Is it Nature or Nurture?
How Much is the Way We Teach Due
to Our Present Circumstances?
Lack of training in classroom management for effective group work
Lack of training for creative lesson plans
Lack of time for planning
Large classes
Limited knowledge of subject area to give students free reign on topics
Fear of change from traditional approaches
Knowing where to draw the line between guiding, dominating, or not giving enough
direction
Further Research Needed
Minimal Guidance Question
• As much as I agree with the many virtues of
constructivism, I have wondered about the question
of what level a learner has to be at to benefit from
minimal guidance and will be interesting research to
follow.
•
Kirschner hypothesis: “Minimally guided learning environments subject learners
to a heavy cognitive load that interferes with use of their cognitive processing
abilities. “ p. 37
*Kirschner, Sweller, Clark (2006)
Further Research Needed
Media vs. Methods
• The Kozma (1991) argument of learning
interactively with media instead of from
media (Clark, 1983) is another interesting area
that should continue to be examined to
confirm how learning best occurs as more
online learning modules are developed.
References
• Clark, R. E. (1983). Reconsidering research on learning
from media. Review of Educational Research, 53(4), 445–
459.
• Kirschner, P. A., Sweller, J., & Clark, R. E. (2006). Why
minimal guidance during instruction des not work: An
analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery,
problem-based, experiential, and inquiry-based teaching.
EducationalPsychologist, 41(2), 75–86.
• Kozma, R. B. (1991, Summer). Learning with media.
Review of Educational Research, 61(2), 179–211.