Learning Theories Presentation
By Rene Lopez
Cognitivism Defined
Cognition can be defined as “The act
or process of knowing in the broadest
sense ; specifically, an intellectual
process by which knowledge is gained
from perception or ideas”.
Cognitive Learning Theorist:
Robert M. Gagné
Robert M. Gagné is best known for his Nine Events of
instruction. He was born in 1916 in North Andover,
Massachusetts. In 1937, he earned his A.B. from Yale University.
After receiving his Ph. D. from Brown University in psychology
in 1940, he taught at Connecticut College for Women and
Pennsylvania State University.
Theorists of Cognitive
Learning
Robert M. Gagné
Robert Gagné built upon behaviorist and cognitive theories to
recommend approaches to instruction. Much of Gagné’s early
experience as an instructional psychologist was spent tackling
practical problems of training air force personnel. He dealt
particularly with problems in determining just what skills and
knowledge are required for someone to be an effective performer at a
given job. Once job requirements were identified, the task then
became one of determining how those requirements might best be
learned by a person in training for the job. He suggested that a task
would be best learned by following a specific sequence of nine
events:
Robert M. Gagné’s
“Nine Events of
Instruction
The following example illustrates a teaching sequence corresponding to the nine
instructional events for the objective, Recognize an equilateral triangle:
1. Gain attention - show variety of computer generated triangles
2. Identify objective - pose question: "What is an equilateral triangle?"
3. Recall prior learning - review definitions of triangles
4. Present stimulus - give definition of equilateral triangle
5. Guide learning- show example of how to create equilateral
6. Elicit performance - ask students to create 5 different examples
7. Provide feedback - check all examples as correct/incorrect
8. Assess performance- provide scores and remediation
9. Enhance retention/transfer - show pictures of objects and ask students to identify
equilaterals
Gagné's work is sometimes summarized as the Gagné Assumption.
Robert M. Gagné
Cognitive Learning
The concept of Gagné's knowledge hierarchy leads
to the assumption that it is important to present all
the necessary lower-level facts before proceeding to
teach at higher levels. Related to this is the concept
that people can reason with higher-level concepts if
they have learned all of the prerequisite lower-level
information.
Behavioral Learning
Theorists:
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov
September 14, 1849 – February 27, 1936) was a
Russian, and later Soviet, physiologist,
physiologist, and physician. He was awarded
the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in
1904 for research pertaining to the digestive
system. Pavlov is widely known for first
describing the phenomenon of classical
conditioning.
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov
Behavioral Learning Theory
Behaviorism is a worldview that assumes a learner is essentially
passive, responding to environmental stimuli.The learner starts off as
a clean slate (i.e. tabula rasa) and behavior is shaped through
positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement. Both positive
reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the probability
that the antecedent behavior will happen again. In contrast,
punishment (both positive and negative) decreases the likelihood
that the antecedent behavior will happen again. Positive indicates
the application of a stimulus; Negative indicates the withholding of a
stimulus. Learning is therefore defined as a change in behavior in the
learner. Lots of (early) behaviorist work was done with animals (e.g.
Pavlov’s dogs) and generalized to humans.
Analyze and describe how the selected learning theories
impact teaching/training.
Cognitive styles are relatively stable overtime, include the way that individuals acquire
and store information, it is a multi-dimensional construct (eg., visual-haptic, etc.)
In order to properly employ cognitive teaching styles, it is necessary to
identify which cognitive skills are strong and which are weak in the student.
Due to the more personalized approach of this style, the size of the class
is often limited. After testing, it becomes possible for the educator to
formulate plans for the class. Some of these cognitive skills are connected
to the sensory systems, namely vision and hearing. Others are long-term
memory, short-term memory, logic and reasoning, comprehension, and
focus. Each of these skills can be sub-divided into sub-skills, like
discrimination, analysis, blending, and segmentation sub-skills for the main
skill of auditory processing.
Analyze and describe how the selected learning theories
impact teaching/training.
Behavioral style: The term “Learning Theory” is often associated with the behavioral view.
The focus of the behavioral approach is on how the environment impacts overt behavior.
Remember that biological maturation or genetics is an alternative explanation for relatively
permanent change.
Classical conditioning:
is the process of reflex learning—investigated by
Pavlov—through which an unconditioned stimulus (e.g.
food) which produces an unconditioned response
(salivation) is presented together with a conditioned
stimulus (a bell), such that the salivation is eventually
produced on the presentation of the conditioned
stimulus alone, thus becoming a conditioned response.
Evaluate the applicability of each theory for the selected
adult education environment.
Cognitive Learning:
In order to properly employ cognitive teaching styles, it is
necessary to identify which cognitive skills are strong and
which are weak in the student. By doing this you will be
able to concentrate on the weaknesses of your student s to
make them a stronger student.
Behavioral Learning: The focus of the behavioral approach is on how the
environment impacts overt behavior. Students learn in different environments, for instance
some students prefer online courses to classroom settings. Some students prefer the campus
life.The Behavioral Learning is a concept based on learning from passed educational
situations.
The cognitivist revolution replaced
behaviorism in 1960s as the
dominant paradigm. Cognitivism
focuses on the inner mental
activities – opening the “black box”
of the human mind is valuable and
necessary for understanding how
people learn. Mental processes such
as thinking, memory, knowing, and
problem-solving need to be
explored. Knowledge can be seen as
schema or symbolic mental
constructions. Learning is defined
as change in a learner’s schemata.
References
•http://www.learning-theories.com/category/cognitive-theories
•http://www.unt.edu/benchmarks/archives/2004/september04/eis.htm
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._Gagn%C3%A9
•http://www.ivanpavlov.com/
THE END