Learning Theories, Models,
and Methods
A GILD Tutorial
Presenter: M.E. Sanseverino
Jan 22, 2003
"Aah, there's nothing more exciting than science. You
get all the fun of sitting still, being quiet, writing down
numbers, paying attention...yes, science has it all."
Principal Skinner
Tutorial Goals
2. MODELS
1. THEORIES
3. METHODS
4.
SCENARIO
Segue to
Learning Tools
5. LEARNING GOALS
AND ACTIVITIES
1.1 Theories: Behavioural

Primary Focus

– Observable behaviour
– Stimulus-response
connections


–
–
–
–
Assumptions
– Learning is a result of
environmental forces
Subcategories
– Contiguity
– Respondent
(Classical)
– Operant
(Instrumental)
Major Theorists

Thorndike
Pavlov
Watson
Skinner
Principles
– Time/place pairings
– Biological basis of
behaviour
– Consequences
– Modelling
1.2 Theories: Cognitive

Primary Focus
–
–
–
–

Mental behaviour
Knowledge
Intelligence
Critical Thinking
Major Theorists
– Bloom
– Piaget
– Gagne
Assumptions
– Learning is a result of
mental operations/
processing


Subcategories
–
–
–
–
Information Processing
Hierarchical
Developmental
Critical Thinking

Principles
– Memory is limited
– Changes in
complexity
– Changes over time
– Good thinking
requires standards
1.3 Theories: Humanistic

Primary Focus
– Affect/Values
– Self-Concept/Self-Esteem
– Needs

Subcategories
–
–
–
–
Affect
Motivation/Needs
Self-concept
Self-esteem
Major Theorists
– Rogers
– Maslow
– N. V. Peale
Assumptions
– Learning is a result of
affect/emotion and goalorientation



Principles
– Individual
uniqueness
– Self-determination
– Dreams and goals
are vital for success
1.4 Theories: Social Cognition

Primary Focus
–
–
–
–

Modelling
Vicarious Learning
Attitudes
Goals
Major Theorists
– Bandura
– Vygotsky
– Sears
Assumptions
– Learning is a result of
influences of social
environment on thinking.


Subcategories
–
–
–
–
Observational (Social)
Self-efficacy
Goal-setting
Self-regulation

Principles
– Reciprocal
determinism
– Individual
responsibility
3. Methods: Putting theories and models together
Adapted from Romiszowski, 1984
3.1 Methods: How do you think?
The Block Problem:
 Visualisation

Draw a picture

Mathematically
•How did you do it?
•Were you successful on the first or second attempt?
•Did you use more than one strategy?
(ie. Visualise and deduce that blocks have eight corners)
3.1 Methods: How do you think?
The Sticks Problem:

Visualising

Drawing

Manipulating Objects
If you manipulate objects:
Be aware of how it feels to do solve the problem this way.
Are you carrying on a verbal dialogue (verbalizing)? .
3.1 Methods: How do you think?
The Who Did It problem:

In this problem only one statement is true. Determine from
the information given who did it?
 A said, "B did it."
 B said, "D did it."
 C said, "I did not do it."
 D said, "B lied when he said I did it."

Verbal/Logical solution
Easy to confuse the information statement with the problem statement:
Many learners try to figure out which statement is a true,
rather than which person is guilty.
3.1 Methods: How do you think?
The Who Did It problem continued:
Begin by assuming A is guilty,
determine if it is the case that
only one statement is true, then
assume B is guilty, and so on
until you find that only one
statement is true.
(This method is most common
for those who do solve the
problem, and will result in a
correct answer)
•If you noticed that since only one
statement is true and C says that he
didn't do it, one need only discover
that one of A, B, or D is telling the
truth to establish that C is guilty (if
A, B, or D is true, C is false; thus
C did it). Since B and D contradict
each other, only one of them can
be true. Since we've found one true
statement (it doesn't matter
whether it's B or D), we can
deduce that C did it.
(A more efficient, but often
overlooked strategy).
3.2 Methods: Determining Your Learning Styles
 Principles of Thinking Styles

ACTIVE AND REFLECTIVE LEARNERS

How can active learners help themselves?
How can reflective learners help themselves?
SENSING AND INTUITIVE LEARNERS





How can sensing learners help themselves?

How can intuitive learners help themselves?
VISUAL AND VERBAL LEARNERS

How can visual learners help themselves?

How can verbal learners help themselves?
SEQUENTIAL AND GLOBAL LEARNERS

How can sequential learners help themselves?

How can global learners help themselves?
4.0 Scenario
GOALS
Explain/understand
why repetition is
needed.
WHY
To put the problem in
some context. Students
comprehend problem.
ACTIVITY
Demo/explain
different repetition
structures.
To put structures
in a more defined
context.
Discuss why and when
one structure might be
more appropriate
than another.
Have students learn
debugging strategies
using repetition as a
catalyst.
To get the students
thinking of these
structures in terms of
problem solving.
Give a problem. Ask
students to select structure
and justify choice.
EVALUATION
To develop debugging
/logical problem
solving strategies.
Have an in-class find and
fix competition. Logical
errors, syntax, and runtime. ANALYSIS
Students write a program
without a repetition
structure. KNOWLEDGE
Give a problem. Ask
students to code it in all
repetition types.
APPLICATION
Bibliography





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Educational Psychology Interactive
<http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/index.html>
Valdosta State University, Georgia, USA.
Recommended for GILD members
Looking at Carl Rogers (Humanistic Theory)
<http://facultyweb.cortland.edu/~ANDERSMD/ROGERS/ROGE
RS.HTML>
Learning to Learn
<http://www.ldrc.ca/projects/atutor/login.php>
Recommended for GILD members
The Next Step Teacher Education
<http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/teachereduc/indexTE.html>
Theory into Practice: TIP
<http://tip.psychology.org/>
Resources in Science and Engineering Education
<http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/>
Recommended for GILD members
Bibliography cont.




How People Learn, Expanded Edition.2000. John Bransford et al
Full book online at
<http://books.nap.edu/books/0309070368/html/index.html>
Recommended for GILD members -- if you can only fit in one
item on learning, make it this book. It blends theory and
practice into a very readable, useable resource.
Funderstanding: educational products for kids.
<http://www.funderstanding.com/engaging_kids.cfm>
Great Expectations: Leveraging America's Investment in
Educational Technology
<http://www.benton.org/e-rate/execsummary.html>
Integrating Technology in Learning and Teaching. Pat Maier and
Adam Warren. Kogan Page Limited, London, UK. 2000.