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Learning Theories. Gil Garcia EDTC 3320-01 Professor Chavez 9 March, 2014. John B. Watson. John B. Watson Behaviorist. Born January 28, 1878 in Travelers Rest, SC In 1903 became the youngest person to earn a PhD at the University of C hicago.
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Learning Theories Gil Garcia EDTC 3320-01 Professor Chavez 9 March, 2014
John B. WatsonBehaviorist • Born January 28, 1878 in Travelers Rest, SC • In 1903 became the youngest person to earn a PhD at the University of Chicago. • Was the director of the psychological laboratory at Johns Hopkins University for 14 years.
Notable Contributions • 1913 – Published “Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It”, which is considered to be a monumental moment in the establishment of behaviorism • Established that psychology was a science of human behavior • Pioneered a theory that would greatly influence future Behaviorist’s such as B.F. Skinner. • Is considered the founder of the Behaviorist theory
Watson’s Behaviorism • Assumes that behavior is observable and that a correlation exists with other observable events. • Relies heavily on the stimulus-response mechanism of learning. • Is more focused on human behavioral characteristics rather than psychological or emotional aspects. • Believed that only the study of behavior was necessary in understanding rather than analyzing the human mind.
Edward TolmanCognitivist • Born April 14, 1886 West Newton, MA • Attended MIT and earned a bachelors degree in electrochemistry. • Earned his PhD from Harvard in 1915. • Was initially a behaviorist, but eventually began to adhere to the cognitivist learning theory. • Taught Psychology at the University of California Berkley from 1918 till 1954.
Notable Contributions • 1918 – Tolman’s study of maze rats at UC Berkley made the university world famous. • 1932 – Published Purposive Behavior in Animals and Men, which explored purposive behaviorism as well as an in depth review of his new maze rats study. • After adopting some principles of Gestalt psychology, he would eventually develop the Sign Gestalt Theory.
Sign Gestalt Theory Sign Gestalt theory asserts that there are three parts to learning that work in unison as a gestalt. • Significant – The goal of a behavior • Sign - The signal for action • Means-End - The Internal processes and relationships. Finally, he theorized that the environment had an influence in determining which gestalts were chosen. Learning then becomes a unique experience for each individual.
Educational Impact of Watson’s Behaviorism • Applied Behavior Analysis is used today as means of addressing learning, developmental, and maladaptive behaviors. • Direct Instruction, which is still used and has been shown to be highly effective, was originally based upon the stimuli-response approach of behaviorism. • Precision Teaching utilizes behavioral fluency training and depends on a high degree of student monitoring to generate skill sets that the enable the students to tackle harder tasks with less difficulty.
Educational Impact of Tolman’s Sign Gestalt Theory • Significant in defining the goal objects in learning and education. • Put emphasis on reward or punishment based on actions. In the world of modern education, reward is often given for achieving specific academic goals. • The continued efforts to address the needs of individual learners is a lasting goal that educators and instructional designers are striving for.
Summary: Applications of Learning Theories in Education • Watson’s Behaviorism theory is still utilized and highly effective in aiding students with developmental disabilities. • For example, Applied Behavior Analysis has helped create a series of behavioral skill sets such as safety behaviors and vocational training for individuals with learning or developmental disabilities. • Tolman’s Sign Gestalt theory is evident in that teachers and instructional designers continue to find ways to address the individual needs of students. • For example, some computer labs are now designed so that a learner can learn at his/her own pace and offer a variety of ways in which material can be presented in an effort to address the learning style of each student.
