Learning Theories presentation Alma L Barrera Edtc 2330-60 UTB. Jun 25, 2011

1. Learning Theories presentation Alma L Barrera Edtc 2330-60 UTB. Jun 25, 2011 A

2. Contents • Introduction to Learning Theories Presentation • Behavior Learning Approach • Behavioral Operant Conditioning • Behavioral Classical Conditioning • Cognitive Learning Approach • Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory • Behavioral Theories in the Instructional Design Process • Cognitive Theories in the Instructional Design Process • Applicability of Behavioral Theories in the Adult Education Program • Applicability of Cognitive Theories in the Adult Education Program. • The Behavior Paradigm • The Cognitive Paradigm • References and Links.

3. Learning Theories Presentation In the instructional Design field it could be identify several learning theories like the Behavior and Cognitive learning approaches. All they bring an specific point of view to the educative field, however is good to use the integral concepts of the three theories when the instructor is using into design activities, because every instructional field is different and it will require several different variables to be taken into consideration at the moment of inspirational design.

4. Behavior Learning Approach • According to the behaviorist perspective, the learning process is tangible when the learner shows a precise transformation in behavior or conduct due to the impact of an external event in the areas of knowledge, personality or the practice of a skill. • The change of the behavior could be reinforced by a reward to promote the desired response, or could be punished to deplete a negative or unwanted behavior. Rod Plotnik in Introduction to Psychology states “The founder of the behavioral approach was John B Watson(1878- 1958)”(p.13).

5. Behavioral Operant Conditioning • One important branch from behavioral perspective is operant conditioning approach, • This approach also named “instrumental conditioning” is the learning where the instrument of study develops a conduct supported by a “reward or punishment” that encourage or diminish the execution of the same “behavior”. Plotik (p.213) • This approach were extensively studied by B.F. Skinner from 1904 – 1990 executing measurable experiments research in laboratory with animals. He also studied this approach “shaping experiments reinforcing behaviors” in schools with children and adults. Plotik (p.215).

6. Behavioral Classical Conditioning • The classical conditioning according to Plotnik, is a learning approach occurred when is “introduced a externals stimulus that could produce a response that initially was generated by another different stimulus”. (p. 196) • This condition also could be measurable as an emotional response, refers as feelings, manifested by positive or negative emotions, such as happiness, fear, anxiety, as a result of a stimulus that initially was reinforced by a pleasant or painful event. • The classical conditioning approach is based in the extensive research done by “Ivan Pavlov” with “dogs stimulated by food and the simultaneous sound of bells”. Pavlov measuring the conditioned “reflex of salivation in the animal”, initially affected by the two stimulus and the later response generated only by the neutral stimulus. Plotnik (p.196)

7. Cognitive Learning Approach • The cognitive learning perspective according to Plotnik in Introduction to Psychology analyze how the human being “process”, collect and transform the “information” and how this data affect “the perception, the learning”, the memories, “the beliefs and feelings”, the thoughts and the postures(p.5,7). • This interchange produce a transformation in the way of thinking, a change in the mental representation of ideas, in the association of concepts, in the incorporation of knowledge, in the approach when interact to others, in the behavior, and in the human being performance.

8. Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory • The representative from this movement was Albert Bandura, he states that the human gather information from their environment and observing others conducts, and shows a modification in his behavior “with out receiving any external reward”. Plotnik (p.223) • According to Plotnik in the Introduction to Psychology, this theory highlights the value of some mental activities like “observation, imitation and self reward” when is promoted the change in “learning of social skills”, personal communication, social interaction and management of behaviors.(p.225) • The four steps identified by this theory is “Attention, Memory, Imitation and Motivation". These steps refers to the basic process of learning, which means the observer pay careful attention to an event; memorize or save the meaningful information; then he will be able to act or imitate the same pattern performance; finally, he should to find some reason or motivation to launch or express his new behavior. (p.225)

9. Behavioral Theories in the Instructional Design process. • According to Brown and Green in the Essential of Instructional Design, there are some basics characteristics from the behaviorist perspective that are used in the instructional design process, when they state “learners learn by doing, experiencing, and engaging in repeated trial and error”.(p.49,50) • One of the elementals conditions from the Instructional Design will be the establishment of goals and objectives from the desire change in behavior that the learner must to address at the end of the course. • The other important statement will be the evaluation method that will be used through the practice of task activities to measuring the skill abilities that the learner must to dominate, after implementing the Instructional process course. • This two elements proceed from the behavioral theories and are still applied today in the traditional instruction.

10. Cognitive Theories in the Instructional Process • The cognitive perspective brought a worth addition to instructional design when they clarify that human being is “actively engaged “in the process of learning”, through the “judgment” conception, conclusions, opinions, and inspiration as part of the critical thinking process. So the learner decide to select the information, perform an action, listen, focus on, disregard, overlook, imitate or display a thought or an idea that will conform the new acquired knowledge. Brown & Green (p.50) • Precisely from the cognitive perspective is generated the creation of instructional objectives through the use of the Blooms Taxonomy chart, that will allow the designer to guide the student through the process of “Evaluation” of information, “Synthesizing” material, “Analyzing” to discover their “structure”, “Applying” the knowledge in new contexts, “Comprehending” diverse fields, and “Knowing” and retaining earlier procedures learned. Brown and Green (p.151).

11. Applicability of Behavioral Theories in Adult Educational Programs • A important analysis could be done from a adult education program, instructing English as a second language, at the Keys Academy in Harlingen, Tx. • The behavioral models to instruct adults is used normally by the “direct or teacher centered instruction”, where the instructor are facilitating the lesson through, reading books, practicing exercises, repeating phrases, groups conversations, phonics repetitions. • These method could be “tutorials, drill and practices, behavioral simulations, games and programmed instruction, graphic organizing, Semantic web, Integrated learning system”. Viking.coe.uh.edu(1) • The different methods could be used also through software programs and practices to solve, and complete grammatical English sentences while repeating words and sounds. An advantage is the fast evaluation of the student, however to get good results, the adult student should to keep practicing the conversational during the following days until the next schedule class, but this is the part that the learners fails to accomplish so the results are not always the expected, generating some kind of frustration into the students.

12. Application of Cognitive theories in Adult Education Programs • The application of the Cognitive Theories into the same adult English program represent a change in the instruction because it should to foster a strong reasoning process development. • Cognitive English tasks practices will requiring an increased level of processing of classifications of words, rules of spelling or tongue procedural executions, are primarily associated with strategies having a high cognitive emphasis like “schematic organization and analogical reasoning”. (2) Both mental activities are strongly used in the instructional reinforcement to help construct language. • However we can deduct from both theories that we can ‘t use one or other in a separate way, because both models have strategies that are interrelated at the time of instruction, from which emerged the use of the constructivist method, this states that “learners are active organisms” using their “prior” concepts as foundation to build a new “meaning” into their own knowledge. Brown & Green (p.51) • Actually the use of the three approaches is useful in instruction design to account from the different performance variables that each method produce.

13. The Behavioral Paradigm • The basic characteristics of each model to consider at time of instruction are according to educ.drake.edu.paradigms.html • “Learning” is appreciated as a passive behavior. • “Students” must realize the right, the accurate, or the acceptable answer. • “Learning” involve external incentives. • “Knowledge” is a subject of recall of data, facts or records. • “Understanding” is a topic of looking accessible models. • “Applications” needs to use the practice of skills that requires common elements to solve problems. • “Teachers”, instructors or trainers must direct or lead the learning process. (3)

14. The Cognitive Paradigm • Some characteristics about the cognitive model in the analysis from educ.drake.edu.paradigms.html, are: • “Learning “is a dynamic process. • “People” discover between different answers or reactions prototypes and select them. • “Learning” can be inherently satisfactory and gratifying. • “Knowledge” is a subject of building up valuable information. • “Understanding” is a subject of generating new patterns or models. • “Applications” require to analyze interactions among problems, events, exercises, etc. • “Students” must lead and control their own learning (3)

15. References and Links • Brown, Abbie & Green Timothy D. The essentials of Instructional Design. II. New Jersey. USA. Pearson Prentice Hall. 2006 • Plotnik, Rod. Introduction to Psychology. 7th ed. Ca. USA Thomson .@Wadsworth. Belmont. • http://viking.coe.uh.edu/~ichen/ebook/et-it/behavior.htm (1) • http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm#Cognitivism(2) • http://www.educ.drake.edu/romig/educ350/paradigms.html (3) • http://davidtjones.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/implications-of-cognitive-theory-for-instructional-design/