Learning Theories & CAI

1. Learning Theories & CAI Compiled by Doris Shih

2. Outline for Today • Behaviorism • Cognitive Psychology • Constructivism • Thorndike & Dewey • Questions to ask yourself

3. Interactivity= Activity that takes place among the learners and the content

4. Begin of Ed. Tech. • Effect by Thorndike and Dewey’s theories. Edward Thorndike John Dewey

6. Thorndike’s Influence • Along the line of B.F. Skinner’s behaviorism • Connectionism: The law of exercise/repetition The law of effect The law of readiness

7. Behaviorism Programmed Instruction • prior definition of objectives • provides sequence in small steps • requires a measurable response • provides immediate feedback • lets learners work independently • is developed and evaluated with learners

8. Equal mixtures of red, green and blue light produce neutrals such as white. Unequal mixtures of red, green and blue light produce non-neutrals such as purple.

9. We know that if we shine red, green and blue light on a white screen or wall so they are mixed or added in equal amounts, we will see __________ light.

10. If you answered WHITE, you are correct! The mixing of red, green and blue light produces white light.

11. While efficient for learning information, such instruction may not be effective for learning “higher order” skills. Also, it’s boring.

12. Aids to Information Processing Cognitive Psychology • Orientation activities to engage learner • Advance organizers • Visual/verbal balance • Learner required to engage and make decisions • Learner analyzes, synthesizes, summarizes, describes, and/or solves

13. What can students do during multimedia instruction? • Indicate distinctive features of new concepts • Make pictorial and verbal notes • Show interrelationships among concepts • Relate what is learned to what they already know

14. Relate What Is Learned to What Is Already Known • Create a direct representation • Create a metaphor • Create an example and/or nonexample • Create a mneumonic

15. Dewey’s theory • Learning by making things (construction) • Learning by finding out (inquiry) • Learning by expressing • Learning by communicating

16. Constructivism Authentic, Situated Activity • Learner builds hypotheses, rules, explanations, definitions, categories, etc. • User control of pace, activity, product • User tests and refines ideas • Mistakes are O.K. • Interaction with an expert

17. Constructivist Values • How might they apply to mm projects? • collaboration • personal autonomy • reflectivity • active engagement • personal relevance • pluralism

18. Authentic Activity • project and problems based • multiple perspectives

19. Questions to ask yourself… • Is the learner required to evaluate, consider alternatives, and explain during the process? • Do learning activities center around the “problematic” or “puzzlement” as perceived by the learner? • Does instruction focus on the learner’s process as well as the product? • Is mentorship provided?

20. References • Cifuentes, L. (1997). Building interactivity into multimedia. Lecture given at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. USA. • Saettler, P. (1990). The evolution of American educational technology. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.