Learning Theories

1. Learning Theories Behaviourism, cognitivism, social constructivism.

2. Constructivism Social Constructivism

3. Constructivism • Constructivism is a theory on how people learn • It holds that learning is an active, constructive process • Constructivism in education • the curriculum should be learner-centered rather than teacher-centered. • learners arrive in the educational setting with prior knowledge that they can use as a building block for acquiring new knowledge. • learners construct meaning and understanding based on prior knowledge. (http://design.test.olt.ubc.ca/Cognitive-Construction) • The learner is an information constructor. People actively construct or create theirown subjective representations of objective reality. New information is linked to to prior knowledge. • The learner is not a blank slate (tabula rasa) but brings past experiences and cultural factors to a situation. http://www.learning-theories.com/constructivism.html

4. Some of the guiding principles of constructivism in education • Learning is a search for meaning. Therefore, learning must start with the issues around which students are actively trying to construct meaning. • Meaning requires understanding wholes as well as parts. And parts must be understood in the context of wholes. Therefore, the learning process focuses on primary concepts, not isolated facts. • The purpose of learning is for an individual to construct his or her own meaning, not just memorize the “right” answers and regurgitate someone else’s meaning. http://www.funderstanding.com/content/constructivism Jacqueline and Martin Brooks, The Case for Constructivist Classrooms.

5. “Parts must be understood in the context of wholes.”

6. Originators and important contributors: • Originators and important contributors: • Vygotsky, Piaget, Dewey, Vico, Rorty, Bruner • Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky • (1896–1934) a Russian-Belarusian psychologist, developed a social constructivism view of learning (“zone of proximal development”). Work was largely unkown to the West until it was published in 1962. • Jean Piaget • (1896–1980) a Swiss psychologist and philosopher, well known for his pedagogical studies.

7. Vygotsky & social constructivism • Vygotsky believed that learning is a social process, hence his theory is referred to as “social constructivism” • Vygotsky’s social development theory is one of the foundations for constructivism. • He believed that language, particularly self-talk and inner speech, plays a major role in learning. • Major applications of Vygotsky's theory to education include: • Zone of Proximal Development • Scaffolding • Guided participation • Apprenticeship • Peer interaction http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html

8. Vygotsky’s focus • Vygotsky focused on the connections between people and the sociocultural context in which they act and interact in shared experiences (Crawford, 1996). • According to Vygotsky, humans use tools that develop from a culture, such as speech and writing, to mediate their social environments. Initially children develop these tools to serve solely as social functions, ways to communicate needs. • Vygotsky believed that the internalization of these tools led to higher thinking skills. http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html

9. Social Development Theory • Vygotsky’s social development theory asserts three major themes: • Social interaction plays a fundamental role in cognitive development. • Vygotsky felt social learning precedes development “Every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological).” (Vygotsky, 1978). • The More Knowledgeable Other (MKO). • The MKO refers to anyone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner, with respect to a particular task, process, or concept. The MKO is normally thought of as being a teacher, coach, or older adult, but the MKO could also be peers, a younger person, or even computers. • The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). • The ZPD is the distance between a student’s ability to perform a task under adult guidance and/or with peer collaboration and the student’s ability solving the problem independently. According to Vygotsky, learning occurred in this zone. http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html

10. Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) "What a child can do with assistance today, she will be able to do by herself tomorrow" (Vygotsky, p. 81, 1978).

11. Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) - definition • Within this definition, all three themes of Vygotsky’s writings are apparent. • There is a social aspect, consisting of someone with expertise providing guidance • The social connections in conjunction with various cultural mediators, like symbols or even technology, allow for... • internalization of these processes to be applied in the future by the learners themselves

12. Social Development in Education • Many schools have traditionally held a transmissionist or instructionist model in which a teacher or lecturer ‘transmits’ information to students. • In contrast, Vygotsky’s theory promotes learning contexts in which students play an active role in learning. • Roles of the teacher and student are therefore shifted, as a teacher should collaborate with his or her students in order to help facilitate meaning construction in students. Learning becomes a reciprocal experience for the students and teacher. • In a constructivist classroom the teacher must function not as the "knower of all things", but as a facilitator of learning. • Constructivism is a highly progressive model of education because it transfers control of learning from the teacher to the learner. • No longer an instructor, the term “coach” may be a better application in educational settings. • The learner constructs and validates his/her own set of knowledge with the prodding and instructions of his/her coach. Knowledge is negotiated and achieved through collaborative work (Mishra, 2002). http://design.test.olt.ubc.ca/Vygotsky%27s_Zone_of_Proximal_Development

13. Constructivist Learning Goals • Constructivist Learning Goals • Emphasizes learning in context through meaningful activities • Focus on high-level thinking activities to develop cognitive flexibility • Constructivists are interested in having learners identify and pursue their own learning goals • Problem solving, reasoning, critical thinking and reflection constitute the goals of constructivist instruction

14. Constructivist Assumptions about Learning • Constructivism is a view in which knowledge is believed to be constructed rather than acquired. It is not one theory but a multitude of approaches. • Only the active learner is a successful learner. Learning by doing enables learners to achieve deep levels of understanding. • Knowledge is constructed by learners as they attempt to make sense of their experiences. • Learners are actively seeking meaning because learning with understanding is desired, as opposed to rote learning. • Many constructivist theorists agree that there is a social component to learning, as learners test their own understandings against those of others, such as those of teachers or more advanced peers. Therefore, the social structure of a learning environment is important

15. Constructivist Conditions for Learning - conclusion • Process not products • Focus on the process of learning, rather than the products of learning. This can be accomplished by embedding learning in complex, realistic and relevant environments. • Minimal hand-holding • Simplifying tasks for learners will prevent them from learning how to solve the complex problems they will solve in real life by providing for social negotiation as an essential part of learning. • Academic / social development • Higher mental processes develop through social interaction. Students develop and defend individual perspectives while recognizing those of others and teachers support multiple perspectives and the use of multiple modes of representation. • Mulit-sensory experience • Viewing the same content through different sensory modes (such as visual, auditory, or tactile) enables different aspects of it to be seen and encourages ownership in learning. • Self-direction • Students are actively involved in determining what their own learning needs are and how those needs can be satisfied, rather than being passive recipients of instruction that has been designed for them. Teachers share in the learning process rather than controlling it.

16. Recap on Learning Theories Behaviourism, cognativism, social constructivism

17. Learning Theories Adapted from Siemens' (2006) response to Verhagen, “Connectivisim: Learning theory or pastime for the self-amused?” http://design.test.olt.ubc.ca/Situating_Connectivism based on Ertmer, P. & Newby, T. (1993) 'Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism:comparing critical features from an instructional designperspective',PerformanceImprovement Quarterly, 6(4): 50-72

18. Learning Theories • Behaviourism • stimulus-response • Cognativism • mind is an operating system • Social Constructivism • knowledge is constructed in a social context