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Unit 2.2 Looking at learning (Arthur and Cremin , 2010) p, 41- 50. Objectives. At the end of this lecture, student will be able to : 1- understand the definition and characteristics of learning. 2- recognize and describe the main elements of the major theoretical approaches to learning .
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Unit 2.2Looking at learning(Arthur and Cremin, 2010)p, 41- 50
Objectives At the end of this lecture, student will be able to: 1- understand the definition and characteristics of learning. 2- recognize and describe the main elements of the major theoretical approaches to learning. 3- understand the implications of each of these approaches for classroom teaching
What is learning? What is your experience regarding learning? When do you say/feel that you have learned something?
Learning is so simple that we don’t question its presence, but: • Is learning something tangible, observable, or is it a hidden process happens behind scenes? • Are we able to achieve it on our own; or do we need others?
Definition of learning “Learning is an enduring change in behavior or the capacity to behave in a given fashion which result from practice or other forms of experience.” (Schunk, 2004)
Characteristics of learning Modification from the old behavior to the new one. Change in behavior over time. So it is not temporary behavior; it lasts for ever. * that is the kind of learning you want your students to have. Learning occurs through practice. Learning also occurs through observation.
Introduction Although there are many different approaches to learning. There are three basic schools of thought about learning theory: 1- Behaviorist 2- Constructivist (always referred to as ‘cognitivist’) 3- Social constructivism
Next, we will discuss each theory in terms of four main features: 1-Knowledge2-Learning3-Motivation4- Teaching
Behaviorism • Brief history: This theory was first introduced by Watson and Skinner. They argued that scientific theories should take into account only observable indicators such as stimulus-response sequences. • Knowledge: They viewed knowledge as behavioral responses to environmental stimuli.
Behaviorism • Learning: From a behaviorist perspective, the transmission of information from teacher to student is essentially the transmission of the response appropriate to a certain stimulus. Thus, the point of education is to present the learner with the appropriate repertoire of behavioral responses to specific stimuli and to reinforce those responses through an effective reinforcement schedule which requires consistent repetition. • Motivation: Behaviorists explain extrinsic motivation, reward and punishment (positive and negative reinforcers)
Behaviorism • Teaching: • Behaviorists teaching methods tend to rely on ‘skill-drill’ exercises to provide the consistent repetition necessary for the effective reinforcement. • Other methods include question (stimulus) and answer (response) sequence. • Their teaching methods typically rely on the use of positive reinforcement (such as verbal praise, good marks and prizes).
Constructivism • Brief history: This theory was first led by educational psychologists such as Jean Piaget. It paid more attention to what went on ‘inside the learner’s head’. They focused more on mental processes rather than observable behavior (cognition rather than action). • Knowledge: Constructivists argued that knowledge is actively constructed by learners and that any account of knowledge makes essential references to the cognitive structures within the learner’s mind.
Constructivism • Learning: Because knowledge is actively constructed, learning is defined as a process of active discovery. The role of the teacher is to facilitate discovery by providing the necessary resources and by guiding learners to assimilate new knowledge to old one. New learning is dependent on old knowledge. • Motivation: They see motivation as largely intrinsic (meaning that successful learning requires a major personal investment on the part of the learner).
Constructivism • Teaching: • Constructivists place much greater importance on strategies that help learners to actively assimilate and accommodate new materials. Examples: • Asking learners to explain new material in their existing vocabulary. • Providing pupils with sets of questions that can help them to accommodate the new material. (such as pre-reading questions)
Social Constructivism • Brief history: Social constructivism is a variety of constructivism that emphasizes the collaborative nature of much learning. This theory was developed by the Soviet psychologist, Lev Vygotsky. He argued that learning is the process by which learners were integrated into a knowledge community.
Social Constructivism • Knowledge: Vygotsky emphasized the role of language and culture in cognitive development. According to him, language and culture play essential roles both in human intellectual development and in how humans perceive the worlds.
Social Constructivism • Learning: For Vygotsky, learning is a collaborative process. He distinguished between two developmental levels: • The level of actual development: the level that the learner has already reached, and is the level at which the learner is capable of solving problems independently. • The level of potential development: is the level that the learner is capable of reaching under the guidance of teachers or in collaboration with peers.
Social Constructivism • Motivation: Social constructivists see motivation as both extrinsic and intrinsic. • Extrinsic: because learning is essentially a social phenomenon, learners are partially motivated by rewards provided by the knowledge community. • Intrinsic: because knowledge is actively constructed by the learner, learning also depends to a significant extent on the learner’s internal drive to understand.
Social Constructivism • Teaching: Teaching should ideally use collaborative learning methods. These require learners to develop teamwork skills and to see individual learning as essentially related to the success of group learning.
Now, you might ask yourself how the psychological theories are related to teaching and curriculum? More specific, how and why these theories are helpful for primary teacher to know about? All These thoughts and questions are good questions. How?
To answer your questions, let us read the following scenario taking from Soltis Book (Perspective on Learning)(1998) and try to understand and suggest answers to the questions stated in the scenario.
Imagine the following scenario Imagine the following scenario: Four of your friends want a favor from you. • One wants to learn to keep off junk food and seeks your advice and encouragements. • The second one is trying to learn Spanish vocabulary and ask you to act as a tutor. • The third wants your help in learning how to do public speech because you are good at it. • The forth one is stuck on Einstein’s Theory and asks you to explain it to her. Kindly, YOU agreed to help all of them HOW?(From Phillips, Soltis book (1998)
In group, discuss the problem each of your friend have. ( what kind of problem is it?)
The answer Because you are not only promoting learning, but you also ,as a teacher, is motivating students, catering for different learning style and abilities, deciding the content, and socializing your students to become good citizens for their country.
I will Leave you with this clip to think about and reflect on • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi6ioqGPVs0
Conclusion So far, we have discussed different learning theories in order to answer the question: how do human beings learn?. There is a move from behaviorist, stimulus-response theory, through constructivism (cognitivism), with its emphasis on mental processing and transmission, to social constructivism. It is important to know these theories in order to evaluate the usefulness of their application in teaching. Based on such evaluation, teachers can develop effective methods and strategies that best suit their students.
References • Learning to Teach in the Primary School. Arthur& Cremin,2010. 2nd edition. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group, London • Palincsar, A. and Brown, A. (1984) ‘Reciprocal teaching of comprehension- fostering and comprehension- monitoring activities’, Cognition and Instruction, 1(2): 117-75.
