Social Cognitive and Constructivist Views of Learning

1. Social Cognitive and Constructivist Views of Learning • What do University Heights, Iowa and Dickeyville, Wisconsin have in common? • Social Leaning Theory: theory that emphasizes learning through observation of others. • Albert Bandura believed the traditional behavioral views were accurate, but incomplete (lacks the social influence on learning). • What is a “normal”, a “jock”, a “brain”, a “partyer” and a “druggie” according to your textbook?

2. How does parenting style influence teen behavior? • Indulgent parents tend to point children toward “fun-cultures” (partyers and druggies) • Authoritative parents (democratic; demanding, but responsive; rational) point children toward peer pressure to do well in school and away from peer pressure to do drugs or drink. • Uninvolved parents tended to have children who gravitated toward partyers and druggies.

3. What role can teachers play in supporting school achievement? • Perceived support from teachers is related to positive motivation for learning and adjustment in school for students (Wentzel & Battle, 2001). • Being liked by teachers can offset the negative effects of peer rejection in middle school. • Students ignored by peers can remain well-adjusted academically and socially when they are liked and supported by teachers.

4. Bobo Doll Study • What were the results of Bandura’s Bobo doll studies? • Children watched a model kicking and punching an inflatable Bobo doll. One group saw the model rewarded, one group saw the model punished, and one group saw no consequences. • All learned what they witnessed (if promised a reward all imitated the model), but the reward group was the most aggressive with the doll in subsequent play.

5. Observational Learning • Acquisition and later performance of behaviors demonstrated by others. • What is necessary for observational learning to occur? • Attention: extent to which we focus on others’ behavior. • Retention: our ability to retain a representation of others’ behavior in memory. • Production Processes: our ability to actually perform the actions we observe. • Motivation and Reinforcement: our need for the actions we observe; their usefulness to us.

6. Factors That Effect Observational Learning • 1. Developmental Status: attention spans increase, improved capacity to process information, ability to adopt intrinsic motivators. • 2. Model Prestige and Competence: observers pay more attention to high-status, competent models.

7. 3. Vicarious Consequences: valued consequences motivate observers; consequences to models convey information about appropriateness and likely outcomes of actions. • 4. Outcome Expectations: observers more likely to perform modeled actions if they will experience rewarding outcomes.

8. 5. Goal Setting: observers are likely to attend to models who demonstrate behaviors that help observers obtain goals. • 6. Self-Efficacy: observers attend to models they believe they can imitate. Observation of similar models affects self-efficacy (“If they can do it, I can too.”).

9. Vicarious Reinforcement • Not all reinforcement needs to be direct. Vicarious Reinforcement increases the chances that we will repeat a behavior by observing another person being reinforced for that behavior. • Punishment can also be vicarious (Toccet avoiding our car after Duffy was hit). • Can you think of any situations in which you witnessed vicarious reinforcement?

10. Ripple Effect: Contagious spreading of behaviors through imitation. Can be good or bad. • Modeling: changes in behavior thinking, or emotions that occur through observing another person- a model.

11. Model behaviors and attitudes you want your students to learn (try not to overdo it…The Little Boy). • Show enthusiasm for the subject you teach. • Be willing to demonstrate both the mental and physical tasks you expect the students to perform. • Model good problem solving. • Use peers as models (especially class leaders?). • Make sure students see that positive behaviors lead to reinforcement for others.

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13. The Constructivist Approach: View that emphasizes the active role of the learner in building understanding and making sense of information. • 1. Learning involves pursuing meaningful goals. • 2. Learners link new material with existing and future-oriented material. • 3. Higher-order thinking facilitates creative and critical thinking. • 4. Teaching should support child’s natural curiosity.

14. Basic Characteristics • 1. Goals are negotiated by teachers and students. • 2. Content is selected by teacher and students collaborating together. • 3. Emphasis on understanding, not coverage. • 4. Assessment is authentic and involves students.

15. First Wave Constructivism: a focus on the individual and psychological sources of knowing, as in Piaget’s theory. • Second Wave Constructivism: a focus on the social and cultural sources of knowing, as in Vygotsky’s theory.

16. Example: Inquiry Learning • 1. Teacher presents a puzzling event or problem. • 2. Students formulate hypotheses to explain the event or problem. • 3. Students collect data to test the hypotheses and draw conclusions based on their data. • 4. Students reflect on the original event/problem and on the thinking skills used in explaining/solving it.

17. Problem-Based Learning • Methods that provide students with realistic problems that do not necessarily have “right” answers. • Example: Anchored Instruction (a type of problem-based learning that uses a complex interesting situation as an anchor for learning.

18. Instructional Conversations: Situation in which students learn through interactions with teachers and/or other students. • Allows teacher to help students with problems within their zone of proximal development and to provide scaffolding when necessary.

19. How does situated learning differ from transfer? • Situated Learning: the idea that skills and knowledge are tied to the situation in which they were learned and difficult to apply in new settings. • Transfer: influence of previously learned material on new material.

20. Describe several features that most cognitive apprenticeship approaches share. • Cognitive Apprenticeship: a relationship in which a less experienced learner acquires knowledge and skills under the guidance of an expert. • Students watch the model • Receive tutoring or coaching • Receive scaffolding • Articulate their knowledge • Reflect on progress • Explore new ways to apply what they have learned

21. What is meant by thinking as enculturation and how does this relate to Vygotsky? • Enculturation is a broad and complex process of acquiring knowledge and understanding consistent with Vygotsky’s theory of mediated learning. The cultural of the classroom can teach us lessons about thinking by giving us models of good thinking; providing direct instruction in thinking processes; and encouraging practice of those thinking processes through interactions with others.

22. Questions for you to consider… • What is reciprocal determinism? • Describe three types of constructivism. • What are some common elements in most constructivist views of learning? • How does situated learning differ from transfer (discussed in Chapter 8)? • Distinguish between inquiry and problem-based learning. • Describe several features that most cognitive apprenticeship approaches share.

23. What are instructional conversations and how do they differ from a lecture? • What is meant by thinking as enculturation and how does this relate to Vygotsky? • If you were going to teach any of these concepts from Chapter 9 to your classmates, how would you go about doing it? Be creative.