Learning theory describes how students receive, process, and retain knowledge during learning. Cognitive, emotional, and environmental influences, as well as prior experience, all play a part in how understanding, or a world view, is acquired or changed and knowledge and skills retained.
What is a learning theory?
What is Learning Theory? In short, learning theories are abstract frameworks that describe how knowledge is received and processed during the learning experience. Learning theory informs the application of instructional design through models.
What is the learning theory approach?
Learning theory describes how students receive, process, and retain knowledge during learning.Cognitive, emotional, and environmental influences, as well as prior experience, all play a part in how understanding, or a world view, is acquired or changed and knowledge and skills retained.
What are learning theories definition?
Definition: Learning Theories. In psychology and education, learning theories are attempts to describe how people and animals learn, thereby helping us understand the inherently complex process of learning. There are three main categories (philosophical frameworks) under which learning theories fall: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism.
What is learning theory perspective?
The theory is that learning begins when a cue or stimulus from the environment is presented and the learner reacts to the stimulus with some type of response. Consequences that reinforce the desired behavior are arranged to follow the desired behavior (e.g. study for a test and get a good grade).
What is meaning of learning theory?
Learning theory describes how students receive, process, and retain knowledge during learning. Cognitive, emotional, and environmental influences, as well as prior experience, all play a part in how understanding, or a world view, is acquired or changed and knowledge and skills retained.
What is learning theory and why is it important?
These theories explain the processes that people engage in as they make sense of information, and how they integrate that information into their mental models so that it becomes new knowledge. Learning theories also examine what motivates people to learn, and what circumstances enable or hinder learning.
What is an example of learning theory?
Social learning theory examples in everyday life are common, with one of the most evident being the behaviors of children, as they imitate family members, friends, famous figures and even television characters. If a child perceives there is a meaningful reward for such behavior, they will perform it at some point.
What are learning theories in education?
There are five primary educational learning theories: behaviorism, cognitive, constructivism, humanism, and connectivism. Additional learning theories include transformative, social, and experiential.
Which is the best learning theory?
1. Behaviorist Learning Theory. Behaviorism is one of the classic learning theories; it predates cognitivism and most of the other theories we'll explore in this post. Behaviorism suggests that the learner is a 'blank slate' and that all human behavior can be caused or explained by external stimuli.
How do you apply learning theories in the classroom?
Make Learning Meaningful and RelevantAsk meaningful questions that focus on the deeper meaning instead of the minor details.Give students opportunities to collaborate and learn from each other.Create meaningful activities that give students the opportunity to apply new knowledge.More items...
What are the 4 learning theories?
4 Theories of learning are Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning, Cognitive Theory, and Social Learning Theory. Learning is the individual growth of the person as a result of cooperative interaction with others.
What are the 5 educational learning theories?
There are 5 overarching paradigms of educational learning theories; behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, design/brain-based, humanism and 21st Century skills.
What are the three learning theories?
Although there are many different approaches to learning, there are three basic types of learning theory: behaviorist, cognitive constructivist, and social constructivist. This section provides a brief introduction to each type of learning theory.
Why is it important for teachers to understand learning theories?
An understanding of learning theories helps teachers connect to all different kinds of students. Teachers can focus on different learning styles to reach different students, creating teaching that focuses directly on student needs and aptitudes.
What is learning theory PDF?
Learning theories are those that combine conceptual models at the assertion level principles for systematic knowledge of the learning activity through a series of scientific statements functional value informative, explanatory, predictive, summary, normative, in different variations of specific authors or schools.
How do people learn introduction to learning theories?
People learn by making sense of the environment and of stimuli around them. Greater perceptual development and learning occur in environments that are rich with stimuli and provide useful feedback in response to a learner's efforts to act upon the environment.
What are the 4 learning theories?
4 Theories of learning are Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning, Cognitive Theory, and Social Learning Theory. Learning is the individual growth of the person as a result of cooperative interaction with others.
What are the importance of practice and theory in teaching and learning?
The connection between practice and theory is important as it demonstrates your ability to use evidence to increase your understanding of key concepts, justify your decision making, and inform future practice.
What are the three major theories of learning?
Although there are many different approaches to learning, there are three basic types of learning theory: behaviorist, cognitive constructivist, and social constructivist. This section provides a brief introduction to each type of learning theory.
What is learning theory?
Introduction. Learning theories describe the conditions and processes through which learning occurs, providing teachers with models to develop instruction sessions that lead to better learning. These theories explain the processes that people engage in as they make sense of information, and how they integrate that information into their mental ...
How do learning theories help us?
With a basic understanding of learning theories, we can create lessons that enhance the learning process. This understanding helps us explain our instructional choices, or the “why” behind what and how we teach. As certain learning theories resonate with us and we consciously construct lessons based on those theories, we begin to develop a personal philosophy of teaching that will guide our instructional design going forward. This chapter provides a bridge from theory to practice by providing specific examples of how the theories can be applied in the library classroom. These theories provide a foundation to guide the instructional design and reflective practices presented in the rest of this textbook.
What is behaviorism based on?
Behaviorism is based largely on the work of John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner. Behaviorists were concerned with establishing psychology as a science and focused their studies on behaviors that could be empirically observed, such as actions that could be measured and tested, rather than on internal states such as emotions (McLeod, 2015). According to behaviorists, learning is dependent on a person’s interactions with their external environment. As people experience consequences from their interactions with the environment, they modify their behaviors in reaction to those consequences. For instance, if a person hurts their hand when touching a hot stove, they will learn not to touch the stove again, and if they are praised for studying for a test, they will be likely to study in the future
What is teacher centered approach?
In this teacher-centered approach, instructors hold the knowledge, decide what will be learned, and establish the rewards for learning. Since their experience and prior knowledge are not considered relevant, learners are passive participants simply expected to absorb the knowledge transmitted by the teacher.
How does conditioning shape behavior?
Skinner (1938) examined how conditioning could shape behavior in longer-term and more complex ways by introducing the concept of reinforcement. According to Skinner, when people receive positive reinforcement, such as praise and rewards for certain behaviors, those behaviors are strengthened, while negative reinforcement will deter behaviors. According to Skinner, by carefully controlling the environment and establishing a system of reinforcements, teachers, parents, and others can encourage and develop desired behaviors (Jensen, 2018). A simple example of behaviorism in the classroom is a point system in which students are awarded points for good behavior and deducted points for unwanted behavior. Eventually, accumulated points might be traded in for rewards like small gifts or homework passes. This approach assumes that motivation is external, in that students will engage in certain behaviors in order to gain the rewards.
Why do humanists believe that learning should be self directed?
We can also explain how the skills students learn are relevant to their lives in and outside of the classroom. Because humanists see people as autonomous beings, they believe that learning should be self-directed, meaning students should have some choice in what and how they learn.
Do school librarians have to meet curriculum standards?
Librarians often face similar constraints. School librarians also must meet state and district curriculum standards . Academic librarians generally depend on faculty invitations to conduct instruction and need to adapt their sessions to fit the content, time frame, and learning objectives of the faculty member.
What are learning theories?
Let’s start with a quick learning theories definition. Learning theories are different sets of principles that explain how individual brains process learning.
Who developed the theory of learning?
It was established by researchers and educators George Siemens and Stephen Downes.
What are the principles of connectivism?
This theory aims to be more relevant to our modern society than some of the older theories. It was established by researchers and educators George Siemens and Stephen Downes. As Florida International University explains, they identified eight principles of connectivism : 1 Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions. 2 Learning is a process of connecting. 3 Learning may reside in non-human appliances. 4 Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known. 5 Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed for continual learning. 6 Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill. 7 Accurate, up-to-date knowledge is the aim of all connectivist learning. 8 Decision-making is a learning process.
What is cognitivism in action?
When we reorganize that information, find new explanations, or tailor old explanations, that’s stored in our memory and influences future learning (and ultimately, behavioral change). Problem-solving is a great example of cognitivism in action.
What is cognitive theory?
Cognitivism. Also called: Cognitive learning theory. The cognitive learning theory focuses on thought or cognition. It’s based on the ideas of psychologist Jean Piaget — particularly what he called schemas, which are ways we organize information and knowledge.
Why is mentoring important in learning theory?
Mentorship can also be a valuable piece of this learning theory, as it gives employees the opportunity to learn from others who are more established in their careers.
How to apply learning theory to work?
One of the most straightforward ways to apply this learning theory in your workplace is to motivate your employees with incentives — such as bonuses, gift cards, flexible work schedules, time off, and more.
Who are the authors of the theory of learning?
In this theory, individuals are an active entity in their learning process. The primary authors of this theory are Jean Piaget, David Ausubel, and Jerome Brunner. 3.
What is behavioral learning theory?
Behaviorism states all stimuli are followed by a response based on the environment in which the individual is. Learning can be explained from observable events related to the behavior and the context in which learning occurs .
What is the educational field?
The educational field has been the subject of study for many theorists over the years. Consequently, many educational theories have emerged from these investigations since the early twentieth century. These theories address issues related to the definition of learning, the existing types, influence factors, and even learning styles.
What is information processing theory?
This theory postulates individuals are information processors. They do not necessarily have to interact with the real environment, but their interaction is with a subjective representation made of them. According to this theory, learning is obtained through cognitive processes.
What is meaningful learning?
Meaningful learning is based on obtaining quality learning and understanding of concepts, contrary to memory or rote learning, which is based on memorizing concepts without the need to understand them. 5. Theory of discovery learning. The theory of learning by discovery was developed by the American psychologist Jerome Bruner.
What is learning in psychology?
Learning is a continuous and natural process to which the human being is exposed every day of his/her life. This concept is defined by the lasting acquisition of knowledge, behaviors, skills, or abilities through practice, study, or experience.
Which theory of learning indicates that learning is not obtained passively but actively?
Constructivist theory. Constructivism indicates learning is not obtained passively but actively. As a consequence, knowledge is a construction of the human being as a product of its relationship with the environment, its own capabilities, and previous schemes.
What are learning theories?
Theories in education didn’t begin in earnest until the early 20th century, but curiosity about how humans learn dates back to the ancient Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. They explored whether knowledge and truth could be found within oneself (rationalism) or through external observation (empiricism).
Why are learning theories important?
Understanding how people learn is a critical step in optimizing the learning process.
How do educational theories influence learning?
Educational theories influence learning in a variety of ways. For teachers, learning theory examples can impact their approach to instruction and classroom management. Finding the right approach (even if it’s combining two or more learning theories) can make the difference between an effective and inspiring classroom experience and an ineffective one.
What is transformative learning theory?
Transformative learning theory: This theory is particularly relevant to adult learners. It posits that new information can essentially change our worldviews when our life experience and knowledge are paired with critical reflection.
How does understanding learning theories help students?
Understanding learning theories can result in a variety of outcomes, from improving communication between students and teachers to determining what students learn.
What is social learning theory?
Social learning theory: This theory incorporates some of the tacit tenets of peer pressure. Specifically, students observe other students and model their own behavior accordingly. Sometimes it’s to emulate peers; other times it’s to distinguish themselves from peers. Harnessing the power of this theory involves getting students’ attention, focusing on how students can retain information, identifying when it’s appropriate to reproduce a previous behavior, and determining students’ motivation.
What was the goal of psychologists in the 19th century?
The goal was to understand objectively how people learn and then develop teaching approaches accordingly.
Who developed the learning theory?
This learning theory was founded by Albert Bandura. He conducted an experiment called the Bobo doll experiment in the early ’60s, during which he studied children’s behavior after they watched an adult act aggressively with a doll-like toy. He noted how the children reacted when the adult got rewarded, punished, or suffered no consequences after they attacked the doll. Bandura wrote about his findings in 1977, detailing social learning theory and how it affected the behavioral development of students.
What is cognitive learning theory?
Mental processes are an important part in understanding how we learn. The cognitive theory understands that learners can be influenced by both internal and external elements.
What are Additional Learning Theories?
While these five learning theories are the main educational learning theories for teachers who want to support their students’ learning, there are additional theories they may want to understand. Some may work as good supplemental theories for teachers to bolster their educational support with a new approach.
What is connectivism in education?
Connectivism is one of the newest educational learning theories. It focuses on the idea that people learn and grow when they form connections. This can be connections with each other or connections with their roles and obligations in their lives. Hobbies, goals, and people can all be connections that influence learning.
How does cognitive learning affect students?
Cognitive learning theory impacts students because their understanding of their thought process can help them learn.
What are the elements of social learning?
There are four elements to social learning theory: 1 Attention, which calls upon different or unique lessons or activities to help children focus. 2 Retention, focusing on how the student will internalize information and recall it later on. 3 Reproduction, drawing on previously learned behavior and when it’s appropriate to use it. 4 Motivation, which can extend from seeing other classmates being rewarded or punished for their actions.
Why is teacher education important?
Current and aspiring teachers need to be educated to be prepared for teaching students every day, and an important part of teacher education is understanding different ways of learning. There are many solidified learning theories that teachers can learn from as they prepare to help students in the classroom. Teachers who understand learning theories can use different techniques in their classrooms to cater to different kinds of learning. This can help all students find success in learning.
What is adult learning theory?
Adult learning theory is rooted in andragogy, the practice of teaching adults, as opposed to pedagogy, the practice of teaching children.
Why is adult learning theory important?
Gouthro explains in her article on adult learning theories, “Theory can provide an important grounding for educators and students in their academic writing, scholarly research and in their applied practice.”
What are adult learning principles?
These principles are largely informed by the theory of andragogy and can help a school, training program, or other types of educational organization solidify and execute its educational mission.
How many principles are there in adult education?
When you get down to it, there are seven main principles of teaching adults. Learning how these core adult learning principles work can improve your own education, boost your organization’s performance and training, and bolster your ability to educate others.
What are the principles of adult learning?
The seven principles of adult learning include self-direction, transformation, experience, mentorship, mental orientation, motivation, and readiness to learn.
Who developed the adult learning theory?
Adult learning theories trace their roots back to Malcolm Knowles, an adult educator who developed the concept of andragogy. Andragogy is the “art and science of teaching adults.” This is intentionally different from pedagogy, which is the practice of teaching children.
Does University of Phoenix use adult learning theories?
Considering University of Phoenix’s commitment to student success, it’s no surprise adult learning theories play a pivotal role in course design and instruction. In fact, according to Savron, the university takes a 360-degree approach to leverage adult learning theories for student success. “When we design programs and curriculum, this is at the forefront of our approaches,” she explains. That means the process looks like this:
Introduction
- Learning theories describe the conditions and processes through which learning occurs, providing teachers with models to develop instruction sessions that lead to better learning. These theories explain the processes that people engage in as they make sense of information, and how they integrate that information into their mental models so that it ...
General Learning Theories
- With a basic understanding of learning theories, we can create lessons that enhance the learning process. This understanding helps us explain our instructional choices, or the “why” behind what and how we teach. As certain learning theories resonate with us and we consciously construct lessons based on those theories, we begin to develop a personal philosophy of teaching that wil…
Developmental Stages
- The learning theories outlined above discuss various cognitive processes involved in learning, as well as some of the motivators and conditions that facilitate learning. While these theories attempt to describe how people learn, it is important to note that individuals are not born ready to engage in all of these processes at once, nor do they necessarily all engage in the same process…
Andragogy
- Most of the educational theories and frameworks outlined in this chapter were developed with a focus on children and young adults. While many of the principles can apply to an adult audience, they do not necessarily account for the specific issues, challenges, and motivations of adult learners. Yet, many information professionals will work mostly or even exclusively with adults. A…
Motivation
- In addition to how people learn, we should also know something about whypeople learn. What motivates a student to put the time and effort into learning a skill or topic, and what can we do to cultivate that motivation? Svinicki (2004) offers an intriguing model that amalgamates some of the prevailing theories of motivation in learning. She suggests that motivation is a factor of the p…
Growth Mindset
- Dweck’s (2016) mindset theory has gained much attention in the field of education over the last few decades and has some implications for student motivation. Although this theory is somewhat different in its conceptualizations than those described in the rest of this chapter, it is included here both because of its popularity and because it provides interesting insight into how instructo…
Conclusion
- Learning theories are meant to help instructors understand the processes and circumstances that enable learning and, by extension, offer guidance in developing activities and environments that best support learning. But what to make of the fact that there are so many different theories and that some contradict each other? The truth is that the human brain and its cognitive processes a…
Suggested Readings
- Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L. III, & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make it stick: The science of successful learning.Belknap Press. Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel present an engaging and accessible overview of current research in cognitive psychology. In addition to the science, the authors offer clear examples of how recommended recall and retrieval practices can be integrated into teachi…
References
- Bartle, S. M. (2019). Andragogy. In Salem press encyclopedia. EBSCO. Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L. III, & McDaniel, M.A. (2014). Make it stick: The science of successful learning. Belknap Press. Clark, K. R. (2018). Learning theories: Cognitivism. Radiologic Technology, 90(2), 176-179. Clouse, B. (2019). Jean Piaget. In Salem press biographical encyclopedia. EBSCO. Codington-Lacerte, C…