The 5 Learning Theories | That Every Person Should Know
The five learning theories today I will talk about the five learning theories how they work and how they differ from each other no two students are alike and the way every person learns will vary our brains are all unique and our experiences all contribute to the different ways.
we learn so let’s see what these five theories are to explain them better I’ll use some simple and practical examples that are always the best way to explain complex concepts theory clearly.
Behaviorism:
Behaviorist learning theory Behaviorism or behaviorism utilizes key ideas from the work of Burus Frederick Skinner an American psychologist who theorized that learning occurs through a series of rewards or punishments Skinner believed that all learning could occur this way the behaviorist theory is most commonly utilized in classrooms today as a tool for behavior management.
According to Skinner, rewards increase the likelihood that behaviors will be repeated while punishments decrease the likelihood of repetition he also theorized that rewards and punishments could be either positive or negative what does this mean when we give or add something to the environment the interaction is positive when we take something away the interaction is negative so for. For example, removing an undesirable activity fromthe agendamight be a negative reward and adding anundesirable activity to itmight be a positive punishment let’s seesome examples to better understand theseconcepts.
first example; Miss Green’s first-grade classroom she’s working with one of her students Jenny to help her with some challenging attention span issues she’s giving her candy whenever she sees her focused on a task this is an example of a positive reward.
The second example; is in Mr. Red’s third-grade classroom he quietly reminds a student to keep all four legs of his chair on the floor, this is an example of positive punishment yes verbal praise and reminders qualify.
Cognitivism:
Theory number two cognitivism cognitive learning theory is largely Cognitivism based on the work of Jean Piaget who rejected the idea that learners are passive and simply react to stimuli in the environment instead of focusing solely on observable behavior.
Cognitive theory seeks to explain how the mind works during the learning process like a computer, the mind takes in information processes that information then uses that information to produce learning outcomes Piaget’s four stages of development indicate the learner’s ability to understand abstract complex concepts a few simple examples
The first example is Miss Smith a kindergarten teacher who works with students to verbally communicate their feelings she knows that at this age they’re naturally egocentric and struggle to see things from others.
In the second example to help students memorize the periodic table Miss Williams co-creates various mnemonic devices with her class.
Third example Miss Jones uses a graphic organizer to help students write paragraphs with appropriate structure.
Fourth example at the start of every lesson Mr Davis asks questions to activate the prior knowledge of his students he knows this will help to link the new learning concepts to previously retained ideas increasing the likelihood that the new learning will be remembered perspectives.
Constructivism:
Theory number three constructivism constructivists see the learner as a constructivist constructor of knowledge new learning is shaped by schemas that the learner brings to the learning process Lev Vygotsky is an important founder of constructivist learning theory.
Vygotsky believed that learning is a collaborative process and that social interaction is fundamental for cognitive development according to Vygotsky students learn best when working collaboratively with those whose proficiency level is higher than their own allowing them to complete tasks they are not yet able to do independently.
Vygotsky identified these concepts as the more knowledgeable others and the zone of proximal development constructivist classrooms are student-centered with the teacher acting as the facilitator as usual let’s see some examples:
In the first example, Miss Rodriguez intentionally pairs students performingon or abovegrade level with students performingbelow grade levelinviting them to turn and talk abouttheir learning throughout a lesson.
In the second example, Miss Wilson uses collaborative learning to facilitate engagement with specific learning targets ensuring heterogeneous student groupings.
In the third example, Mr. Brown uses problem-based learning to engage his students in solving real-world problems meeting several learning targets while giving students autonomy to make decisions he encourages students to work with peers who have different strengths than their own.
Humanism:
Theory Number Four Humanism Humanist. Humanism learning theory approaches learning as a way to fulfill an individual’s potential rather than meeting specific learning targets Maslow’s research on the hierarchy of needs is a major concept within this theory as it focuses on the whole person.
Specifically, the cognitive and affective needs of the learner the theory holds that self-actualization is the ultimate goal of each individual. earners are trusted to determine their own goals set standards and evaluate their work.
Thus students are at the center of the humanist classroom teachers are facilitators and coaches recognizing the unique needs of each student and supporting their academic and social development.
let’s see some examples first scenario: Miss Anderson begins each day with a morning meeting to check in on her students’ emotional well-being and proactively teach them specific coping skills and strategies.
Second scenario: MR Thomas an 8th-grade science teacher provides his students a menu of assessment options to illustrate their mastery of learning targets for the unit.
Connectivism:
Theory number five Connectivism. Connectivism is one of the newest educational learning theories it focuses on Connectivism on the idea that people learn and grow when they form connections these can be connections with each other or connections with their roles and obligations in their life hobbies and goals and people can all be connections that influence learning teachers can utilize Connectivism in their classroom to help students make connections to things that excite them.
To help them learn teachers can use digital media to make good positive connections to learning they can help create connections and relationships with their students and with their peer groups that help students feel motivated about learning as you can see today’s classrooms do not solely utilize one learning theory over another.
Instead, incorporate multiple theories throughout the learning experience each theory has strengths and limitations, especially considering the realities of education in the 21st century educators must walk the narrow line between creating a student-centered classroom and meeting rigorous learning standards each of these theories has its strengths.