Human LearningAdham Jad

Learning Theory

• Conceptual frameworks describing how information is absorbed, processed and retained during learning.

• Learning theory describes how human learn.• Learning theories help us understand the inherently complex process

of learning

Learning Theory Categories

There are 3 main schools of learning theory:• Behaviorism• Cognitivism• Constructivism

Learning Theory Categories

Behaviorism• Operates on the principle of stimulus response• All behavior is caused by external stimuli (operant conditioning)• All behavior can be explained without the need to consider internal

mental state or consciousness• Learning is the acquisition of a new behavior through conditioning

and social learning.• Watson and Skinner• 3 types of conditioning; classical, operant and social conditioning

Learning Theory Categories

Cognitivism• A reaction to rejection of behaviorism• This paradigm argues that the “black box” of mind should be opened

and understood.• Learner is considered an information processor, like computer.• Theoretical framework for understanding the mind that gained

credence in the 1950s• Gestalt Psychology

Learning Theory Categories

Constructivism• Observation and scientific study about how people learn• Emphasizes the importance of the active involvement of learners in

constructing knowledge for themselves• Focuses building new ideas or concepts based upon current knowledge

and past experience• People construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world,

through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences.• Piaget and Bruner

Learning Styles

• Learning Styles group common ways that people learn• Individuals differ in how they learn

• Everyone has a mix of learning styles. Some people may find that they have a dominant style of learning, with far less use of the other styles. Others may find that they use different styles in different circumstances.

• Visual, aural, verbal, physical, logical, social, solitary

Learning Styles and Instructional Design• Learning styles are critical to understanding your audience. • While there are many factors that impact how a person learns, there

are basically three major categories of acquiring knowledge. These include auditory, visual, and kinesthetic.

• The instructional design shall conform with these learning styles in order to achieve maximum benefit.

• A safe place to navigate in designing a course is to find balance among the three styles for your audience.

Motivation

• A theoretical construct used to explain behavior. • Motivation is literally the desire to do things.• The difference between waking up before dawn to pound the

pavement and lazing around the house all day.• The scientific word used to represent the reasons for our actions, our

desires, and our needs

Motivation Model-ARCS

ARCS Model by John M. Keller• The ARCS Model of Motivational Design is a well-known and widely

applied model of instructional design.

• ARCS is a systematic model for designing motivating instruction.

Motivation Model-ARCS

• The ARCS Model identifies four essential strategy components for motivating instruction:

• Attention strategies for arousing and sustaining curiosity and interest;

• Relevance strategies that link to learners' needs, interests, and motives;

• Confidence strategies that help students develop a positive expectation for successful achievement; and

• Satisfaction strategies that provide extrinsic and intrinsic reinforcement for effort (Keller, 1983).

Use of ARCS in Instructional Design

• The ARCS Model of Motivational Design is an easy-to-apply, heuristic approach to increasing the motivational appeal of instruction.

• ARCS provides a useful framework for both the design and improvement of the motivational quality of a range of informational entities--from classroom instruction to Internet resources--and increases the likelihood that these entities will be used and enjoyed.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy

• Research has shown that the key is to produce materials that force students to synthesize and evaluate ideas, thus moving them higher on Bloom's Taxonomy.

• Relating this fact to current educational objectives, driven by student-centered learning, the most important outcome is the learner's ability to move up the "pyramid" and begin to achieve new knowledge and deeper levels of understanding.

Instructional Design and Bloom’s Taxonomy• Activities should be developed that are simply for building knowledge -

laying the foundation for learning. These steps can be completed in ANGEL with a simple fact-based quiz or uploading a PowerPoint walkthrough.

• The next building blocks, comprehension and application, can be achieved through a read-and-respond activity or a practice problem set, using a drop box or a more elaborate quiz.

• Analysis and synthesis activities can be created using the discussion forums, by giving the student a scenario in which he or she must post an answer and respond to someone else, or by having project teams look at submissions and summarize with a (SWOT) model.

Conclusion

• The three learning theories, behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism are widely used in Instructional Design curriculum.

• Learning theories define instructional components that can be used to define instructional prescriptions more precisely.

• The instructional design shall conform with learning styles in order to achieve maximum benefit.

• The ARCS Model of Motivational Design is an easy-to-apply, heuristic approach to increasing the motivational appeal of instruction

• Bloom's Taxonomy is a guide for selecting the skill level in which you want the learners to perform.

References

• http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/learning/id/bloom_taxonomy.jpg

• http://www.learning-theories.com/• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_theory_(education)