Learning Theory Presentation

AET 500/Foundations of Adult LearningRoger John Cosgrove

April 25, 2016Dr. Deborah Hornsby

Five Orientations of Learning

Behaviorism

Humanism

Cognitivism

Constructivism

Social Cognitive

(Merriam & Bierema, 2014)

Operant Conditioning and Constructivism Theory

Operant Conditioning

TheoryConstructivism

Behaviorism Cognitivism

History of Behaviorism

Classical Conditioning Ivan Pavlov

Behaviorism John B. Watson

Connectivism Edward L. Thorndike

Contiguity Theory Edwin Guthrie

Operant Conditioning B. F. Skinner

(Shuell, 1993)

Memory StudyHermann Ebbinghaus

Operant Conditioning Theory

“Behavior is followed by a consequence, and the nature of the consequence modifies the organism’s tendency to repeat the behavior in the future.”

(Life Circles Incorporated, 2013)

Operant Conditioning in Adult Education

Adults need adult education to stay current and improve their situation in life.

Adults do respond to positive and negative stimulation or feedback in a school setting and work environment.

(McLeod, 2010)

Impact of Operant Conditioning in an Adult Education Environment

Constructivism Theory

Constructivism has been defined as learners constructing new ideas based on their current and prior knowledge.

(Haylock & Thangata, 2007).

History of Constructivism Theory

Jean PiagetCognitive Constructivism

John Dewey

Lev VygotskySocial Constructivism

Jerome BrunerConstructivism

Constructivism in Adult Education

(Deulen, 2013).

Impact of Constructivism in Adult Education

Conclusion

During the research portion of this presentation, I was struggling with the categorization of various learning theories I had read about and have discussed with my classmates online. It took a while, but I finally figured out that learning theories bleed into one another. They overlap because the science of the mind and how people learn is not an exact science.

One single theory does not provide all the answers to how people learn, but the theories together offer us insight so that we as educators can do the best possible job helping people learn in the manner most comfortable and appropriate for their needs.

ReferencesDeulen, A. A. (2013). Social Constructivism and Online Learning Environments: Toward A

Theological Model for Christian Educators. Christian Education Journal, 10(1), 90-98. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/134056014?accountid=458

Haylock, D., & Thangata, F. (2007). Key concepts in teaching primary mathematics. London, United Kingdom: SAGE UK.

Life Circles Incorporated. (2013). Theories of Learning in Educational Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.lifecircles-inc.com/Learningtheories/behaviorism/Skinner.html

McLeod, S. (2010). Behavioral Therapy. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/behavioral-therapy.html

Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L. L. (2014). Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Shuell, T. J. (1993). Toward an integrated theory of teaching and learning. Educational Psychologist, 28(4), 311. Retrieved from http://http://web.b.ebscohost.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ba690041-3932-4210-9e63-8e01dee56bf1%40sessionmgr106&vid=1&hid=125