EDUCATIONAL
LEARNING
THEORIES
Created: Sandra Mendez
Presented to: Msc. Rolando Picado
UNIVERSIDAD MARTIN
LUTERO
Educational Learning Theories -S. Mendez
Content
The Five Educational Learning Theories ................................................................................. 2
1. Behaviorism ............................................................................................................................ 2
2. Cognitivism ............................................................................................................................. 4
3. Constructivism ....................................................................................................................... 6
4. Humanism ................................................................................................................................ 7
5. Connectivism .......................................................................................................................... 9
Bibliography .................................................................................................................................. 11
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Educational Learning Theories -S. Mendez
The Five Educational Learning Theories
There are 5 overarching paradigms of educational learning theories;
1. Behaviorism,
2. Cognitivism,
3. Constructivism,
4. Design/brain-based,
5. Humanism
6. 21st century skills.
1. Behaviorism is a view in which behavior can be explained by external factors
and behavioral conditioning can be used as a universal learning process. In
behaviorism, the ideas of positive and negative reinforcement are effective tools of
learning and behavior modification, as well as a punishment and reward system.
1. Concept:
Behaviorism is a worldview that operates on a principle of “stimulus-response.” All
behavior caused by external stimuli (operant conditioning). All behavior can be
explained without the need to consider internal mental states or consciousness.
2. Contributors
John B. Watson
Ivan Pavlov
B.F. Skinner
E. L. Thorndike
Albert Bandura
3. Key concepts
Behaviorism is a worldview that assumes a learner is essentially passive, responding
to environmental stimuli. The learner starts off as a clean slate (i.e. tabula rasa) and
behavior is shaped through positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement[2].
Both positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the probability that
the antecedent behavior will happen again. In contrast, punishment (both positive
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and negative) decreases the likelihood that the antecedent behavior will happen
again. Positive indicates the application of a stimulus; Negative indicates the
withholding of a stimulus. Learning is therefore defined as a change in behavior in
the learner. Lots of (early) behaviorist work was done with animals (e.g. Pavlov’s
dogs) and generalized to humans.
Behaviorism precedes the cognitivist worldview. It rejects structuralism and is an
extension of Logical Positivism.
4. Radical behaviorism
Developed by BF Skinner, Radical Behaviorism describes a particular school that
emerged during the reign of behaviorism. It is distinct from other schools of
behaviorism, with major differences in the acceptance of mediating structures, the
role of emotions, etc.
5. Example:
In order to encourage the use of good study strategies, students need to see the
direct consequence of using them. One way to do this is to give them practice using
their own strategies and then require them to study some small bit of material using
the new strategy you are teaching. The immediate and direct feedback that shows a
higher grade is a positive reinforcement.
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2. Cognitivism The cognitivist paradigm essentially argues that the “black box" of
the mind should be opened and understood. The learner is viewed as an information
processor (like a computer).
1. Concept: Mental function can be understood.
2. Contributor:
Marriner David Merill (1937 – )
Charles Reigeluth (1946 – )
Robert Mills Gagné (1916 – 2002)
Jerome Bruner (1915-2016)
Roger Schank (1946 – )
3. Key concepts: Cognitivism focuses on inner mental activities — opening the
“black box” of the human mind. It is necessary to determine how processes
such as thinking, memory, knowing, and problem-solving occur. People are
not “programmed animals” that merely respond to environmental stimuli;
people are rational beings whose action are a consequence of thinking.
Metaphor of mind as computer: information comes in, is being processed, and
leads to certain outcomes.
4. Example: activities that will make your student apply logic, creativity, and
close examination on the spot to produce an answer. Cognitive learning
essentially relies on five principles: remembering, understanding, applying,
evaluating, and creating.
Remembering: Creating a timeline of important events from memory, Make
a game of reciting poetry or important writings, Writing a paragraph or blurb
detailing what they remember from last class.
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Understanding: Defending a point of view, or debate, Creating a list of
examples, Classifying types of processes or events.
Applying: Have the students create an effective learning game themselves,
solve problems or answer questions listed on the board, Have students
demonstrate procedures in front of class.
Evaluating: Constructing a graph to illustrate certain information,
Having students develop a questionnaire to group or gather information at
hand, Creating a pros and cons list
Creating: Write an original poem, Perform or write a scenario demonstrating
themes or illustrating specific ideas, write a manual or guidebook
demonstrating important information.
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3. Constructivism is the idea that people are responsible in creating their own
understanding of the world and using what they know based on previous
experiences in the process of linking new information to these experiences. People
use these experiences and new information to construct their own meaning.
1. Concept: The learner is an information constructor.
2. Contributor:
Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky (1896 – 1943)
Jean Piaget (1896 – 1980)
John Dewey (1859 – 1952)
Jerome Seymour Bruner (1915 – 2016)
3. Key concepts: Constructivism states that learning is an active, contextualized
process of constructing knowledge rather than acquiring it. Knowledge is
constructed based on personal experiences and hypotheses of the
environment. Learners continuously test these hypotheses through social
negotiation. Each person has a different interpretation and construction of
knowledge process. The learner is not a blank slate (tabula rasa) but brings
past experiences and cultural factors to a situation.
4. Example: Having students working together and aiding to answer one
another's questions. Allowing students to work in groups or pairs and
research controversial topics which they must then present to the class.
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4. Humanism focuses on the individual as the subject and asserts that learning is
a natural process that helps a person reach self-actualization. Scenarios and role
modeling are important factors in humanistic learning, as are experiences, exploring
and observing others.
1. Concept: Humanism is a paradigm/philosophy/pedagogical approach that
believes learning is viewed as a personal act to fulfill one’s potential.
Emphasis on the freedom, dignity, and potential of humans. Learning is a
personal act to fulfill one’s potential.
2. Contributors
Abraham Maslow
Carl Rogers
Malcolm Knowles
3. Key concepts: Humanism, a paradigm that emerged in the 1960s, focuses on
the human freedom, dignity, and potential. A central assumption of
humanism, according to Huitt (2001), is that people act with intentionality and
values. This is in contrast to the behaviorist notion of operant conditioning
(which argues that all behavior is the result of the application of
consequences) and the cognitive psychologist belief that the discovering
knowledge or constructing meaning is central to learning. Humanists also
believe that it is necessary to study the person as a whole, especially as an
individual grows and develops over the lifespan. It follows that the study of
the self, motivation, and goals are areas of particular interest. In humanism,
learning is student centered and personalized, and the educator’s role is that
of a facilitator. Affective and cognitive needs are key, and the goal is to
develop self-actualized people in a cooperative, supportive environment.
4. Examples: In discovery education, the teacher introduces a concept and
gives the student freedom to discover her own path to learning more about
the concept. This strategy supports the concept of multiple intelligences and
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intellectual diversity. Abstract learners may seek books and computers to
research the concept. The interpersonal personality may seek out others to
question for information on the topic.
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5. Connectivism is a relatively new learning theory, developed and based upon
the idea that people process information by forming connections. This theory has
developed with the digital and technology age, adapting to advances in these
arenas. This new theory suggests that people no longer stop learning after formal
education and continue to gain knowledge from other avenues such as job skills,
networking, experience and access to information with new tools in technology.
1. Concept: Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are
based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being
acquired. The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant
information is vital. The ability to recognize when new information alters the
landscape based on decisions made yesterday is also critical
2. Principles of connectivism:
Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information
sources.
Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known
Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual
learning.
Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core
skill.
Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist
learning activities.
Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and
the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting
reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due
to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.
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3. Examples: Blogs are a powerful tool in the world of eLearning. You can use
them to keep your online learners updated on important events, or even
embed a calendar that reminds them of upcoming due dates and eLearning
assessments. Try to post at least once a week to get your online learners
thinking about a specific topic and offer supplemental online learning
resources they can use to expand their understanding.
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Bibliography
https://www.educationdegree.com/articles/educational-learning-theories/.
https://es.slideshare.net/Kholekha/cognitive-learning-theory-5953309
https://explorable.com/cognitive-learning-theory
https://www.learning-theories.com/
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