Learning, Cognition and Technology Seminar
by Gabriel S Konayuma, Munyarari Ndoro, Jarome Reitz
Postgraduate Diploma in Education (ICTs in Education)Class
University of Cape Town
26 July 2011
1. Definition of Behaviourist Learning Theory
Behaviourism, also called the learning perspective (where any physical action is a behaviour), is a philosophy of psychology based on the proposition that all things that organisms do—including acting, thinking and feeling—can and should be regarded as behaviours (Skinner, 1984).
Behaviourism as applied to learners is the idea that the learner is an empty container to be filled with “the learning”. What the learner does after learning is called his “behaviour.” The behaviour can be shaped by putting various things into the container and observing what happens (Focal Works, 2011).
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. Both positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the probability that the antecedent behavior will happen again. In contrast, punishment (both positive 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 (Learning Theories, 2008).
Radical behaviorism, developed by Skinner, 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.
2. Leading Behavioural Theorists
Originators and important contributors: John B. Watson,
Ivan Pavlov- Did his study with dogs where he used a bell to indicate the presence of food therefore stimulate a behavior which is the dogs salivating in anticipation, B.F. Skinner, E. L. Thorndike (connectionism), Bandura, Tolman (moving toward conce of gnitivism)
3. Key principles of Behaviourial Learning Theory
(a) Learning is manifested by a change in behaviour.
• new knowledge leads to change in behaviour. Once someone learns something it changes how they perceive something.
(b) environment shapes behaviour.
• Example: In South Africa & Zimbabwe good academic performance is found among in schools that were once pre-dominantly white, (A schools) in Zimbabwe .
(c) contiguity (how close in time two events must be for a bond to be formed) as well as reinforcement are central to explaining the learning process.
• Repetition enforces the learning process. Sometimes this is done out of context since behaviourist believe that students can be taught best when the focus is directly on the content to be taught.
4. Behaviourial Learning Theory principles in relation to ICTs
(a) Learning is manifested by a change in behaviour.
• When using ICTs more of the senses of the human being are being used. This stimulates change in behaviour as it is a more effective learning process. Visual, audio and hand co-ordinations versus just audio although this is all still instructional learning.
(b) environment shapes behaviour.
In an environment with ICTs the users sees the learning process in a new light and thus this effects a change in their behaviour. This give the sense that the gap between the learning environment and the outside world is bridged by the ICTs
(c) contiguity (how close in time two events must be for a bond to be formed) as well as reinforcement are central to explaining the learning process.
With the use of ICTs reinforcement is easier as information is stored in its original form and can be easily made reference to at any time. New information is also made available that can support what is already there.
How behaviourist approach teaching
1. Breaking information and skills into small units
2. Providing regular feedback as well as encouragement
3. Teaching is direct
4. Direct or teacher centered instruction
The word: Behaviourism
The people: Ivan Pavlov, B F Skinner, and others
The good: Gives the instructor full control
Izzet Kara did an experiment with grade 7 students to find out which method of instruction between the Traditional Instruction (TI) and Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) lead to better understanding and retention. During the experiment the teacher remained in full control of the content that was to be learned which was the same for both groups. The two groups started with the same pretest and after the delivery of the content the groups were given a post test and after 5 months the groups were given another test. It was found out that the group were CAI was used performed better in both the post test and the last test which proved that the more aids you use in the instruction the better the retention of learning.
The bad: Thinks of learners as empty containers.
B. F. Skinner proposed a teaching machine but the problem is that it does not have human qualities. The machine instructs the different set of activities. If the student does not understand the sequence of instruction then there is no one to explain. By using a teaching machine this theory views the student as an empty container that is there to receive and be filled with knowledge.
Summary
This is the one that actually caused the problem—the problem that other learning theories try to rectify! While talking about behaviourism, the phrase “operant conditioning” comes up often. Stripped of the details, this scientific-sounding word means: “Reward someone for doing something good, and punish him for doing something bad. He will automatically do the correct activities after some time” (Focal Works, 2011).
As adults, what we remember about our schoolroom is close to this. The teacher teaches by filling the students with facts they should know. The exam tests how much they know. If the student “behaves” correctly by showing that he has learnt, then he is rewarded by being promoted. If he has behaved incorrectly, he/she is demoted. Teachers hope that in this way, the student will eventually behave perfectly, that is, that he will be filled with the correct knowledge (Focal Works, 2011).
There is no single theory of learning which supplies a total explanation of human learning. Some of the major agreements among educational psychologists which ICT education teachers need to bear in mind:
(1) Motivation is essential for learning
(2) Transfer of training is not automatic. Transfer of training is more likely to occur when experiences are meaningful in terms of goals of learners.
(3) Mere repetition or drill is not necessarily conducive to learning, but they are likely to be where drill or repetition is experienced because learners see that these activities are related to their goals.
(4) Learning is not merely a matter of chance, it is related to goals of learners toward their goals are more likely to be learned (J. D. Millet, 1962).
References
Focal Works (2011) Learning Theories 101: What they mean. Available from: http://focalworks.in/articles/learning-theories . Accessed: 25 July 2011.
Kara, I (2008) The Effect on Retention of Computer Assisted Instruction. Journal of Instructional Psychology in Science Education, 35(4):357-364.
Learning Theories (2008) Behaviorism. Available from: http://www.learning-theories.com/behaviorism.html. Accessed: 25 July 2011.
Millet, J. D. (1962) Learning Theories. Cited in Mathematics Education Reader, University of Zambia, 1989.
Skinner, B. F. (1958) Teaching Machines. Science, 128(3330):969-977.
Skinner, B.F. (1984) "The operational analysis of psychological terms". Behavioral and Brain Sciences 7 (4): 547–81. Available from: http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=9212556. Accessed: 25 July 2011.
Wikipedia (2011) Learning Theory (Education). Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_theory_(education). Accessed: 25 July 2011.
by Gabriel S Konayuma, Munyarari Ndoro, Jarome Reitz
Postgraduate Diploma in Education (ICTs in Education)Class
University of Cape Town
26 July 2011
1. Definition of Behaviourist Learning Theory
Behaviourism, also called the learning perspective (where any physical action is a behaviour), is a philosophy of psychology based on the proposition that all things that organisms do—including acting, thinking and feeling—can and should be regarded as behaviours (Skinner, 1984).
Behaviourism as applied to learners is the idea that the learner is an empty container to be filled with “the learning”. What the learner does after learning is called his “behaviour.” The behaviour can be shaped by putting various things into the container and observing what happens (Focal Works, 2011).
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. Both positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the probability that the antecedent behavior will happen again. In contrast, punishment (both positive 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 (Learning Theories, 2008).
Radical behaviorism, developed by Skinner, 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.
2. Leading Behavioural Theorists
Originators and important contributors: John B. Watson,
Ivan Pavlov- Did his study with dogs where he used a bell to indicate the presence of food therefore stimulate a behavior which is the dogs salivating in anticipation, B.F. Skinner, E. L. Thorndike (connectionism), Bandura, Tolman (moving toward conce of gnitivism)
3. Key principles of Behaviourial Learning Theory
(a) Learning is manifested by a change in behaviour.
• new knowledge leads to change in behaviour. Once someone learns something it changes how they perceive something.
(b) environment shapes behaviour.
• Example: In South Africa & Zimbabwe good academic performance is found among in schools that were once pre-dominantly white, (A schools) in Zimbabwe .
(c) contiguity (how close in time two events must be for a bond to be formed) as well as reinforcement are central to explaining the learning process.
• Repetition enforces the learning process. Sometimes this is done out of context since behaviourist believe that students can be taught best when the focus is directly on the content to be taught.
4. Behaviourial Learning Theory principles in relation to ICTs
(a) Learning is manifested by a change in behaviour.
• When using ICTs more of the senses of the human being are being used. This stimulates change in behaviour as it is a more effective learning process. Visual, audio and hand co-ordinations versus just audio although this is all still instructional learning.
(b) environment shapes behaviour.
In an environment with ICTs the users sees the learning process in a new light and thus this effects a change in their behaviour. This give the sense that the gap between the learning environment and the outside world is bridged by the ICTs
(c) contiguity (how close in time two events must be for a bond to be formed) as well as reinforcement are central to explaining the learning process.
With the use of ICTs reinforcement is easier as information is stored in its original form and can be easily made reference to at any time. New information is also made available that can support what is already there.
How behaviourist approach teaching
1. Breaking information and skills into small units
2. Providing regular feedback as well as encouragement
3. Teaching is direct
4. Direct or teacher centered instruction
The word: Behaviourism
The people: Ivan Pavlov, B F Skinner, and others
The good: Gives the instructor full control
Izzet Kara did an experiment with grade 7 students to find out which method of instruction between the Traditional Instruction (TI) and Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) lead to better understanding and retention. During the experiment the teacher remained in full control of the content that was to be learned which was the same for both groups. The two groups started with the same pretest and after the delivery of the content the groups were given a post test and after 5 months the groups were given another test. It was found out that the group were CAI was used performed better in both the post test and the last test which proved that the more aids you use in the instruction the better the retention of learning.
The bad: Thinks of learners as empty containers.
B. F. Skinner proposed a teaching machine but the problem is that it does not have human qualities. The machine instructs the different set of activities. If the student does not understand the sequence of instruction then there is no one to explain. By using a teaching machine this theory views the student as an empty container that is there to receive and be filled with knowledge.
Summary
This is the one that actually caused the problem—the problem that other learning theories try to rectify! While talking about behaviourism, the phrase “operant conditioning” comes up often. Stripped of the details, this scientific-sounding word means: “Reward someone for doing something good, and punish him for doing something bad. He will automatically do the correct activities after some time” (Focal Works, 2011).
As adults, what we remember about our schoolroom is close to this. The teacher teaches by filling the students with facts they should know. The exam tests how much they know. If the student “behaves” correctly by showing that he has learnt, then he is rewarded by being promoted. If he has behaved incorrectly, he/she is demoted. Teachers hope that in this way, the student will eventually behave perfectly, that is, that he will be filled with the correct knowledge (Focal Works, 2011).
There is no single theory of learning which supplies a total explanation of human learning. Some of the major agreements among educational psychologists which ICT education teachers need to bear in mind:
(1) Motivation is essential for learning
(2) Transfer of training is not automatic. Transfer of training is more likely to occur when experiences are meaningful in terms of goals of learners.
(3) Mere repetition or drill is not necessarily conducive to learning, but they are likely to be where drill or repetition is experienced because learners see that these activities are related to their goals.
(4) Learning is not merely a matter of chance, it is related to goals of learners toward their goals are more likely to be learned (J. D. Millet, 1962).
References
Focal Works (2011) Learning Theories 101: What they mean. Available from: http://focalworks.in/articles/learning-theories . Accessed: 25 July 2011.
Kara, I (2008) The Effect on Retention of Computer Assisted Instruction. Journal of Instructional Psychology in Science Education, 35(4):357-364.
Learning Theories (2008) Behaviorism. Available from: http://www.learning-theories.com/behaviorism.html. Accessed: 25 July 2011.
Millet, J. D. (1962) Learning Theories. Cited in Mathematics Education Reader, University of Zambia, 1989.
Skinner, B. F. (1958) Teaching Machines. Science, 128(3330):969-977.
Skinner, B.F. (1984) "The operational analysis of psychological terms". Behavioral and Brain Sciences 7 (4): 547–81. Available from: http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=9212556. Accessed: 25 July 2011.
Wikipedia (2011) Learning Theory (Education). Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_theory_(education). Accessed: 25 July 2011.
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