Watch and Learn

Watch and Learn

June 12, 2021

Last week I spent time exploring what an expert is, and how the key principles of experts’ knowledge connect to the classroom. I created a professional development presentation, which included a short Peppa Pig clip of Daddy Pig claiming to be an expert. This week, strangely, I am still thinking about Peppa Pig. This time, however, it relates to observational learning. Observational learning is when people learn by watching others. When my son was three-years-old he loved Peppa Pig. After a few weeks of watching the show, he began to imitate the dialogue. He would call popsicles,“ice lollies,” shopping carts, “shopping trollies,” bathing suits, "swimming costumes,” and training wheels, “stabilizers.” My son was repeating what he observed.

Social cognitive psychologist, Albert Bandura, proposed that observing others and modeling act as primary roles in the learning process, as well as, acquiring new knowledge and skills (Cherry, 2019). As an educator, these ideas are extremely important to my craft. I have been most familiar with learning theories that explore how reinforcement and experience can lead to learning. The observational learning theory, however, shows us that learning in the classroom can also occur indirectly through observations (Cherry, 2019).

One aspect of Bandura’s theory that resonated with me was the actual learning and modeling process. This process involves 4 steps: attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation. (Cherry, 2019). These steps can easily be incorporated into my daily teaching. Engaging and interesting lessons can grab students’ attention, while strategies, such as multisensory approaches can support retention. Providing opportunities for my students to practice and reflect upon their new knowledge is vital for the reproduction stage. Finally, motivation is a key factor to successful learning. Students have to be motivated to emulate the behavior in the future.

Thankfully, there is a plethora of digital resources out there to support the learning process. Educational technologies have the potential to motivate, engage, and expand cognitive capabilities in the classroom. Some of my favorite digital tools that foster learning include: Nearpod, Flipgrid, Google Workspace applications, Padlet, and Quizizz. These resources, along with the implementation of Bandura’s 4 stages of observational learning can result in some pretty amazing things!

References

Cherry, K. (2019, September 6). How observational learning affects behavior. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-observational-learning-2795402

Cherry, K. (2019, December 1). How social learning theory works. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/social-learning-theory-2795074

Season 4 Episode 13 GIF By The Office [Giphy]. (2020). https://giphy.com/gifs/theoffice-JlGTUu80X9KnePGYRy