Comparing Learning Theories

Behaviorism:

Theorists: B.F. Skinner, Ivan Pavlov, John Watson

Behaviorism is the theory that states that all behavior can be modified and trained with the correct external stimuli. This theory focuses on observable and measurable behavior.

The idea that behavior can be trained is called conditioning. There are two types of conditioning. First is classical conditioning, which states that when a neutral stimulus is presented with a naturally occurring response, the neutral stimulus will create the naturally occurring response even if the stimulus that creates the naturally occurring response is not present. The second type of conditioning is called operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is when the stimuli are repeated and continue to get the desired behavior.

Constructivism

Theorists: Lev Vygotsky, John Piaget, Jerome Bruner

Constructivism is the theory that believes learners make their own meaning out of the learning scenario. The learner is encouraged to participate in the learning and not passively acquire knowledge. Constructivism takes into view that learners come with different skills and background knowledge. This theory focuses on the process of learning itself and encourages engagement with other learners, this branching idea is called social constructivism. Social constructivism is the idea that humans learn best by engaging in learning with their peers.

Within constructivism are the concepts of the zone of proximal development and scaffolding. The ZPD is the place where constructivists believe learning takes place. Functionally, this is where the material being processed is not too hard and not too easy. It is a challenge to the learner but not so much as they have to be guided step by step by a teacher or instructor. Scaffolding is the idea of how to hand off learning to the student. It takes place after the material has been presented. Then, the instructor or teacher is used as a guide and finally taken over completely by the learner.

Cognitivism

Theorists: John Sweller, Jerome Bruner, Albert Bandura

Cognitivism's primary focus is what happens in your mind while learning takes place. The theory incorporates how a person takes in information and adds it to what a person already knows, how a person solves problems, how much information a person can process at a time, and how we can get the material we are learning to stick with us.

In the early days of this theory, researchers thought of memory in two parts; short-term memory or working memory and long-term memory.

Working memory is the part of the brain holding and working with the information we are being taught. It is limited in its capacity, and exactly how much the working memory holds varies from study to study. The idea that working memory is limited gave rise to Cognitive load theory. This is the concept that when teaching, learners can only handle so much at a time, and the trainer/teacher must give information with that in mind.

Long-term memory is where the brain holds all the information we learned and stores it for later retrieval. Researchers believe that long-term memory is unlimited in its capacity.

Connectivism

Theorists: George Siemens

Connectivism is the idea that we are using technology to help solve problems and connect with others. This idea is something that we may not have been able to access before the internet was developed.

Connectivism has changed the way we acquire information, receive training at work and school, interact with peers, and even how we store information. There are eight guiding principles to this theory, according to George Siemens. They are;

Access to a diversity of opinions.
Building relationships with peers to encourage learning of new skills.
Storing information digitally, including clouds, apps, and other devices, for easy retrieval.
Having more information that increases our knowledge base often.
Cultivating connections with others to produce learning in the long term.
Connectivity between fields of study. No subject matter or ideas are stand-alone concepts.
The most up-to-date information.
Knowledge and decision-making change and grow as we acquire it.

Andragogy

Theorists: Malcolm Knowles

The central thought for this learning theory is that adults engage in learning much differently than children do. Malcolm Knowles introduced characteristics of adult learners as well as principles that guide adult learning.

Characteristics or assumptions of adult learning are;

Self-concept- is the awareness of being an independent learner.
Learner experience- the experiences gained throughout an adult's life.
Readiness to learn- how does the learning benefit the learner within their role in society.
Orientation to learning- how does the learning solve a problem the learner has.
Motivation to learn- what drives the learner to seek out the knowledge.

These assumptions or characteristics lead to the principles that should be thought of when teaching adults.

Involve the learner in the process.
Adults come with a variety of backgrounds and skills.
Learners need to know why they need to learn something.
Learners need to understand how the learning is going to solve a problem rather than learning a subject as they did in primary school.
Learners should be able to learn on their own time and at their own pace.

Similarities Across Learning Theories

Constructivism, and Connectivism both hold the idea of relying on peers to help aid understanding.
Andragogy and Constructivism believe that learners need and want to make sense of their learning in meaningful ways.
Andragogy and Constructivism also believe that learners' background knowledge, culture, and experiences shape how learners engage with the information.
Constructivism and Cognitivism focus on how the brain learns and processes information.
Andragogy and Behaviorism note that learners must have motivation (even if that motivation comes from vastly different sources) to learn.
Andragogy and Cognitivism both think that the information being learned has to be presented in ways that help the learner increase retention (self-paced, chunked etc).
Constructivism, Cognitivism, Connectivism, and Andragogy put the learner at the center of the learning. Each of these theories believes that the transfer of knowledge is best done when the student is the ultimate decision-maker of their learning.
Constructivism, Cognitivism, Connectivism, and Andragogy facilitate high-order thinking skills that go beyond rote memorization.
Constructivism, Cognitivism, Connectivism, and Andragogy focus on problem-solving skills.

Implications for Instructional Design

Based on the learning theories above, there are several ways in which instructional designers can create engaging content to aid in their learners' acquisition of knowledge. Instructional designers should take learning theories into consideration when planning content. This will increase your learners' maximum potential to gain the needed information. After all, that's the whole reason we are here!

Chunk information into smaller bits.
Remove distracting information in content creation.
Keep the information needed easy to get to so learners do not have to work hard to reference the material.
Allow for self-paced learning.
Allowing for peer interactions. This can be done through social media, group projects, responses on discussion boards, and any other way you can get your learners to talk to each other.
Use gamification, as well as including leaderboards, badges, rewards such as checkmarks, confetti, and other instant feedback systems.
Allow for learner choice in proving information retention. This can include; multi-media presentations, portfolios, and research papers, to name a few.
Allow for messaging systems to be used. Such as; Slack, Google Chat, Teams, etc.
Make sure learners know the what and why of the learning taking place.
When possible, allow learners in the planning process.
Make your learning problem-centered rather than subject centered.

Using these tools in content creation will help get you and your learners on the right path to meet goals and become successful in your educational endeavors!

References:

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Cherry, K. (n.d.). Why behaviorism is one of psychology's most fascinating branches. Verywell Mind. Retrieved September 2, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/behavioral-psychology-4157183

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Cherry, K. (2021, September 11). How Vygotsky defined the zone of proximal development. Verywell Mind. Retrieved September 8, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-zone-of-proximal-development-2796034

chris.drew.98031506. (2022, September 4). What is constructivism in education? Piaget's Pros & Cons. Helpful Professor. Retrieved October 7, 2022, from https://helpfulprofessor.com/constructivism/

Sciarra, E. (n.d.). Introduction. Integrating Constructivism and Instructional Design in the 21st Century Classroom: Elizabeth Sciarra. Retrieved October 7, 2022, from https://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewSite.htm?id=9161022

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Seifert, K., Sutton, R., Borich, G. D., Tombari, M. L., & Hoose, N. A.-V. (2020, June 1). Social Cognitive Learning theory. Go to the cover page of Educational Psychology. Retrieved September 21, 2022, from https://edpsych.pressbooks.sunycreate.cloud/chapter/social-cognitive-learning-theory/

YouTube. (2018). YouTube. Retrieved September 21, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkH0EGYqWO0.

Cognitive load theory and its application in the classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2022, from https://impact.chartered.college/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Cognitive-Load-Theory-and-its-application-in-the-classroom.pdf

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