EPC

• This course delves into diverse aspects of learning, encompassing theoretical foundations and practical implementations in educational environments
• It examines various learning theories rooted in behaviorism, constructivism, and socio-cultural perspectives
• The goal is to understand how learners obtain knowledge, create meaning, and how to effectively facilitate the learning process based on these insights
• Intended Learning Outcomes


  • Explain what learning is
  • Compare and contrast various learning theories
  • Accept the importance of understanding the concept of human learning
  • Apply the knowledge of learning theories to real-life educational scenarios

  
• Learning


  A relatively permanent influence on behavior, knowledge and thinking skill, which comes about through experience
• Learning


  The process through which individuals acquire new knowledge, skills, behaviors, or attitudes based on their experiences and interactions with the environment
• Approaches to Learning


  • Behavioral Theories of Learning
  • Cognitive Theories of Learning
  • Social Learning Theories
• Classical Conditioning


  A type of learning in which an organism learns to connect or associate stimuli

  
• Classical Conditioning


  • Pavlov's experiments with dogs
  • Children becoming classically conditioned to positive and negative experiences in the classroom
• Operant Conditioning


  A method of learning which a voluntary response is strengthened or weakened, depending on its favorable or unfavorable consequences
• Types of Operant Conditioning

  • Positive Reinforcement
  • Negative Reinforcement
  • Positive Punishment
  • Negative Punishment
• Schedules of Reinforcement


  • Ratio Schedules (Fixed Ratio, Variable Ratio)
  • Interval Schedules (Fixed Interval, Variable Interval)
• Thorndike's Laws of Learning

  • Law of Effect
  • Law of Readiness
  • Law of Exercise
• Gagne's Information Processing Theory of Learning


  Outlines how learners acquire new knowledge and skills through a series of mental processes including attention, encoding, retrieval, and reinforcement

  
• Implications of Gagne's Theory for Teachers

  • Gain and maintain attention
  • Enhance encoding and retrieval
  • Provide feedback and reinforcement
  • Sequence instruction effectively
• Law of Effect


  If the learning takes place properly then it results in satisfaction and the learner derives pleasure out of it
• Gagne's Information Processing Theory of Learning


  • Outlines how learners acquire new knowledge and skills
  • Involves a series of mental processes that occur in a predictable sequence: attention, encoding, retrieval, and reinforcement
  • Emphasizes the importance of instructional design in promoting effective learning

  
• Attention


  The first mental process in Gagne's theory, where teachers should capture and maintain students' attention
• Encoding


  The second mental process in Gagne's theory, where teachers should present information in a clear and organized manner to facilitate students' understanding and retention
• Retrieval


  The third mental process in Gagne's theory, where teachers should provide learning guidance to help students understand how to approach tasks
• Reinforcement


  The fourth mental process in Gagne's theory, where teachers should offer opportunities for practice and feedback, and provide positive reinforcement to promote learning and retention
• Implications for teachers based on Gagne's theory

  1. Gain and maintain attention

  2. Present information in a clear and organized manner

  3. Provide learning guidance

  4. Promote active learning

  5. Offer opportunities for practice and feedback

  6. Provide reinforcement

  7. Assess learning and adjust instruction

  
• Vygotsky's Socio-Cultural Theory of Learning


  • Significant amount of a child's learning occurs through social interaction with a knowledgeable tutor
  • Involves cooperative or collaborative dialogue, where the tutor models behaviors, provides verbal instructions, and guides the child's understanding
  • Child internalizes the information and uses it to regulate their own performance
• More Knowledgeable Other (MKO)

  Someone who has a higher level of knowledge or expertise in a particular task compared to the learner, and provides guidance and support to facilitate learning
• Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)


  • The difference between what a child can achieve independently and what they can achieve with guidance from a skilled partner
  • Represents the area where instruction and guidance should be given to help the child develop skills that they can eventually apply on their own
• Interaction with a knowledgeable other within the ZPD promotes the development of higher mental functions
• Cooperative learning exercises, where less competent children work with more skilled peers within the ZPD, can effectively enhance learning and strategies
• Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura


  • Emphasizes the role of observational learning and social interaction in shaping human behavior
  • Individuals learn through observing others and imitating their behaviors, as well as through the influence of cognitive processes
  • Behavior is influenced by a combination of environmental factors, personal characteristics, and cognitive processes

  
• Observational Learning


  Acquiring knowledge, skills, and attitudes by watching and imitating others

  
• Modeling


  The process of imitating the behaviors, attitudes, or emotional responses of others
• Types of Models


  • Live model
  • Verbal instructional model
  • Symbolic model
• Vicarious Reinforcement and Punishment

  • Individuals can learn from the consequences experienced by others
  • Vicarious reinforcement occurs when individuals observe others being rewarded, increasing the likelihood of them engaging in those behaviors
  • Vicarious punishment involves observing others being punished, which serves as a deterrent for engaging in similar behaviors
• Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences


  • Intelligence is not a singular, fixed entity but rather a combination of various distinct abilities
  • Proposes eight different types of intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic

  
• Learning Styles


  • Different ways individuals prefer to learn and process information
  • VARK model: visual, auditory, read/write, and kinesthetic learners