UNIT 4 - Learning

• 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

  
• 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 by Ivan Pavlov


  • Involves an organism learning to connect or associate stimuli
  • A neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus and acquires the capacity to elicit a similar response

  
• Classroom examples of Classical Conditioning

  • A child being pleasure about schooling days due to teacher's warmth, cooperation among peers, effective learning environment
  • A child developing fear or anxiety of the classroom due to criticisms, bullying, or other negative environmental factors
• Operant Conditioning by B.F. Skinner


  • A method of learning which a voluntary response is strengthened or weakened, depending on its favorable or unfavorable consequences
  • Behavior that is followed by pleasant consequences is likely to be repeated, and behaviour followed by unpleasant consequences is less likely to be repeated

  
• 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)
  • Ratio and interval schedules have their own advantages and can be used strategically depending on the desired outcomes and behaviors to be reinforced in an educational setting
• Thorndike's Laws of Learning

  • Law of Effect: Learning occurs through trial and error, with satisfying results strengthening the connection
  • Law of Readiness: Learning is more effective when the learner is ready
  • Law of Exercise: Learning is strengthened through practice
• 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
  • Emphasizes the importance of instructional design in promoting effective learning

  
• Implications of Gagne's Theory for Teachers

  • Gain and maintain attention
  • Enhance encoding and retrieval
  • Provide feedback and reinforcement
• 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


  Individuals learn from the consequences experienced by others, where observing others being rewarded for certain behaviors increases the likelihood of them engaging in those behaviors
• Vicarious Punishment

  Individuals learn from observing others being punished, which serves as a deterrent for engaging in similar behaviors
• Applications of Social Learning Theory

  • Education
  • Behavior Modification
  • Media Influence
• 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
• Existential (Spiritual) Intelligence

  Involves contemplation of deeper existential questions and concerns, such as the meaning of life, purpose, and philosophical reflections
• Learning Styles


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