Learning Theories and Theorists

Plato

Learning was a process of remembering what was already in the soul. It was facilitated by asking questions.

Locke

Children were "blank slates" but were equipped to learn from experiences, much like a calculator was wired to perform operations.

Köhler

Learning happened through acts of insight when the learner has access to the tools needed to solve a problem.

Dewey/problem solving

Learning served an evolutionary function. Unless the learner was presented with a meaningful problem, new information was not likely to be retained.

Pavlov/classical conditioning

Learned occurred as a result of changes in behavior caused when natural stimuli were replaced by artificial stimuli.

Thorndike/operant conditioning

Learning was the result of changes in behavior caused by repeated exposure to a reward or punishment, governed by the "law of effect" and "law of exercise."

Dewey/social learning theory

Learning occurred as the result of meaningful conversation in social settings.

Bandura

Learning occurred through imitation, when a more experienced person modeled a behavior.

Vygotsky

Learning occurred when a learned was presented with the appropriate psychological tools needed to reach their learning potential.

Piaget

Learning involved the construction of new understandings when a learner's schema was challenged, requiring them to reject, assimilate, or accommodate the new information.

Ausubel

Learning could be aided by the use of advanced organizers, which helped the learner make sense of new information.

Schwab

Learning involved understanding the structure of the disciplines being studied. This included their substantive and syntactical structures.

Hirst

The structure of the disciplines could be broken down into key concepts, relationships, statements, and methods of inquiry.

Cole

Learning was more likely to happen when the learner was placed in an authentic situation.

Geertz

Learning is facilitated when we take into account the cultural backgrounds of our students and when we view differences as assets and not deficits.

Skinner

Learning was the result of changes in behavior caused by responses to reward and punishment. Even complex behaviors could be conditioned through the process of shaping.