Lec 4.2 - Learning and Learning Theories

Behaviorist Learning Theory

• Learning is a result of connections made between the stimulus conditions in the environment and the individual’s responses that follows

  • S-R Model of Learning

Behaviorist Learning Theory

• Observe a person’s responses to the environment, then manipulate the stimuli to bring the intended learning and behavioral change.

Behaviorist Learning Theory

• Focus:

  • Factors that influence a learner’s associations

  • Reinforcements that increase or decrease responses

Behaviorist Learning Theory

• Role of Teacher:

  • Assess conditions in the environment that lead to specific responses, learner’s past habits and history of S-R connections, and what is reinforcing the learner

  • Manipulate conditions to build new associations

  • Provide appropriate reinforcement

  • Strengthen connections between stimuli and a person’s responses 

Cognitive Learning Theory

• Focuses on what goes on inside the mind of the learner

• For individuals to learn, they must change their perceptions and thought and form new understanding and insight.

  • Individuals direct learning process by organizing information based on what is already known -> reorganizing information to form new understanding

Cognitive Learning Theory

• Learner’s goals and expectations create tension that motivate them to act

  • This can be influenced by:

    • Past experiences

    • Perceptions

    • Ways of incorporating and thinking about information

Cognitive Learning Theory

• Criticized for neglecting emotions

  • Recent efforts have been made to incorporate considerations related to emotions within the cognitive framework

Cognitive Learning Theory

• Challenge in teaching is to identify the learner’s level of cognitive development, goals and expectations, ways of perceiveing and processing informaiton, and the social influences that affect learning.

Cognitive Learning Theory

• Focus:

  • Internal factors within learners

  • Learning is motivated by the learner’s goals and expectations, any feeling of imbalance, tension, and a desire to restore equilibrium

Cognitive Learning Theory

• Role of Teacher

  • Assess learner’s developmental stage, goals and expectations, preferred style of learning, and ways of processing, storing and retrieving information

  • Foster curiosity (Teachers provide imbalance)

    • Organize learning experiences and make them meaningful

    • Encourage understanding, insight, problem solcing, and creativity 

    • Keep learning simple and at an appropriate level

Social Learning Theory

• Much of learning occurs by observation

  • Watching other people and determining what happens to them

• Learning is often a social process, other individuals provide compelling examples as role models for how to think, feel, and act

• Reinforcement of punishment, the learning situation, and the appropriateness of subsequent situations where the behavior is to be displayed all combine to affect a learner’s performance

Social Learning Theory

• Based partially on behaviorist principles

  • Self-regulation and control that the individual exerts is critical and reflects cognitive principles

Social Learning Theory

• Focus:

  • Role models

  • Reinforcement that a model has received

  • Social environment where the environment is done

  • Self-regulation processes within the learner

Social Learning Theory

• Role of Teacher:

  • Act as a stellar role model

  • Use effective role models in teaching that are rewarded for their behavior

  • Assess internal regulation of learner

  • Provide feedback on learner’s performance

Psychodynamic Learning Theory

• Based on Sigmund Freud and his followers

• Largely a theory of motivation

• Emphasis is on emotions rather than responses to the environment or perceptions and thoughts.

Psychodynamic Learning Theory

• Well-suited to understand patient and family noncompliance, palliative care, and the deeply emotional issues of terminal illness, anxieties of working with long-term psychiatric residents, and the stress of working with people who have learning disabilities and complex needs.

Psychodynamic Learning Theory

• Problem:

  • Much of the analysis is open to different interpretations

  • May be used inappropriately

  • Healthcare professionals explain away and use emotions as a reason to not treat them, rather than providing the service that they need.

Psychodynamic Learning Theory

• Focus:

  • Learner’s personality development, significant childhood experiences, conscious and unconscious motivations, id-ego-superego conflicts, and defensive behaviors

Psychodynamic Learning Theory

• Role of Teacher:

  • To listen

  • Ask probing questions about motivations and wishes

  • Assess emotional barriers to learning

  • Make learning pleasurable while working to promote ego strength

Psychodynamic Learning Theory

• Central Principles:

  • Central Principle 1: Behavior may be conscious or unconscious

  • Central Principle 2: Personality development occurs in stages which much of adult behavior is derived from earlier childhood experiences and conflicts

Humanistic Learning Theory

• Each individual is unique and that all individual have a desire to grow in a positive way

• Spontaneity, the importance of emotions and feelings, the right of individuals to make their own choices, and human creativity are the cornerstones of a humanistic approach

Humanistic Learning Theory

• A motivational theory

  • Motivation to act comes from each person’s needs, feelings about self, desire to grow in positive ways

• Remembering information and transferring learning to other situations are helped by encouraging curiosity and a positive self-concept

Humanistic Learning Theory

• Experiences that are threatening, coercive, and judgmental undermine the ability and enthusiasm of individuals to learn

• Fundamental respect for the people whom they work with

Humanistic Learning Theory

• Focus:

  • Learner’s desire for positive growth, subjective feelings, needs self-concept, choices in life, and interpersonal relationships

  • All feed into the overall needs of their self concept.

Humanistic Learning Theory

• Role of Teacher:

  • Assess and encourage changes in the learner’s needs, self-concept, and feelings by providing support, freedom to choose, and opportunities for spontaneity and creativity

  • Acts more as a facilitator

    • No longer a teacher or expert

    • Listening > Talking

    • Encourage curiosity, enthusiasm, initiative, and responsibility