Learning Theories and Environments Quiz

Learning environment

• Learning involves making sense of the environment, tasks, presented information, and expectations
• The learning environment impacts the learning process
• Reinforcements and feedback from others can influence learning effort

Learning is based on associations

• People connect new information with prior knowledge and experiences
• Facts, concepts, and ideas must be stored, connected, and built upon for learning to occur

Learning occurs in cultural and social contexts

• Culture influences the knowledge, experiences, communication, and expectations within the classroom
• The social context of the classroom, communication styles, teacher and student roles, and opportunities for collaboration impact student understanding and knowledge construction

People learn in different ways

• Learners possess a variety of intelligences and abilities beyond logic and language, including musical, kinesthetic, and spatial abilities
• Thoughts and emotions shape the learning process

History of learning psychology

• John B. Watson studied the influence of learning on behavior
• The Little Albert experiment demonstrated how a small child can be conditioned to fear
• Behaviorism dominated early 20th-century psychology, but humanistic, biological and cognitive psychology emerged later

Psychology of learning

• Provides data on the learning process, including principles, motivation strategies, transfer of learning, memory, retention, and forgetting
• Contributes to understanding problems in emotional development, motivation, social behavior, and personality
• Learning is defined as acquiring new ideas or experiences, retaining and applying knowledge, and modifying behavior based on past experiences

State of the learner

• The learner is in a "state of conscious incompetence" at the beginning of a learning experience
• Effective learning involves reflection, understanding, evaluation, and shaping future action
• Learning involves change, endurance over time, and experience

Effective learning

• Is the act of constructing, collaborating, and being driven by the learner's motivation
• Includes monitoring and reviewing approaches and strategies for effectiveness

How students think and learn

• Student beliefs about intelligence and ability influence their cognition and learning
• Intelligence and ability can be developed through effort and varied strategies
• Previous knowledge affects learning - either by adding to existing knowledge (conceptual growth) or transforming existing knowledge (conceptual change)
• Cognitive development and learning are not limited by stages of development
• Learning is context specific and generalizing learning to new contexts requires support

Principle of deliberate practice

• Deliberate practice involves attention, rehearsal, and repetition over time
• It leads to the acquisition of new knowledge and skills which can build further complexity

Principle of long-term knowledge and skill acquisition

• Long-term knowledge and skill development rely largely on practice

Principle of feedback

• Clear, explanatory, and timely feedback is crucial for effective learning
• Regular, specific, explanatory, and timely feedback enhances learning

Principle of self-regulation

• Self-regulation supports learning
• Self-regulatory skills can be improved through instruction, modelling, support, and classroom organization

Principle of creativity

• Student creativity can be fostered by emphasizing it within the learning process

What motivates students?

• Students enjoy learning and perform better when they are intrinsically motivated
• Intrinsic motivation includes striving for competence, knowledge, and skills
• Students persist with challenging tasks and process information more deeply when they have mastery goals rather than performance goals

Principle of goal setting

• Short-term, specific, and moderately challenging goals motivate students more than long-term, general, and overly challenging goals

Principle of risk taking

• Students should learn to be moderate risk takers

Principle of social contexts

• Learning is situated within numerous social contexts

Principle of emotional well-being

• Emotional well-being affects educational performance, learning, and development

Assessing student progress

• Behavioral approaches (Skinner, Pavlov) emphasize the importance of environmental rewards and punishments
• Skinner's operant conditioning highlights the conditioning of satisfying responses
• Skinner believed habits are formed from individual operant learning experiences

Extinction

• Extinction reduces the probability of a response by removing a previously reinforcing stimulus

Modeling, shaping, and cueing

• Modeling (also known as observational learning) involves witnessing and imitating a desired behavior
• Shaping changes behavior quality gradually through reinforcement
• Cueing provides verbal or non-verbal cues for appropriate behavior

Behavior modification

• Involves six components:
  • Specifying outcomes
  • Creating a positive environment
  • Identifying and applying reinforcements
  • Reinforcing behavioral patterns until success is achieved
  • Gradually reducing reinforcement frequency
  • Evaluating and assessing the approach's effectiveness

Criticisms of behaviorism

• Simplistic view of human behavior
• Ignores internal mental processes
• Universal application of principles is questionable

Educational implications of behaviorism

• Students work for positive emotions and approval from admired individuals
• Behaviors can be learned, unlearned, or relearned
• Ignoring undesirable behavior can reduce its frequency