This week I was introduced to four learning theories: Behaviourism,
Cognitivism, Social Constructivism, and Connectivism. Of these four learning theories, Behaviourism
and Cognitivism are the oldest theories that were developed many years before
the technological era. These theories
are similar in that they are both very objective, and have the common teaching
goal of transferring knowledge to the learner in the most efficient, effective
way possible (Mergel, 1998). They are characterised by breaking learning
into measurable, manageable tasks, developing objectives, and measuring success
based on the set objectives (Mergel, 1998). According to Behaviourism, learners repeat
the behaviour until it becomes automatic (like the famous Pavlov’s dog
experiment) (Mergel, 1998). I find the mnemonic device ABCD a useful way
to remember the concept of Behaviourism (Mergel, 1998). For example, if my objective was “at the end
of the semester in the final exam, the student will be able to correctly name
the first 20 elements on the periodic table”, the ABCD breakdown would look
like this:
A – audience – the student
B – behaviour – correctly name the first 20 elements on the periodic
tableC – condition – at the end of the semester in the final exam
D – degree – 100% correct to be able to correctly name all 20 elements
Congnitivism expands on
Behaviourism by also looking at the thought processes behind the behaviour
change (Mergel, 1998). It focuses on how a person’s mental
processes can be used to promote effective learning, including knowledge coding
and representation, storing and retrieving information and integrating new
knowledge with previous learnings (Mergel, 1998). Cognitivism breaks down the mental processes
into three stages: sensory register, short term memory and long term memory (Fasso, 2013). Information firstly goes through the sensory
register, where it is filtered. Because
only the interesting information is then sent to the short term memory, as
teachers, we need to ensure the initial information is relevant and
recognisable to the learner (Fasso, 2013). Therefore, in a classroom with 'digital
natives', the use of ICT and presenting multimodal information is crucial for
the initial information to be retained. Perhaps
using a Voki may be a more fun and engaging way to introduce a concept to
students, hopefully increasing the likelihood that the concept will be sent to the
student’s short term memory. I have
created a Voki to demonstrate how this online tool could be used to introduce a
class to the nutritional benefits of fruit and vegetables.
The information that is
retained from the sensory register to the short term memory is then categorised
or “chunked” for the long term memory. The
short term memory can only store and process about seven chunks of information,
for less than 20 seconds (Moursund, 2005). ICT can help chunk information through drag and
drop activities, using images and interactive learning objects (Fasso, 2013). A person’s long term
memory has a very large capacity and can retain information for a long period
of time. Online concept mind-mapping
tools are one way that ICT can assist with long term memory storage. They can assist with working out how the
elements of the information fit together, also known as schemas (Fasso, 2013). I have explored the use of online mind mapping
tools in a previous blog.
Social Constructivism is
based around the idea that learning relies on social interaction and
experiential learning, where the learner
brings their own knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs to the classroom, and
uses this as the foundation to build and expand new knowledge and skills. (Moursund, 2005). This learning theory explains that a higher
level of learning can be achieved through the support of others and when knowledge is applied in a social context
(referred to as the “zone of proximal development”). Because Social Constructivism relies on
social interaction and experiential learning, this learning theory has been described
as “messy” (Siemens, 2004) . In Social Constructivism, learning is much
more complex than the automated, predictable approach of Behaviourism. I am sure many teachers would prefer to use
the Behaviourism approach with it’s neater, more predictable and easier to plan
characteristics, however, Social Constructivism prepares learners much better
for the ‘real world’ (Siemens, 2004). Seeing how a concept fits in everyday
situations, learning by experience, collaborating, and using different tools
are all things we do every day in the ‘real world’, so to me, it seems logical
that we would apply the same principles in learning when appropriate. However, Social Constructivism was developed
before the boom in technology, so the ‘real world’, and in particular the way
in which we network and the tools we use, have changed dramatically over the
past 20 years. I remember at school (about 15 years ago) computers
were basic and only used for word processing and no one had access to the
internet. To collaborate and discuss
ideas with others involved sitting in the library together (talking quietly of
course) or to talk on the phone (land line, as it was not common to have mobile
phones). Our network was very
limited. Today, we can easily bounce ideas off people
living on the other side of the world, we are exposed to many different
learning tools, and our social networks have become exponentially wider through
technological advances. Collaborative tools such as blogs, forums, and wikis are ways in which Social Constructivism could be used in the classroom.
Although Social Constructivism takes learning outside the classroom and
applies it to a social context, the teacher still plays a large role in modelling
and scaffolding learning (and would still play a role in teaching content or
skill). This is different to Connectivism,
whereby the teacher's role is to assist
learners to develop the skills to find the answer themselves by building online networks, teaching them how to look for
patterns, connecting information sources, and to critically evaluate online information
for credibility, accuracy and currency (Siemens, 2004).
This change in a teacher’s role is consistent with Connectivism’s core
concept that it is more important for the learner to know how to get the information,
than it is to actually know (Fasso, 2013). According to Siemens (2004), the “capacity
to know more is more critical than what is currently known”, however, like all learning theories, this too has come up against criticism. My position and thoughts on the ideas contested about Connectivism can be found in a separate blog posting.
According to Connectivism, not
only has the teacher’s role changed, but so too has the learning setting. Formal learning is no longer
predominant. Informal learning is very
significant in our lives, with learning occurring through groups who share a
common interest/ profession, completing work related tasks, and through social
networks (Siemens, 2004). Learning is no longer an individual task; it
is a fast paced, networked and continually being updated with new information
and findings (Siemens, 2004).
ICT and Connectivism go hand in hand beautifully, and this Youtube video got me thinking about the use of ICTs with students today ...
Source:
Connectivism and
Technology. (2009, 4 March 2013). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjOv_ssTQDY
As a digital immigrant, this both scares and excites me… and also poses lots of questions. How will I keep up with the 'digital natives' who were born into this technological era, so to them, this is the ‘norm’? How open are current teachers and schools to embrace Connectivism (or is Behaviourism and Cognitivism still dominant learning styles in schools)? And with Connectivism comes cost … are all students 'connected' with laptops, smart phones, Ipods, Ipads etc with internet access, or is this just a luxury reserved for students of higher SES? So in fact, does Connectivism discriminate against some minority groups that are already disadvantaged, thus widening the gap?
Connectivism and
Technology. (2009, 4 March 2013). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjOv_ssTQDY
Fasso, Wendy. (2013). A Brief Overview of Learning
Theory. Retrieved 3 March 2013, from
CQUniversity e-courses, EDED20491: ICTs for Learning Design, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=115326
Mergel, Brenda. (1998, 5 Feb 2001). Instructional
Design & Learning Theory. Retrieved
3 March 2013, from http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm#Behaviorism
Moursund, David. (2005). Introduction to Information and Communication Technology in Education (pp.
121). Retrieved from http://pages.uoregon.edu/moursund/Books/ICT/ICTBook.pdf
Siemens, George. (2004).
Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. Retrieved 3 March 2013, from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm
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