MAET 2009 Year 2

Week 1 Day 3

Behaviorism

  Behaviorism Cognitivism Socioculturalism

Learning TheoristsThorndike, Pavlov, Watson, Guthrie, Hull, Tolman, Skinner

Koffka, Kohler, Gagne, Piaget, Ausubel,

Bandura, Salomon

View of the learning process

Change in behaviorInternal mental process (including insight, information processing, memory, perception

Interaction /observation in social contexts. Movement from the periphery to the center of a community of practice

Locus of learning Stimuli in external environment Internal cognitive structuringLearning is in relationship between people and environment.

Purpose in educationProduce behavioral change in desired direction

Develop capacity and skills to learn better

Full participation in communities of practice and utilization of resources

Educator’s roleArranges environment to elicit desired response

Structures content of learning activity

Works to establish communities of practice in which conversation and participation can occur.

Manifestations in adult learning

Behavioral objectives Competency -based educationSkill development and training

 

Cognitive development Intelligence, learning and memory as function of ageLearning how to learn

 

Socialization Social participationAssociationalismConversation

Classical conditioning: Pavlov’s dog – pairing NS with UCS to get CR

Operant conditioning:Skinner – positive and negative reinforcement; punishment

Reinforcement (behavior increases)

Punishment (behavior decreases)

Positive (something

is added)

Positive reinforcement: Something is added to increase desired behavior (e.g., smile and compliment student on good behavior)

Positive punishment

Something is added to decrease undesired behavior (e.g., given student detention for failing to follow class rules)

Negative (something

is removed)

Negative reinforcement:

Something is removed to increase desired behavior (e.g., give a free homework pass for turning in all assignments)

Negative punishment:

Something is removed to decrease undesired behavior (e.g., make student miss time in recess for not following class rules)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy_mIEnnlF4&feature=PlayList&p=CA8ADF1E2E1997DC&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=7

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWyZHSZf3TM&feature=related

Behaviorism in education

Video Games

Tetris is a simple game but involves multiple reinforcers. Reinforcers include:

Positive Reinforcers:• Gaining points and clearing rows• High Score or improving on a previous score• Fitting blocks• Winning or advancing to the next level

Negative Reinforcers:• Avoidance of losing• Build up of rows• Failure to beat an earlier high score

Tetris: http://www.freetetris.org

Gambling

http://www.freeslots.com/slots-1.htm

http://www.tomsnyder.com/fasttmath/tour.html

FastMath

• Langer:– What is mindful learning? – Why might one want to strive for mindful

learning? – Which way would you prefer to learn (mindful

or not)?• Which way should we teach?

Skinner’s Influence

• Find software on the web that uses behaviorist principles to teach

• http://viking.coe.uh.edu/~ichen/ebook/et-it/behavior.htm