theme%201%20-%20learning%20theories[1]notes-06 march 2009

8/8/2019 Theme%201%20-%20Learning%20theories[1]notes-06 march 2009

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GDE ACE:

Educational Computing

Computer-Integrated Education

Theme 1: Theories of Learning


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Themes Theme 1:Theories of Learning

Theories of Learning - Historical Perspectives

From Learning to Be to Learning Activity Design

Theories for Online Learning

Theme 2:The Digital Learner in the InformationAge

Theme 3:Design of Learning Environments Design Essentials

Human Computer Interaction

Theme 4:Evaluating Educational Technologies Rubrics for Evaluating Educational Technologies

Research Trends


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Theme 1: Theories of Learning

Salient points

Does the medium influence learning?

Online learning

Schools of learning:

Behaviourism (Ertmer & Newby, 1993: The what) Cognitivism (Ertmer & Newby, 1993: The how)

Constructivism (Ertmer & Newby, 1993: The why)

Behaviourism and the implications for onlinelearning

Cognitivism and the implications for onlinelearning

Constructivism and the implications for onlinelearning


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Does the medium influence

learning? Ongoing debate whether:

technology /computers or

the design of learning environments that

improves learning (Clark, 2001; Kozma, 2001) Technologies provide access to learning

materials but do not influence studentachievement(Clark, 1983)

Schramm (1977) - learning is influencedmore by the contentand instructionalstrategy than by the type of technologyused to deliver instruction

(1 of 2)


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Does the medium influencelearning?

Design of learning environments must

promote higher order thinking learning

create challenging activities

create meaningful knowledge - authentic enhance engagement and interactive

facilitate collaboration

stimulate metacognitive abilities

bring about real-life models and simulations to thelearner

sound design principles

Yes, medium does influence learning

(Kozma, 2001) (2 of 2)


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Online learning

What is Online learning?

e-learning,

Internet learning,

distributed learning, networked learning,

virtual learning,

computer-assisted learning,

web-based learning, and distance learning


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Benefits of online learning

Flexible, access from anywhere andanytime,

Quality of learning materials,

Updated resources,

Authentic,

Interactive,

Supportive, collaborative designer,tutor, other learners

=learning theories andsound designprinciples


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Schools of learning

How to take learning theories

behaviourism,

cognitivism

constructivism translate them into concrete practical ideas and

exercises for learning

What value in all of these theories:

the types oflearners, the types ofteachers presenting the material,

The type ofmaterial itself and

the context in which it is to be presented


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The three schools of thought: A

taxonomy for learning Behaviourists strategies can be used to

teach the what (facts) (observable),

Cognitive strategies can be used to teachthe how (processes and principles), and

Constructivist strategies can be used toteach the why (higher level thinking that

promotes personal meaning in a situatedand contextual learning environment)interpretation Ertmer and Newby (1993)


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Behaviourism

Learning is a change in observablebehaviourcaused by external stimuliinthe environment (Thorndike, 1913; Pavlov,

1927; Skinner, 1974)o observable behaviorindicates whether or not

the learner has learned something, and notwhat is going on in the learners head


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Behaviourism and the implications for

online learning

Learners should be told about the explicitoutcomes of the learning

Learners must be tested to determine

whether or not they have achieved thelearning outcome

Learning materials must be sequenced

appropriately to promote learning Learners must be provided with feedback

Aims to modify the behaviour of a learner


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Cognitivism (Memory)

Learning is an internal process: - theamount learned depends on

theprocessing capacityof the learner,

the effort expendedduring the learning process,

the depth of the processing (Craik & Lockhart,1972; Craik & Tulving, 1975), and the learnersexisting knowledge structure (Ausubel, 1974)

Learning involves the use ofmemory,motivation, thinking, and reflectionduring learning process


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Cognitivists see learning as an internal

process

Information from thesenses

Sensory store

Short term memory

Long term memory

Information persists 1

second - Attention

Information persists

20 seconds - WM


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Cognitivism and the implications for

online learning

Learners must perceive and attend to theinformation - transferred to working memory

Learners must retrieve existing information

from long-term memory - new information

Information should be chunked to preventoverload during processing in working

memory Learners should apply, analyse,

synthesise, and evaluate info in MW LTMmemory more effective

(1 of 4)


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online learning

Learning materials should include activitiesfor the different learning styles: (E.g.Kolb, Meyers-Briggs)

Concrete-experience activists (feedback &support)

Reflective-observation - observers - before takingaction

Abstract conceptualisation theorists not withpeople

Active-experimentation pragmatists (feedback)

(2 of 4)


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online learning

Cognitive style how do learners prefer toprocess information Field-dependent vsfield-independent

Adequate supports should be provided forstudents with different learning styles

Information should be presented in differentmodes to accommodate individualdifferences

Learners should be motivated to learn

Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction

(3 of 4)


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online learning

Learning should encourage learners to use theirmetacognitive skills

Online strategies should facilitate the transfer oflearning to different and real-life situations orexperiences

Information is either assimilated (fits into existing)or accommodated (existing is changed)

Cognition is the scientific term for "the process of thought

The term cognition (Latin: cognoscere, "to know" or "torecognize")

information processing is the change (processing) ofinformation in any manner detectable by an observer

(4 of 4)


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Constructivism

Learners learn best when they cancontextualise

construct knowledge what they learn for

immediate application and to acquirepersonal meaning

Learners interpretinformation and theworld

according to their personal reality, and that theylearn by

observation

processing


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Constructivism and the implications

for online learning

Learners should be active in the learningprocessing and not passive

Learners should construct their own

knowledge rather than receive knowledge

Collaborative and cooperative learningshould be encouraged to facilitate learning

Learners should be in control in thelearning process

Learners should be given time andopportunity to reflect (1 of 2)


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Constructivism and the implications

for online learning

Learning should be made meaningful tolearners

Learning should develop personalmeaning (interpretation)

Situated learning

Transformative learning

Radical and Social Constructivism

(2 of 2)


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Assignment 1A

1. Participate in the online discussion usingthe Discussion Tool (5)

2. Create an electronic mind map in which

you map your understanding of the threemain theories of learning (10). Youneed to attach your file

Due Date: 6 March 2010 15:30


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Discussion: Constructivist

Learning I want you to REPLY to this message.

What do you think about a Constructivistapproach to learning? Is it better than abehaviourist approach? Why, or why not?

Do you think it is feasible in your context?(1 mark for each contribution of substance

that you make, five marks max)

theme%201%20-%20learning%20theories[1]notes-06 march 2009

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