Perspectives on learning

Perspectives on learning

1. Behaviorist perspective

   • Operant conditioning
     • Define: it deals with operants - intentional actions that have an effect on the surrounding environment.
     • Strengths & Weaknesses
       • Strength: 1. it can be used to explain a wide variety of behaviors, from the process of learning, to addiction and language acquisition.
       • 2. it also has practical application (such as token economy) which can be applied in classrooms, prisons and psychiatric hospitals.
       • Weakness: 1. it fails to take into account the role of inherited and cognitive factors in learning, and thus is an incomplete explanation of the learning process in humans and animals.
       • 2. the use of animal research in operant conditioning studies also raises the issue of extrapolation.
     • Example
       • if a teacher wanted to encourage students to answer questions in class they should praise them for every attempt (regardless of whether their answer is correct). Gradually the teacher will only praise the students when their answer is correct, and over time only exceptional answers will be praised.
     • http://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html
   • Classical conditioning
     • Define: classical conditioning theory involves learning a new behavior via the process of association.
     • Strengths & Weaknesses
       • 3. it is deterministic. This means that it does not allow for any degree of free will will in the individual.
       • Strength:1. it is scientific. This is because it's based on empirical evidence carried out by controlled experiments.
       • 2. it is also a reductionist explanation of behavior. This is because complex behavior is broken down into smaller stimulus - response units of behavior.
       • Weaknesses: 1. it is limiting to describe behavior solely in terms of either nature or nurture, and attempts to do this underestimate the complexity of human behavior.
       • 2. the reductionist view lacks validity. Thus, whilst reductionism is useful, it can lead to incomplete explanations.
     • Example
       • if a student is bullied at school they may learn to associate the school with fear. It could also explain why some students show a particular dislike of certain subjects that continue throughout their academic career.
     • http://www.simplypsychology.org/classical-conditioning.html
   • Define: a theory of psychology that states that human behaviors are learned, not innate.

2. Cognitive Perspective

   • Define: it is concerned with how we process, store, and retrieve information
   • Strengths & Weaknesses
     • Strength: 1. established a baseline for cog development in children and schooling
     • 2. helped to create the school of constructivism
     • 3. notes that children learn in stages- curriculum should then align with this
     • Weakness: 1. theory fails to consider the influences of culture on development
     • 2. not all children are self-motivated- can be issue in application of discovery learning
     • 3. theory takes a more individualistic approach to education (less social)
   • Example
     • in an economics course, students are told that they need open a factory in another country to increase their profit margin. Students would have to research potential sites, local laws, shipping costs, labor rates & regulations, and so on in devising the best location for such an undertaking

3. Humanistic perspective

   • Define: the theory emphasized people's goodness, freedom to choose, and the desire to be better people
   • Strengths & Weaknesses
     • Strength: 1. requires no major restructuring of school day
     • 2. dvances the cooperation among students of different abilities, ethnic backgrounds, ages, and gender (improves interpersonal & teamwork skills)
     • Weaknesses: 1. some students waste time talking about non-relevant matters
     • 2. some members dominate, others are ignored
   • Example
     • an ‘classroom’ where large groups of mixed-ability and mixed-age children work together in a single, large room with different ‘areas’
   • Summerhill School

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