Learning Theories

Learning Theories are an organized set of principles explaining how individuals

acquire, retain and recall knowledge. By studying and knowing the different
learning theories, we can better understand how learning occurs. The principles of
the theories can be used as guidelines to help select instructional tools,
techniques and strategies that promote learning. There are 4 types of learning
theories.

1. Behaviorism : Behaviorist learning theories first emerged in the late 19th

century from the work of Edward Thorndike and Ivan Pavlov. They were
popularized during the first half of the 20th century through the work of
John B. Watson, B.F. Skinner, and others.
Definition : Behaviorism defines learning as observable behavioral change
that occurs in response to environmental stimuli. Positive stimuli — or
“rewards” — create positive associations between the reward and a given
behavior; these associations prompt one to repeat that behavior.
Meanwhile, negative stimuli — or “punishments” — discourage the
behaviors associated with those stimuli. Through this process of
conditioning, people learn to either repeat or avoid behaviors.
Behaviorist learning theory distinguishes between classical and operative
conditioning.
Classical and operant conditioning are two central concepts in behavioral
psychology. They describe two types of learning using a behavioristic
approach.
● Classical conditioning:Classical conditioning, also known as Pavlovian
or respondent conditioning, is the procedure of learning to associate
an unconditioned stimulus that already brings about an involuntary
response, or unconditioned response, with a new, neutral stimulus so
that this new stimulus can also bring about the same response. The
new stimulus then becomes a conditioned stimulus and the newly
learned behavior is a conditioned response. Therefore, classical
conditioning is also known as learning by association.
● Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist who discovered the concept of
classical conditioning that had a major influence in the branch of
psychology called behaviorism in the early 20th century. He is known
as the father of classical conditioning.

Pavlov first discovered that his dogs salivated whenever it was served
food. The food, a biologically potent stimulus, is called an
unconditioned stimulus or a primary reinforcer.He then came up with
an experiment. In this experiment, whenever he gave food to his
dogs, he also rang a bell. Normally, ringing a bell does not produce
any specific response other than getting the dog’s attention. The
ringing bell is called a neutral stimulus.

But after repeating this procedure for a number of times, ringing the
bell on its own could cause the dog to salivate. Now the dog had
learned to associate the bell’s sound with food and a new behavior,
salivation on ringing the bell, had formed.

The ringing bell was an originally neutral stimulus, but then it become
a conditioned stimulus that could elicit the same response as the
unconditioned stimulus (food).
 When this happened, the salivation was called a conditioned
response.

● Operant conditioning : Operant conditioning, also known as

instrumental conditioning, is the procedure of learning to increase or
decrease a voluntary behavior using reinforcement or punishment.
The association process can be carried out using different timings,
called schedules of reinforcement.
● BF Skinner, an American psychologist, rejected the idea that mental
states such as “satisfying” or “unfavorable” were necessary in
understanding human behavior​5​. He developed the theory of
operant conditioning through observable stimulus and behavior,
instead of thinking or feeling.Skinner’s theory asserts that behavior
could be controlled by its consequences. Reinforcement and
punishment are the processes of applying discriminative stimuli to
increases or decrease target behavior.
 ● Examples :whenever a child goes to bed on time, his parent reads
him a bedtime story. The story reading is a positive reinforcement
used to increase target behavior (going to bed on time).

2. Cognitivism : Cognitive psychology emerged in the 1950s and became

dominant in the 1960s. Departing from the comparative emphasis of
behaviorists, cognitivists see human beings as rational creatures quite
different from animals. Consequently, cognitive theory explores the
complexities of the human mind as it processes information. It views
behavior as a result of one’s thoughts.
● Definition : Cognitive psychology understands knowledge acquisition
schematically and symbolically. It posits learning as the process of
changing a learner’s mental model or schematic understanding of
knowledge.

In this view, human behavior reflects internal processing of the

human mind, rather than simply a conditioned response to external
stimuli. Learning involves the integration of information into a stored
and usable body of knowledge.
 Cognitive psychology derives, in part, from Piaget’s stages of
development, which depend on biological factors such as age.
Learning capacity and activity change over time as a person moves
through life. For example, although older people have accumulated
more knowledge, they do not always remain as teachable due to
their tendency to adopt a more fixed outlook over time.

Cognitivism emphasizes the importance of an expert in transmitting

accurate information, yet sees a learner’s success or failure in
absorbing this information as largely dependent upon the learner’s
mental capacity, motivation, beliefs, and effort.

3. Connectivism : According to George Siemens, “Connectivism is a learning

theory for the Digital Age” (Siemens, 2004). In Connectivism, learning is a
process that occurs based upon a variety of continuously shifting elements.
The “starting point of learning is the individual who feeds information into
the network, which feeds information back to individuals who in turn feed
information back into the network as part of a cycle” (Siemens, 2004).

● Principles of connectivism :
• Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
• Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information
sources.
 • Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
• Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently
known
• Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate
continual learning.
• Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a
core skill.
• Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all
connectivist learning activities.
• Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn
and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of
a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong
tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the
decision.
Connectivism presents itself as a pedagogical approach that affords
learners the ability to connect to each other via social networking or
collaboration tools. Many theories assume that learning happens
inside the head of an individual. Siemens believes that learning today
is too complex to be processed in this way and that “we need to rely
on a network of people (and, increasingly technology) to store,
access, and retrieve knowledge and motivate its use” (Siemens,
2006). Learning is viewed as multi-faceted and particular tasks define
which approach to learning is most appropriate to the learner
(Siemens, 2003).
4. Constructivism : Constructivism is the theory that says learners construct
knowledge rather than just passively take in information. As people
experience the world and reflect upon those experiences, they build their
own representations and incorporate new information into their
pre-existing knowledge (schemas).

● Related to this are the processes of assimilation and accommodation.

Assimilation refers to the process of taking new information and

fitting it into an existing schema.
Accommodation refers to using newly acquired information to revise
and redevelop an existing schema.
● The following are some of the basic principles of constructivism:
Learning is a search for meaning. Therefore,
● learning must be based on the issues that require personal
interpretation.
● The construction of meaning requires an understanding of ‘wholes’
(the bigger picture) as well as parts, and parts must be understood in
the context of wholes. Therefore, the learning process focuses on
primary concepts, not on isolated facts.
● Emphasis is placed on the application of knowledge as opposed to a
mere acquisition of decontextualised facts.
● Social aspects of learning form a crucial part of the constructivist
view of learning. This means that people also learn from one another
and not only in isolation from others.