The early 20th century saw the formulation of three laws of learning by Edward Lee Thorndike,

one of the founders of educational psychology. On the grounds of his connectionism, Thorndike
is credited with developing the main laws of learning. Coursehero states that “the idea of bonds
forming between stimuli and response forms the foundation of the learning theory known as
connectionism. That is how relationships between circumstances and actions are developed and
consolidated naturally”. That is, the organism that responds to the stimuli is impacted by it.
These laws are originally outgrowth of experiments in the field of animal psychology. The law of
readiness, the law of exercise, and the rule of effect are universally acknowledged laws that
govern all forms of learning. Three more laws, including the rules of primacy, intensity, and
recency, have been added since Thorndike first published his laws. In order to make teaching and
learning more effective, this assignment will cover several strategies teachers may use or put
these laws to use in the classroom.

The first law of learning is the law of readiness. According to Thorndike (1932), “the law of
Readiness, also known as the law of action tendency, states that learning occurs when an action
tendency is sparked by a preliminarily made modification, setting, or attitude”. A prepared action
is what is meant by readiness. Learning cannot be automatically instilled in someone who is not
ready to learn. For instance, a typewriter learning the basics of typing would not make much
progress if he started off unprepared and sluggishly. Wikipedia adds that “the beginning of a
lesson should involve the teacher getting the students' attention”. According to Thorndike, the
teacher should not push a young student to learn if they are not ready, but they also should not
pass up any chances to give them learning opportunities if they are prepared to learn. The correct
times should be identified in terms of the learning environment and the learner's mental state, and
the instructor should make the most of this understanding. Students also learn new material most
effectively when they perceive a compelling purpose to do so, frequently exhibit a great interest
in learning what they perceive to be their next most important topic, and frequently tend to put
aside material for which they see no urgent need. To keep their kids ready to learn, teachers
might take two actions. Firstly, the students should be given a defined set of learning objectives,
and each new topic should be related to those objectives. Secondly, teachers should present
material to students in a logical order and leave them with a desire to learn the next topic. The
development and use of a well-designed curriculum accomplish this goal.
The second law of learning is the law of exercise, which states that practice or drill aids in
enhancing the effectiveness and longevity of learning. Additionally, Nevin states that “according
to Thorndike's S-R Bond Theory, connections are strengthened by practice or trial and weakened
when trial or practice is discontinued”. As a result, the "law of exercise" can alternatively be
regarded as the "law of use and disuse," wherein connections or bonds formed in the cerebral
cortex are weakened or loosened. In cases involving human learning, there are numerous
examples of this case. For instance, practicing and repeatedly doing different movements and
activities is necessary to learn to ride a bicycle, sing, or memorize a poem or arithmetic table.
The teacher should promote repetition of tasks since it solidifies knowledge and abilities that are
being learned. We have found that when a behavior is repeated, it becomes natural and prompt.
Lessons are read and reread often by students until they understand them. Additionally, when a
skill is acquired in the context of a real-world application, exercise is most meaningful and
effective.

The law of effect, which is the third law of learning, according to Waters (1934) states that “any
trial or action that results in satisfaction "stamps in" the bond or connection. In contrast to
dissatisfying, annoying, or painful states, which cause the link to weaken or break, satisfying
states result in its consolidation and strengthening”. In fact, the "law of effect" states that
responses are learned and selected if they satisfy the subject, while responses that do not satisfy
the subject are deleted. Thus, instruction must be enjoyable. The teacher must respect the
preferences and passions of the students. In other words, the bigger the motivation to study, the
greater the satisfaction. Thus, the "law of effect" has intensity as one of its key requirements. It is
crucial for the instructor to set up circumstances that encourage achievement. Negative learning
experiences may encourage amnesia or avoidance, whereas positive learning experiences are
more likely to result in success and drive the learner. Before addressing areas that require
improvement, a teacher should compliment the student's progress in order to keep learning
enjoyable and preserve student motivation. For instance, complimenting a student for providing
the right response before pointing out their grammar. In order to facilitate learning, the teacher
should also use rewards and consequences. Giving a student a prize for doing well on a test or
exercise motivates and inspires the student to work harder and more enthusiastically, while any
form of punishment might demotivate him.and create a distaste for that learning.
Thorndike asserts that the law of recency is a further fundamental principle of learning.
According to Ahmadi (2001) about the law of recency, “information that was learnt most
recently is best remembered. On the other hand, it gets harder to remember new information the
further in time a learner is from it”. For instance, it is simple for a student to recall a subject that
was covered just a few minutes prior, but it is more challenging or perhaps impossible to
recollect a subject that was covered a week prior. When carefully planning a summary for a
lesson or a topic, teachers should be aware of the idea of recency. To aid students in
remembering key concepts, the teacher should repeat, rephrase, or emphasize them towards the
conclusion of a lesson. Often, the lecturing order within a course of instruction is decided by the
idea of recency. It is easier for students to recall what they are taught in a classroom setting if the
learning experience is more similar to real-world situations.

To put it briefly, Thorndike's theory of learning and his laws of learning have made a substantial
contribution to the field of learning, and teachers apply his laws to maximize the effectiveness of
their lessons. It has underlined the value of motivation and given learning a purpose and a
direction. Drilling and practicing have also gotten a boost from it, and it has brought attention to
the psychological value of praise and rewards in the learning process.
 REFERENCES

Ahmadi A, Uhbiyati N. (2001). Ilmu Pendidikan. Jakarta; Rineka Ciota, B. Simandjuntak dan
IL. Pasaribu. 1981. Psikologi Perkembangan, Tarsito, Bandung.

Nevin, J. A. (1999). Analysing Thorndike’s law of exercise: The question of stimulus-response

bonds. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 72(3), 447–450.

Thorndike, E. (1932). The Fundamentals of Learning. New York: Teachers College Press.

Waters, R. H. (1934). The law of effect as a principle of learning. Psychological Bulletin, 31(6),
408–425.

https://engineeringinterviewquestions.com/brief-notes-on-the-thorndikes-laws-of-learning/

https://www.coursehero.com/file/89456841/LAW-OF-EXERCISE-1pdf/