Learning

Learning

Learn is to acquire knowledge or skill.

Learning also may involve a change in

attitude or behavior through practice, training,
or experience.
Meaning:
learning is a change in behavior as a
result of experience.

Definition:
“Learning may be defined as a relatively
permanent change in behavior that occurs as
a result of prior experience.”
 Process of Learning
There are four theories which explain how learning
occurs:
 1. Classical Conditioning
In 1904 Ivan Pavlov a Nobel Prize winning psychologist from
Russia, identified it as an important behavioral process.

He began to feed his dogs in association with the ringing of

a bell. After a certain time the dogs were shown to salivate
profusely in association with the ringing bell where the actual sight
or smell of food was not also present. Pavlov regarded this
salivation as being a conditioned reflex and designation the process
by which the dogs had picked up this reflex classical conditioning.
1. Classical conditioning
2. Operant conditioning
Operant conditioning, pioneered by
American psychologist B. F. Skinner,
is the process of shaping behavior by
means of reinforcement and
punishment. This illustration shows
how a mouse can learn to maneuver
through a maze. The mouse is
rewarded with food when it reaches the
first turn in the maze (A). Once the
first behavior becomes ingrained, the
mouse is not rewarded until it makes
the second turn (B). After many times
through the maze, the mouse must
reach the end of the maze to receive its
reward (C).
 3. Social learning theory
Social learning theory is also called as observational
learning.
The Social Learning Theory is based on the belief that
human behavior is determined by a constant reciprocal
relationship between cognitive factors (i.e. knowledge, beliefs,
and expectations), environmental factors (i.e. social norms),
and behavioral factors (i.e. self-efficacy, skills). With Social
Learning Theory, a person is encouraged to observe and
model positive behavior, increase one’s confidence and
attitude to use new skills, and receive support from others or
the environment to implement those skills.
Determines
Human
Behavior
4. Cognitive Theory
Much of the recent psychological thinking and
experimentation in education includes some facets of
the cognitive theory. This is true in basic as well as
more advanced training programs. Unlike
behaviorism, the cognitive theory focuses on what is
going on inside the student's mind. Learning is not just
a change in behavior; it is a change in the way a
student thinks, understands, or feels. Student
understanding can be negative or positive.

Cognitive processes, including executive

functions of recognizing expectancies, planning and
monitoring performance, encoding and chunking
information, and producing internal and external
responses.
Principles of learning
 1. Motivation
Concept of Motivation is basic because, without
motivation learning does not take place. Motivation may
be seen at different levels of complexity of a situation.
Reinforcement
Punishment
Extinction

These are the key role in learning process.

Reinforcement is used to enhance desirable behavior,
punishment and extinction are employed to minimize
undesirable behavior.
• Reinforcement: It is the attempt to develop or strengthen
desirable behavior. There are two types of reinforcement:
– Positive reinforcement
– Navigate reinforcement

• Punishment: It is the attempt to eliminate or weaken

undesirable behaviour.

• Extinction: An alternate to punishing undesirable

behaviour is extinction.
 2. Meaningfulness of Material

Learning becomes effective when the material

learnt is meaningful.
A definite relationship has been established
between learning and meaningfulness of the
subject learnt.
 3. Whole V/S Part learning

Another principle of learning is whole v/s part

learning. This refers to the decision whether learning the
whole job is better or breaking the job into parts and
learning the parts is more effective. No effective. No
definite conclusion has been arrived on their issue.
 4. Learning curves

The trainer, (for whom the principles of learning are

highly useful) should understand that learning proceeds
in stages-called curves.

A typical learning curve will show on the Y-axis the

amount and on the X-axis the passage of time.
End spurt