Various Theories of Learning

Various Theories of Learning

There are many different theories of how people learn. What follows is a variety of them, and it is useful to consider their application to how your students learn and also how you teach in educational programs. It is interesting to think about your own particular way of learning and to recognize that everyone does not learn the way you do.

Basically there are four types of theories which related to learning.

Pedagogy and Andragogy

Sensory Stimulation Theory

Reinforcement Theory

Learning Facilitation

Pedagogy and Andragogy

The word pedagogy is Latin,”ped” means child and Andagogy is Greek,”aner” means man, not boy. So the Andagogy studies how adult learn. More accurately, pedagogy embodies teacher-focused education. In the pedagogic model, teachers assume responsibility for making decisions about what will be learned, how it will be learned, and when it will be learned. Teachers direct learning.

Andragogy is learning theory specifically for adults. It emphasizes process more than content and makes the following assumptions about the design of learning: (1) Adults need to know why they need to learn something (2) Adults need to learn experientially, (3) Adults approach learning as problem-solving, and (4) Adults learn best when the topic is of immediate value.

In the past few years T&D specialists have interested in “Andragogy”.

Smith summarizes Knowles’ andragogy thus:

The adult learner moves towards independence and is self-directing. The teacher encourages and nurtures this movement.

The learner’s experience is a rich resource for learning. Hence teaching methods include discussion, problem-solving etc.

People learn what they need to know, so that learning programmes are organized around life application.

Learning experiences should be based around experiences, since people are performance centred in their learning.

Andragogy requires that adult learners be involved in the identification of their learning needs and the planning of how those needs are satisfied. Learning should be an active rather than a passive process. Adult learning is most effective when concerned with solving problems that have relevance to the learner’s everyday experience.

Features of Andragogic Learning

They are problem –centered rather than content centered.

They permit and encourage the active participation of the learner

They encourage the leaner to introduce past experience into the process in order to reexamine that experience in the light of new data, new problems.

The climate of the learning must be collaborative as opposed to authority –oriented.

Planning is a mutual activity between leaner and instructor.

Evaluation is a mutual activity between leaner and instructor.

Evolution lead to reappraisal of needs and interests –and therefore to redesign and brand –new learning activities.

Activities are experimental, not “ transmittal and absorption” as in standard pedagogy

These andragogic concepts have tremendous implications for the T & D specialist.

Andragogic instructors use more questions realizing that learners do know a great deal, that tapping that inventory permits the learners to invest more energy in new learning The major aspect of andaragogic system is the learner’s active involvement in establishing the learning objectives.

Sensory Stimulation Theory

This theory states that for people to change, they must invest their senses in the process. The people manage that process thus try first to stimulate and then to control what students see, hear, touch and do during a learning session.

The sensory stimulus approach maintain that 75% of what adults know was acquired through the eyes, hearing with about 13% and the remaining 12% of what people know was acquired through touch, smell or taste. Sense stimulators point to studies shoeing that people retain only about one-tenth of what they have heard 72hrs after hearing it and these same students retain about 30% of what they have seen. When the stimulation appeals to both ears and eyes, the retention goes up to about 70%. So the designers and instructors use stronger statements, louder sounds, more colors and more intense colors, bigger pictures, multimedia presentations for the motivation of learning process.

But some of the learning theorists reject this approach because of the following reasons;

They argue that the research is faulty, based on just a few subjects and ignoring other variables which might have affected the outcome.

There is no evidence about sequence.

The tests deal only with acquisition and retention over a short time span.

The sensory stimulation theory also recognizes the problem of forgetting because stresses retaining as an integral part of the learning process.

Reinforcement Theory

B.F Skinner is the author of reinforcement theory. It is also called Behavior Modification. Behavior Modification or Reinforcement theory guides the dynamics of the instructor –leader relationship.

Skinner believed that behavior is a function of its consequences. The learner will repeat the desired behavior if positive reinforcement (a pleasant consequence) follows the behavior.

Positive reinforcement, or ‘rewards’ can include verbal reinforcement such as ‘That’s great’ or ‘You’re certainly on the right track’ through to more tangible rewards such as a certificate at the end of the course or promotion to a higher level in an organization.

Negative reinforcement also strengthen a behavior and refers to a situation when a negative condition is stopped or avoided as a consequence of the behavior. Punishment, on the other hand, weakens a behavior because a negative condition is introduced or experienced as a consequence of the behavior and teaches the individual not to repeat the behavior which was negatively reinforced. A set of conditions is created which are designed to eliminate behavior. Laird considers this aspect of behaviorism has little or no relevance to education. However, Burns says that punishment is widely used in everyday life although it only works for a short time and often only when the punishing agency is present.

Burns notes that much Competency Based Training is based on this theory, and although it is useful in learning repetitive tasks like multiplication tables and those work skills that require a great deal of practice, higher order learning is not involved. There is a criticism of this approach that it is rigid and mechanical.

Principles of Reinforcement Theory

The Principle of Individuality

The individuality of reinforces sometimes makes contingency management systems very hard to administer. If the peoples are individuals, and if managers are hoping to reinforce them with their peculiarly individual “stroke” then the manager must know a great deal about every worker on the staff

The Principle of Immediacy

The immediate consequence will control future behavior more than the secondary contingency.

The Principle of Strength

It means that the consequence needs to be noticeable. Weak reinforces don’t control behavior; witness the gentle taps some parents call a spanking, or the small variations in salary increases spread across an employees population

The principle of Variability

The principle of variability ties in closely with strength.The strength must not be noticeable; it must vary. Slot machines are programmed for this principle

The principle of Mutuality

Mutuality is another principle which governs the transaction of reinforces in interpersonal relationship.

Successive Approximation

Successive approximation represents another significant principle of reinforcement theory. This word simply describes the small steps people take toward the ultimate objective.

Successive approximation work for all of us from infancy to senility Instructors of adult really needs to understand this phenomenon.

Learning Facilitation

The author of the facilitation theory is Dr. Carl Roger.

Facilitation theory states that the role of the instructor as a facilitator, rather than a stimulator or controller of the learning process.

Carl Rogers and others have developed the theory of facilitative learning. The basic premise of this theory is that learning will occur by the educator acting as a facilitator, that is by establishing an atmosphere in which learners feel comfortable to consider new ideas and are not threatened by external factors (Laird 1985.)

Other characteristics of this theory include:

A belief that human beings have a natural eagerness to learn,

There is some resistance to, and unpleasant consequences of, giving up what is currently held to be true,

The most significant learning involves changing one’s concept of oneself.

Facilitative teachers are:

Less protective of their constructs and beliefs than other teachers,

More able to listen to learners, especially to their feelings,

Inclined to pay as much attention to their relationship with learners as to the content of the course,

Apt to accept feedback, both positive and negative and to use it as constructive insight into themselves and their behavior.

Learners

Are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning,

Provide much of the input for the learning which occurs through their insights and experiences,

Are encouraged to consider that the most valuable evaluation is self-evaluation and that learning needs to focus on factors that contribute to solving significant problems or achieving significant results.

According to Roger, the facilitators should;

Less protective of their own constructs and belief than other teachers.

More able to listen to students

Able to accept the innovative, creative ideas which emerge in the students.

Able to accept feedback(both positive & negative)

Experiential Learning

Kolb proposed a four-stage learning process with a model that is often referred to in describing experiential learning. The process can begin at any of the stages and is continuous, i.e. there is no limit to the number of cycles you can make in a learning situation. This theory asserts that without reflection we would simply continue to repeat our mistakes.

Kolb’s research found that people learn in four ways with the likelihood of developing one mode of learning more than another. As shown in the ‘experiential learning cycle’ model above, learning is:

Through concrete experience

Through observation and reflection

Through abstract conceptualization

Through active experimentation

Key Points

Learning may be defined as any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of experience.

70% of learning & development takes place from real-life and on-the-job experiences, tasks, and problem solving. This is the most important aspect of any learning and development plan

20% comes from feedback and from observing and working with role models.

10% of learning and development comes from formal training.

Basically there are four types of theories which related to learning.

Pedagogy and Andragogy

Sensory Stimulation Theory

Reinforcement Theory

Learning Facilitation

Student Activity

Conduct a survey identifying factors that influence pedagogy

Conduct a survey identifying factors that influence andragogy.

Conduct a survey about the perception of adult workers about new learning.