Traditional Learning Theories Behaviorism, Constructivism, Essay

The whole language method of teaching reading, versus phonics instruction, is a common use of constructivist theory (Chen, 2010, Social constructivist).

Cognitive theories

As the structures of the human mind began to become better understood in the 20th century, cognitivism became a popular learning theory. It suggests that by understanding how the mind works, teachers are better able to enable students to learn. Assumptions of this approach include the idea that "some learning processes may be unique to human beings…[and] mental events are central to human learning and they must therefore be incorporated into theories of learning" (Ormond 1999). Learning is facilitated by making associations with students' previous learning experiences and skills. The learner is a highly active, involved participant in the learning process, because human minds and experiences can be so individualized. For example, understanding the rhythms of poetry and comparing them to contemporary rap song lyrics might be a helpful way to make studying literature more accessible to some students. Cognitivism is highly influenced by current research about mental processes, which indicate that social reinforcement from more advanced learners from a child's peer group as well as teachers can help students gain a sense of confidence and mastery; 'over-learning' beyond mastery improves retention; and learning must be built upon past experience: for example, some students may need re-training in basic arithmetic before they can grasp more complicated concepts in calculus. (Ormond 1999).

References

Chen, Irene. (2010). Behavioral theories. An electronic textbook on instructional technology.

Available November 20, 2010 at http://viking.coe.uh.edu/~ichen/ebook/et-it/behavior.htm#instruction

Chen, Irene. (2010). Social constructivist theories. An electronic textbook on instructional technology. Available November 20, 2010 at http://viking.coe.uh.edu/~ichen/ebook/et-it/behavior.htm#instruction

Ormrod, J.E. (1999). Cognitive learning theory. Human learning (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River,

NJ: Prentice-Hall. Available November 20, 2010 at http://teachnet.edb.utexas.edu/~Lynda_abbot/Cognitive.html