Cognitivism as a Learning Theory
Bill Kerr makes an excellent point in his first blog. Learning theories just seem to be a bunch of _isms. Constructivism, behaviourism, cognitivism and connectivism are all learning theories that describe how students learn in an educational setting. These theories can be confusing at times, but also extremely beneficial for students learning in the classroom. In my undergraduate and graduate studies I have always read that these learning theories are essential to the learning process and development of students over a period of time. Recently I have been made aware of new research that suggests that these learning theories are outdated and no longer necessary for students to be successful in the classroom. Learning theories have always been there for teachers to hopefully incorporate into their planning sessions to meet the changing needs and learning styles of the students in their classes. Cognitivism and behaviorism are both creditable learning theories that cover different ends of the spectrum. Cognitivism focuses more on the development of the mind and how students learn and process the information. Both of the discussions in the blogs seemed to be back and forth with comments for the theories and comments against the theories. Personally I see benefits in both of the theories and find them to be helpful in the classroom. There are some instances in the classroom when the behaviorist approach would be the most beneficial for my students to learn new material. English Language Learners can learn well by applying behaviorist learning principles to my lessons in the classrooms. They require daily interaction, practice, and reinforcement every time a new skill is mastered. Cognitivism can also be used in the ELL classroom, but with more advanced ELLs who have to learn more difficult lessons and information. Another issue to keep in mind is that these blogs were written several years ago and discussed on the Internet. As the years have passed there have been multiple updates and research that has been conducted that has updated or changed the ideas behind these theories. In some cases there may be studies out there that have proven that some of these theories no longer belong in education.
References
Kerr, B. (2007, January 1). _isms as filter, not blinker [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html
Kapp, K. (2007, January 2). Out and about: Discussion on educational schools of thought [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational/
Driscoll, M. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Peason Education
Brian,
ReplyDeleteI find myself agreeing with you on multiple levels. First, other than giving educators suggestions, I thought that learning theories were somewhat outdated. I use "thought" as an indication that my feelings are changing. While I understand the concept of nicely packaging how students, or people, learn is nice, but it just seems that there is a lot left to be desired from each individual theory.
Hello Brian,
ReplyDeleteYour blog is intriguing. I was not aware of research that purports the major learning theories are outdated. I would be very interested in learning more about those studies. Like you, I also see the benefits of behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, and connectivism in my classroom. The examples you cite fit with my own teaching experiences. On a daily instructional basis I use aspects of all of these theories in my instruction and have seen powerful benefits of consciously doing so. Students learn more if there are positive reinforcements, if the content is meaningful and relevant to them, if they engage their cognitive processes in order to remember and understand, and if they interact socially with other students about the content. This is why I am surprised that some studies suggest students learn in ways different to those outlined in these theories. If not these, then what? I am wondering then, how students learn. Thank you for sharing these ideas.