How would the learning be designed differently by a behaviourist, a cognitivist, and a constructivist?
Scenario: A high school social study teacher is planning a class on climate change.
I found learning about the different learning theories interesting, as it seemed someone would select one learning theory to direct all of their learning instruction. Discovering this surprised me, as I had assumed that various styles of instruction were chosen based on context and resources rather than that particular learning theory’s merit. For example, “if a high school social study teacher is planning a class on climate change,” I would assume that the best approach would be that of the behaviourist as it is a highly fact-driven topic in which constructing new knowledge of climate change would require a lot of domain knowledge.
- Behaviourist: A behaviourist would likely utilize frequent assessments and attempt to cover essential facts multiple times in many different forms. For the behaviourist, it would be important that the students had a stimulus that prompts the retrieval of facts from memory.
- Cognitivist: A cognitivist would likely focus on introspective and extrospective realizations of the topic through the use of conversation and tasks in which students are encouraged to research a sub-topic for themselves, such as research essays. By doing these, the students would process information about the connections and context of the given topic leading to learning.
- Constructivist: A constructivist would likely focus on active learning through performing tasks related to dealing with the given topic and by having students interact with experts in the field. By doing this hands-on application of the topic students would form their own connections with the topic, thereby causing the students to learn.
All three learning theories have various approaches to instruction, and it is essential to recognize how each learning theory is leveraged to facilitate the maximum amount of learning for students.
Hi Caelum! Great examples of each learning theory in action! Learning theory is indeed the foundation of any teaching. It’s also important to keep in mind that our teaching approach should always be tailored to the subject matter at hand. Depending on what we’re teaching, different learning theories may be more applicable than others. By understanding the unique strengths and strategies of each theory, we can ensure that we’re providing our students with the most effective and engaging learning experience possible.
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Hey!
I appreciated your breakdown of each learning theory and your insight into how their planning and running of a class could be structured. I have engaged with learning theories many times throughout my education and every time I feel like none are just quite right. I feel that a combination of all learning theories and allowing student success and engagement to choose what works best for their needs is what should be utilized. The best teacher changes practice with their student and classes needs in mind.