Learning Theories Part II

Learning Theories part II

Major theorist

Major theorist

Major Characteristics

Major Characteristics

Role of Memory

Role of Memory

Adult Learning Theory

Sociocultural

How learning occurs

How learning occurs

types of learning

types of learning

Role of Memory

Major theorist

Types of Learning

Connectivism

Major Characteristics

How Learning Occurs

Types of learning - Connectivism

"Connectivism relies heavily on technology, so the first step to creating a connectivist classroom is to introduce more opportunities for digital learning—like online courses, webinars, social networks, and blogs" (WGU, 2022). A couple of ways to incorporate connectvism in the classroom include: Social media One way teachers implement connectivism is through the use of classroom social media. For example, a class Twitter account can be used to share information, engage in discussion or announce homework tasks. This can help boost class engagement and open the lines of discussion among students and teachers.

Gamification Gamification takes assignments and activities and puts them into a competitive game to make learning more of an interactive experience. There are many learning-based apps and instructional technologies teachers can use to add an element of gamification to the classroom. One example is DuoLingo, an online learning tool that helps students learn languages through fun, game-like lessons. Teachers can track students' progress while students can earn “points” for progressing through lessons. Other examples include apps like Brainscape, Virtual Reality House, and Gimkit, just to name a few. Simulations Simulations engage students in deep learning that empowers understanding as opposed to surface learning that only requires memorization. They also add interest and fun to a classroom setting. Take, for example, a physics class where students create an electric circuit with an online program. Instead of being instructed via a book or classroom lecture, they’re learning about physics by simulating an actual physical setup. Reference: (WGU, 2022)

Types of learning - sociocultutral learning theory

5. Utilizing Verbal Instruction: Emphasizing verbal instruction and dialogue fosters critical thinking and deeper understanding. 6. Incorporating Sociocultural Approaches in Assessment: Assessing students within a social context rather than purely at an individual level provides a more holistic view of their learning progress. 7. Fostering Social Responsibility: Encouraging social responsibility through community projects integrates social learning with civic education. Reference: Paul Main (Main, 2023)

Sociocultural learning theory emphasizes the impact of social interaction, cultural tools, and collaboration. Some applications of this theory include: 1. Collaborative Learning: Encouraging group work and collaboration among students of different ability levels fosters social learning and enhances individual understanding.2. Incorporating Cultural Tools: Utilizing cultural artifacts and tools relevant to students' cultural development can make learning more engaging and relatable. 3. Apprenticeship in Thinking: Teachers acting as guides, facilitating learning through direct instruction, and gradually releasing responsibility to students, akin to an apprenticeship model. 4. Differentiating Instruction Based on Ability Levels: Tailoring instruction to meet students' current levels ensures that learning is within their zone of proximal development.

Major theorist of adult learning theory

Developed in 1968 by Malcom Knowles

(August 24, 1913 – November 27, 1997)

major characteristics - Connectivism

Connectivism is a learning theory that emerged in the digital age to address the challenges and opportunities presented by the rapid growth of information and digital technologies. Some major characteristics of connectivity include:

• It focuses on learning in the digital age, where information is abundant, rapidly changing, and networked.
• It emphasizes the role of technology and digital networks in facilitating learning and knowledge creation.
• It views learning as a process of making connections between people, resources, and information sources.

Role of Memory - sociocultural learning thoery

Memory plays a key role in several aspects of the learning process, such as: Cultural Tools: Memory is involved in the internalization and use of cultural tools. Memory allows individuals to store and recall the meanings and functions of these tools, enabling them to use them effectively in various social and cognitive tasks. Social Interaction and Collaboration: Memory facilitates social interaction and collaboration. Through social interactions with more knowledgeable others, individuals acquire new information and skills that are stored in memory and used in future interactions. Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): Memory enables individuals to remember and apply the guidance and support provided by more knowledgeable others within their ZPD, allowing them to gradually develop new knowledge and skills.

major characteristics of sociocultural learning theory

"The sociocultural theory is a sociological and psychological theory that deals with the importance of culture and society in developing and shaping individuals. It demonstrates how friends, parents, and others in society develop people’s cognitive, learning, and sociocultural functions" (Main, 2023). Some of the major characteristics of SLT include: Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): The gap between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance or assistance from more knowledgeable individuals. Social Interaction: Individuals learn through interactions with others, such as teachers, peers, or more knowledgeable mentors. Scaffolding: Providing temporary support and guidance to learners within their ZPD to help them accomplish tasks or solve problems that they couldn't do alone.

Cultural Context: Sociocultural theory highlights the influence of cultural and historical context on learning. Culture shapes individuals' values, beliefs, and ways of thinking, which in turn influence their learning experiences and outcomes.

How learning happens - sociocultural learning theory

Mentioned earlier, the ZPD and scaffolding are two very important pieces to sociocultural learning theory. "When a student is in the zone of proximal development, their mental processes are crucial to their progress. They can grasp new concepts with the help of guidance from someone more knowledgeable, but they must also be motivated to learn and put forth effort on their own. In fact, sociocultural theory suggests that learning does not occur solely through individual mental processes, but is also heavily influenced by social and cultural factors. These factors shape how individuals learn, what they prioritize as important information, and how they apply that knowledge in different contexts" "By embracing the principles of socio-cultural theory, educators can create a dynamic and culturally responsive classroom environment that recognizes the critical role of social interaction and cultural context in shaping the learning process" Reference: Paul Main (Main, 2023).

How does learning occur? - adult learning theory

Learning occurs through self-directed exploration, reflection, and application of knowledge. Adult learners take an active role in identifying their learning needs, setting goals, and seeking out resources and opportunities for learning. Provided below are some useful techniques that demonstrate a deeper level of the learning process in the adult learning theory: Goal Setting. It is believed that when a learner has a particular career goal in mind he is more likely to become a successful learner. A successful learner has a better experience in pursuing their degree program. Determine their why. When adult learners know why they must pursue learning, they will feel more confident and motivated about deeper level of learning processes. Regularly Reviewing the Information. Adult brains face difficulty in creating new pathways due to less plasticity. Therefore, to help create new pathways adult learners must make a habit of gaining deeper understanding and reviewing their learning material more often. Use Experiences to enhance Learning. Adult learners may take advantage of theory with practice or hands-on learning processes. Finding job shadow opportunities, internships, projects, and other experiential opportunities may help them get a stronger grasp of their learning activity and be more enthusiastic about how it will be utilized in real-life. Reference: (Main, 2022)

adult learning theory- role of memory

Memory is important to this learning theory, but not to the same levels as some of the others. A big reason for this is because of age and the decaying effect age has on memory. In addition, age has shown to affect the retrieval process as well. "Memorizing facts and information isn’t the right way for adults to learn. They need to solve problems and use reasoning to best take in the information they are being presented with" (O'Neill, 2022). However, this does not eliminate the importance of memory for the adult learning theory as it still plays a very important role. Some of the responsibilities of memory in ALT include: Drawing on Prior Knowledge: Adults have a lot of knowledge and prior life experience that is useful to this learning theory. This is what provides a foundation for future learning and building upon prior knowledge. Retention and Retrieval of Information: Memory enables adults to retain and retrieve information over time. Adult learners rely on memory processes like storage and retrieval to store new information in long-term memory and access it when needed. Application to Real-Life Contexts: Memory plays a crucial role in this process by enabling adults to recall and apply relevant knowledge, skills, and strategies to address challenges in their personal and professional lives. Reflection and Metacognition: Memory supports metacognitive processes. Adult learners use memory to reflect on past experiences, monitor their progress, evaluate their understanding, and adjust their learning approaches accordingly.

Role of Memory - Connectivism

Instead of relying on one's memory to store all information, individuals may utilize external memory such as digital tools (Google Suite), online platforms (Social Media), or even online databases. Memory construction does happen through social interaction and collaboration though. In connectivitsm, learners may contribute/share their knowledge through online communities or discussion forums (like for this class; students sharing memories/experiences)

Memory is not as critical in connectivism when compared to the other learning theories. The primary reason for this is because of the nature of connectivism and how it promotes the use of technology and networked environments.

Types of Learning

3. Adults Utilize Experience: Adults are shaped by their experiences, and the best learning comes from making sense of those experiences. Adult learners can greatly benefit from finding ways to get hands-on learning. Internships, job shadowing opportunities, projects, and other experiential opportunities can help them get a firmer grasp of their learning and be more excited about how what they learn can be applied to their interests and careers. 4. Adults Process with Their Senses: Most adult learners don’t thrive as well in a lecture-style environment. Due to the lack of brain plasticity in older learners, it’s important to fully engage the senses when learning to successfully solidify new knowledge. Learning practices need to incorporate audio, visual, reading/writing, kinesthetic, independent, and group techniques. 5. Adults Appreciate Repetition: Repetition is essential for adult learning. If learners can practice new skills in a supportive environment, self-efficacy will develop to take those skills outside of the classroom. And the more they can practice a particular subject or skill, the better the chances are for mastery. 6. Adults Learn Differently Than Children: Children and adults are very different when it comes to how they learn, so different techniques must be used in order to make learning effective for adults. In addition to reading and memorizing, adult learners utilize their past life experiences and their current understanding of a subject as they learn. Also, adult learning needs to be problem-centered, making the impact more focused on current events or real life. Reference: Kimi Pace (Pace, 2024).

"The andragogy theory states that adult learners are vastly different from children in terms of their motivation, the relevancy of the education to their lives, and how they apply that education. In practice, adult learning focuses on giving adults an understanding of why they are doing something, lots of hands-on experiences, and less instruction so they can tackle things themselves" (Pace, 2024). Some of the principles/types of learning in the adult learning theory shared by Kimi Pace include, but are not limited to: 1. Adults Learn by Doing: Many adults prefer not only to read or hear about subjects but to actively participate in projects and to take actions related to their learning. Project-based curriculum utilizes real-world scenarios and creates projects for students that they could encounter in a job in the future. Many adult learners find that this kind of learning is hugely beneficial for them as they apply what they have been taught to their careers, giving them direct access to seeing what they can do with their knowledge. 2. Adults Desire Relevance: While some enjoy learning as an end in itself, adult learners are more likely to engage in learning that has direct relevance to their lives. For example, if they’re taking a certification course to improve their chances of promotion on the job, then the course should immediately address their needs.

Major theorists - Connectivism

First introduced Connectivism in 2005

George Siemens

Stephen Downes

How learning occurs - Connectivism

The main principles shared by Western Governors University are:

• Learning and knowledge rests in the diversity of opinions.
• Learning is a process of connecting.
• Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
• Learning is more critical than knowing.
• Nurturing and maintaining connections are needed for continual learning.
• The ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.
• Accurate, up-to-date knowledge is the aim of all connectivist learning.
• Decision-making is a learning process. What we know today might change tomorrow. While there’s a right answer now, it might be wrong tomorrow due to the constantly changing information climate.

"In connectivism, learning is more than our own internal construction of knowledge. Rather, what we can reach in our external networks is also considered to be learning. From this theory, two terms—nodes and links—have been commonly used to describe how we gain and connect information in a network. In connectivism, students are seen as “nodes” in a network. A node refers to any object that can be connected to another object, like a book, webpage, person, etc. Connectivism is based on the theory that we learn when we make connections, or “links,” between various "nodes" of information, and we continue to make and maintain connections to form knowledge" (Connectivism learning theory, 2022)

Reference: (WGU, 2022)

Major characteristics of adult learning theory

5 Key Assumptions of Knowles’ Adult Learning Theory:1. Self-Concept As we grow older, we shift from being dependent to being more independent. Therefore, how we prefer to learn changes from being instructor-led to a more self-directed approach. 2. Adult Learner Experience Adults have lots of experience from which they draw knowledge and references. We can take from these experiences and learn from them. 3. Readiness to Learn Adults want or are ready to learn when there is a reason, such as when it’s directed towards growth and development related to their work. 4. Orientation of Learning As adults, we want what we are learning to be actually applicable to our everyday lives, instead of being general learning about a subject. We want to learn practical skills that help us solve problems and work better. 5. Motivation to Learn As children, we learn because of external factors, like parents and teachers. However, as adults we want to learn for our own reasons, for example, to progress in work or to boost self-esteem. Reference: (O'Neill, 2022)

Major Theorist of Sociocultural learning theory

Lev Vygotsky (1896 - 1934)

"The soviet Psychologist Lev Vygotsky proposed that peers, caregivers, parents, and the culture are responsible for developing the higher-order functions of the brain. Lev Vygotsky believed that human development depends on social interaction and can significantly differ between cultures" (Main, 2023)