Learning Theories Simplified: ...and how to apply them to teaching

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Secondary reinforcers are stimuli that are reinforced through their association with a primary reinforcer, such as money, school grades. They do not directly satisfy an innate need but may be the means. So a secondary reinforcer can be just as powerful a motivator as a primary reinforcer.

Ferster, C. B., & Skinner, B. F. (1957). Schedules of reinforcement. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. However, if the teacher gives a firm, clear instruction and those instructions are met, they should be followed by positive reinforcement (see Skinner above). Any deviation from the instruction should be met with negative consequences that the students have prior knowledge of.B.F. Skinner conducted several experiments with pigeons to demonstrate the principles of operant conditioning. Understanding the Stage a child is in informs what they should be presented with based on what they can and cannot do at the Stage they’re in.

Gamification and game-based learning is a great way to get people to think creatively and draw connections, as it enables them to absorb course material in a different way. Look for a learning management system (LMS) like GoSkills that allows for games within your course modules. Gamification status levels in the GoSkills LMS make learning fun and engaging 3. Constructivism

The timing of the response relative to the stimulus differs between classical and operant conditioning: Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. Using mental abilities to coordinate body movements to solve problems.

It’s a bit of a dense theory to understand, but here’s the gist — we aren’t passive when we’re learning. Instead, our brain is actively working to take in information and process it. When we reorganize that information, find new explanations, or tailor old explanations, that’s stored in our memory and influences future learning (and ultimately, behavioral change). There are 3 main schemas of learning theories; Behaviorism, Cognitivism and Constructivism. In this article you will find a breakdown of each one and an explanation of the 15 most influential learning theories; from Vygotsky to Piaget and Bloom to Maslow and Bruner. What are crucial in this learning theory are the ideas of Scaffolding, the Zone of Proximal Development ( ZPD) and the More Knowledgeable Other ( MKO). Here’s how all that works: More Knowledgeable OtherToken economy has been found to be very effective in managing psychiatric patients. However, the patients can become over-reliant on the tokens, making it difficult for them to adjust to society once they leave prison, hospital, etc. To achieve his five conditions of learning, Gagné believed that learning would take place when students progress through nine levels of learning and that any teaching session should include a sequence of events through all nine levels. The idea was that the nine levels of learning activate the five conditions of learning and thus, learning will be achieved. By observing and imitating models, individuals can acquire new skills and behaviors and modify their own behavior based on the outcomes they observe in others. This experiment was conducted to explore the effects of non-contingent reinforcement on pigeons, leading to some fascinating observations that can be likened to human superstitions. The rate of reinforcement (how often the food was presented) played a significant role. Shorter intervals between food presentations led to more rapid and defined conditioning.

The psychomotor domain refers to those objectives that are specific to reflex actions interpretive movements and discreet physical functions. For each successful day of healthy eating, an individual allows themselves a small piece of dark chocolate at the end of the day. Positive reinforcement is a term described by B. F. Skinner in his theory of operant conditioning. In positive reinforcement, a response or behavior is strengthened by rewards, leading to the repetition of desired behavior. The reward is a reinforcing stimulus. Generativity Vs. Stagnation (Age 40 – 65). In middle adulthood, people are concerned with contributing to society either through their work or parenthood. Continued self-improvement for the benefit of other people figures strongly here. Learn on your own Earn certifications for the most in-demand skills with unlimited access to all GoSkills courses. Learn moreWhen the child has developed a working Schema that can explain what they perceive in the world, that Schema is in a state of Equilibrium.