By # Margarita C. Chavez October 18, 2009 EDTC 3320

What is a learning theory?  A learning theory is an attempt to describe how people and animals learn, thereby helping us understand the inherently complex process of learning  Learning theories have two chief values according to Hill(2002).

 B.F. Skinner was born March 20, 1904, he became one of our best psychology writer and one who developed the behaviorism theory. (skinner,2009)  Ivan Pavlov was born on September 14, 1849 and a theorist experimental psychology and psychopathology of animals. ( pavlov-bio,1904)

 It is an integrated whole system with it’s part enmeshed..The whole is greater than just the sum of the parts. Gestalt became one of the main theories of learning. The three main Gestalt theorists(Wertheimer, Kohler, and Koffka) were all Germans and received their training and did the work in Germany but ended up in their careers in United States. to term of “Gestalt” was coined by Graf Christian Von Ehurenfels. (Sahakian,1976)

 Behaviorism focuses only on the objectively observable aspects of learning.  Cognitive theories look beyond behavior to explain bran-based learning.  Constructivism views learning as a process in which the learner actively constructs or builds new ideas or concepts. Behaviorism ConstructivismCognitivism

KOLB’S LEARNING STYLES BY: DAVID KOLB Experiential Learning (David Kolb) Concrete Experience (feeling) Reflective Observatio n (watching) Abstract Conceptua lization (thinking) Active Experimen tation (doing)  The four learning styles emerging from the combination of styles along the learning cycle are:  Diverger (CE/RO) –feel & watch  Assimilator(thinking & Watch AC/RO)  Converger(think & do)AC/AE  Accommodator(feel & do) CE/AE  (Sierra,2007)

 There two learning theories that could have a significant impact in the creation of the foundation for training programs involving higher education faculty include the theory of andragogy and social learning theory

 Vak- concepts related to the learning styles of those present in the training environment and their impact on receiving and processing concepts is abased in the research of Rita Dunn.  Visual learners generally like to learn through reading and writing tasks or through the use of charts. Demonstration, videos and other visual materials. They often easily visualize faces and seldom get lost in new places.  Auditory learns often talk to themselves; the may also move their lips or read aloud. They may have difficulty with reading or writing tasks, doing better taking to a peer and hearing what was said.  Kinesthetic learners do best while touching and moving. They may lose concentration if there is little or no external stimulation or movement. They may want to take notes by drawing pictures, doodling or by making diagrams. When reading, they may want to scan the material first, and then focus on the details. (Sierra, 2007)

1. Active Learning 2. Multiple Intelligence ( Howard Gardner ) 3. Conditions of Learning ( Robert Gagne ) 4. Instructional System Design 5. Problem Solving and Problem Based Learning 6. Adult learning Concepts (Malcolm Knowles, et al) 7. Adult Learning Theories and Practices Different Styles Of learning Theories that are Recommended

ANDRGORY THEORY Andragogy a learning theory based on the difference between the adult learner from other learners.  (1 St) - Need to understand why adults must learn the subject.  (2 nd ) -Self-concept of the learner.  (3 rd ) -Assumption is the set of experiences of the learners.  (4th) -Assumption is that adults are ready to learn so they can perform real life tasks.  (5 th ) -Task-centered nature of adults making them motivated to learn. (Getchell,(2006)

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY Social learning theory reinforces in a number of ways including directly modeling the behaviors of others and obtaining reinforce from a third party and imitating the behavior of others. (1)People learn by observing others and the outcomes of their actions. (2)Cognition, and the awareness and expectation of future outcomes whether those outcomes are positive or negative, will have a major effect on learning. (3)Learning does not necessarily require a subsequent change in behavior, but rather people can learn simply through observations. (4)Social learning theory is considered by some as a link between behaviorist learning theories and cognitive learning theories. (Getchell, 2006)

 Environmental adult education brings an ecological perspective to studies of adult learning by concretizing the interconnections between people’s experiences of environment. Environmental adult education for community sustainability situates local knowledge within global pedagogy and activist of survival. Partial and theoretical consideration. It provides a rich and provocative discourse, and this will be useful to reader seeking to connect social land ecological issues in their educational work in community, classroom, or social movements. (Wiley & Sons, )

by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Title/productCd html Comparison of Learning Theories Getchell, Jeff (September 10, 2006) Of Learning Theo... Personality Theories B.F.Skinner, (2009) Sierra Training Associates, Nobel Lecture, Physiology or Medicine , Elsevier Publishing company, Amsterdam, Learning Theory Bibliography Shakian,