1. EDU 301 EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Behavioral Learning Theory

2. Assumptions of Behaviorism
All species of animals learn in similar (equal ways with the same guiding principles
To understand learning processes, focus on stimulus and responses
Internal process should be excluded from the study of learning.
Learning is evidenced by a behavior change

3. Assumptions of Behaviorism (cont.)
Organisms are blank slates at birth
Learning is a result of environmental events

4. Two main types of Learning
Classical conditioning: addresses learning of involuntary responses. For example when the sound of a bell alone stimulates saliva flow in dogs.
Operant conditioning: addresses learning of voluntary responses.

5. Comparisons Classical conditioning Operant conditioning
Two stimuli, UCS and CS, are paired
A response (R) is followed by a reinforcing stimulus (S)
Involuntary behavior : elicited by a stimulus
Voluntary behavior: emitted by an organism
CS CR
R S
OR: S-R-S

6. Your turn!
With a partner, list two examples of operant conditioning that you have used or that you see regularly in your classroom or school.
Try to think of a “behavioral” example and an “instructional or academic” example.

7. A-B-C Model Behavior is sandwiched between
Antecedants (a stimulus that comes before the behavior)
Consequences (a stimulus that comes after a behavior)

8. Consequences
Reinforcement
Punishment

9. Reinforcement
Positive reinforcer: “Rewards” or something desireable is received after a behavior occurs
Negative reinforcer: “Escapes” or something undesirable is avoided after a behavior occurs

10. Punishment
Presentation punishment: An undesirable stimulus is received after a behavior occurs
Removal punishment: A desireable is lost or removed after a behavior occurs

11. Your turn
With a partner, list consequences (reinforcers and punishers) that you OR your school uses on a regular basis to produce the behavior you desire in your students.
Which ones are effective? Why or why not?

12. Antecedents
A prompt of cue that comes before a behavior that results in the correct behavior being elicited.

13. Your turn! Alone, answer the following questions:
What antecedents do you use on a daily basis to get the behavior you wish from your students?
Are the antecedents effective?

14. Like it or Not---From the behaviorist perspective,
the teacher MUST be active in getting the behavior they wish from their students.
if the teacher is not actively involved, they will not regularly see the behavior they wish or be certain the behavior was learned.
if a student does not learn (demonstrate the behavior) then the teacher did not teach it.

15. Application of Behaviorism to Instruction
Teaching that is behaviorist in nature is often referred to as
Direct teaching
Explicit teaching
Expository teaching
Teacher-led instruction

16. Behaviorism (cont.)
What areas of Bloom’s Taxonomy might behaviorism address?
Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, or Evaluation?

17. Phases in a Behaviorist Lesson
Orientation: overview, explains why, etc.

18. Phases (cont.)
Presentation: explain how to, steps, demonstrate how to.
Presented in very small steps with mastery of each step the goal
Numerous examples with teacher demonstrating correct responses
When difficulty is encountered, additional explanations and examples given.
Constant evaluation of ALL students understanding.

19. Phases (cont.) Practice phase
Structured practice: whole class led through each step of the problem with teacher leading and checking for everyone’s understanding.
Guided practice: students work on a few examples alone at their desks. Teacher circulates and monitors, providing corrective feedback and reinforcement
Independent practice: students given a few examples just like what had been learned to practice alone. Feedback is not necessarily immediate (i.e. next day).

20. Guidelines for Practice
From a behavioral perspective, students should only practice what they already know how to do.
Provide short but intense practice sessions (no more than minutes for middle/high school)
Monitor carefully and provide corrective feedback and reinforcement
Incorrect responses which are not corrected become part of the learner’s behavior and impede progress toward subsequent learning

21. Guidelines for Practice (cont.)
Do not engage students in independent practice until have 85% success in guided practice
Space structured practice close together with guided and independent sessions gradually further and further apart.

22. Your turn
In small groups, describe a lesson in which you have used the behaviorist approach (just one lesson for the entire group). What do you know now that would have made the lesson better and improved the likelihood that students would have learned better. How would you change that lesson?