Learning Unleashed

          One subject that has always interested me is sociology. In fact it interests me so much that I minored in it during my undergraduate studies. Education ties into it, but sociology expands into the study of other social institutions as well. My first exposure to the subject came in high school when I had a beginner's sociology class in my schedule. One of the assignments that I remember we had to complete was a paper that explained which side we were on in the nature versus nurture debate. I found that I did not side completely with one or the other, and wrote my paper to explain why I believe that humans are who they are as a result of both the environments they grew up in as well as their genetics.

         When it comes to learning theories, I feel much the same way: unable to completely side with one over another. For years, educational psychologists and theorists have debated about how students learn. Whereas the likes of B.F. Skinner held fast to the belief that a stimulus in our environments is what directly affects our learning behavior, Lev Vygotsky supported the idea that humans learn as a result of their social interactions with adult teachers or mentors. As I was reviewing the four broad human learning "perspectives" for my Instructional Applications of the Internet class this week, I had the same thought that I did in my high school sociology class, which is that there is no right answer or absolute truth about how people learn. Each perspective has its own merits, which I say based on my own teaching experiences. 

       In my classroom, I used sticker charts and a ticket system to reinforce positive behavior and found that it worked like a charm for the majority of my students. They knew the rules and expectations, and received either a ticket or sticker for making good behavioral choices, such as helping a friend, offering to clean up materials without being asking, actively participating during a lesson, or working quietly on given assignments. Full sticker charts, or a certain number of tickets, resulted in special rewards. In a classroom environment full of attentive, helpful, and non-disruptive students, the opportunities for learning are optimal. As a result of my own personal teaching experiences as just described, I agree with the main ideas behind the behaviorist learning theory. In a nutshell, the theory states that an environment can shape learning and behavior. I found this to be true. 

 Students would take their tickets from out of the apple, 

which you can see in the photo if you look closely! 

        However, I also have observed learning happening cognitively. This theory states that learning and the processing of information comes from the learner doing a combination of retrieving, comparing, storing, and organizing information mentally. It also states that new learning is connected to what people already know. Students always had the most success in my classroom when they were able to connect what they already knew to content they had never encountered before. For instance, an understanding of how a new seed grows through the process of pollination was stronger by those who recalled to memory an experiment in which we had dissected lima beans and identified their specific features. Personally, I know that my own learning is enhanced by considering what I already understand, and I am constantly storing and comparing new ideas. 

         The humanistic theory focuses on the role that emotions play in learning. It supports the idea that a person's choices, sense of responsibility, and motivation influence what and how they learn. In recent years, this theory has once again shifted into focus in the educational community. Angela Duckworth's studies on grit directly relate with this theory as does Paul Tough's bestselling book: How Children Succeed. Though it is clear that a person's personality and emotions play a part in how they do (or do not) succeed academically, it remains unclear what role parents and teachers can play to affect or change a child's grit factor. 

            Finally, the social learning theory states that humans learn best in group activities. In my classroom, there were always plenty of opportunities for collaboration amongst the students. When students work in groups, they are forced to share ideas and learn from one another. While I saw the power that many minds working together can have, I also recognized the importance of students working on their own to construct knowledge or learning alongside a mentor teacher. 

        To string everything I just mentioned in this post together: my overall belief is that there is no single learning theory that trumps the rest. All four perspectives were seen at work in my classroom. Educators must keep in mind that a balance is necessary. Though they must consider the environments of their classrooms and how it affects behavior and learning, they also have to promote grit, collaboration, and constructivist thinking. 

     Until next time...