Week#:2 TeamName:OtterGlobetrotters

Recorder:Tom Coordinator:Traci
Elaborator:Nikki Explorer:Tina

Education Week

Behaviorism,ItisImportant
OppositetheEditorialPage(oped)byOtterGlobetrotters
September9,2014

Behaviorism,thelearningtheorythatstateslearninghappensthroughstimuli,responses,
learninghistories,andreinforcements,isbasedonobservationandexperimentation.Scientific
experimentation,observations,anddatacollectionhavereflectedthevalidityofthistheoryinboth
humansandanimals.Forexample,B.F.Skinner,abehaviorist,taughtpigeonsandratsto
displayacertainbehaviorbasedonasignalthatprovidedpositivereinforcement(food).Since
behaviorismcanbetested,observed,recorded,andrepeated,itisavaluablelearningtheory
usedbyprofessionalsaroundtheworld.

Behaviorismshouldnotbeleftoutofinstruction.Intheclassroom,webelievebehaviorismisan
excellentlearningtheorytokeepinmindandimplementtoencouragepositivebehaviors.For
example,apositivereinforcementcanbethattheyreceiveverbalpraiseorsomeextratimeat
theendofclass.Apositivepunishmentcanbethatthestudentreceivesdetention.I,Traci,know
frompersonalexperiencethatnotonlyisdetentionnofun,butifIhadtogotoafterschool
detentionandthereforemadeitlatetosoccerpractice,Ihadtorunlapstherestofpracticeand
wasnotallowedtoplaythenextgame.Thatwasdoublepunishment,therefore,IdideverythingI
couldtonotgetadetentionagain.Inabusinesscase,wewantouremployeestoincrease
attendance.Oneneedstoconsiderareinforcementthatallemployeeslike,suchasaCafLatte
orsomefancyteaoradayoff.Ofcoursethevalueofthereinforcementshouldreflectthevalue
ofthebehavior.

Inaneducationalenvironment,immediatefeedbackduringinstructionhasshowntohavea
positiveoutcomeinlearningaswell.Whenstudentsareaskedquestionsatdifferentpoints
throughoutalesson,itisimportanttogivethemimmediatefeedback.Thisisagreatexampleof
usingbehaviorismtoenhanceinstruction.Thestudentsreceiveimmediatefeedbackandbased
onthestudentsresponses,theinstructorknowsiftheinstructioniseffective.Basedonthe
givenresponses,theteacher,inturn,candecidewhethertomoveforwardwithinstructionor
revisethelessontoacquirethedesiredresponses.

Keepingbehaviorisminthecoursesofinstructioncanbreakdownlessonstoasimpleformof
positivereinforcementorpunishment,whichtheteachercanthenevaluatetheeffects.Ifthe
evaluationispositive,theteachercanusebehaviorismtoexpandthelessonbyaddingmore
detailsinthesamelesson.Iftheevaluationisnegative,theteachercanthenrevisitthelessons
anddoremedialinstruction.

Behaviorismisatoolthatteacherscanreliablyusetobeginteachingstudentsthecauseand
effectoftheirbehaviorsandthereforetheoutcomeseachchoicewillproduce.Itisacontinued
cycleofexperimentation,observation,datacollectionandreevaluationofthedesiredoutcome.
Thereismeritinteachingthatactionsproducecertaineffectswhichhasbeenproventowork
withthesmallestmammalstooursemimediumsizemammals(humans).