JohnathonBliss

C&T360
LearningTheoryReflection
Whenitcomestothestudyofhowpeoplelearn,therearethreemajortheoriesinplay:
behaviorism,constructivism,andhumanism.Fromthesetheoriestherearemanyofscientists
thathavemademajorcontributionstotheirfieldandhavecometoinfluencemanypeople.The
studyofthesetheoriesallowonetolookfurtherintohowtheypersonallylearnandalsoallow
themtoapplythetheoriesinclassroomswheretheymayteach.
Tostart,thereisbehaviorism,whichisthebeliefthatallbehaviorsthatlivingthings,and
mostspecificallyhumans,exhibitareconditioned.Theclassicalmethodofconditioningisbased
onconditioninginvoluntaryandautomaticbehaviors.Thisisaccomplishedbyprovidinga
signalbeforethereflexsothatthesignalcausesthedesiredbehavior.Classicalconditioningin
theclassroomcanbeseeninusingcomfortingenvironmentstoallowstudentstoperform
uncomfortableactions.Forexample,studentsmayhavefearsofperforminginfrontofothers,
butbyprovidingacomfortableclassroomtheteacherissignalingtothestudentthattheymay
performwithoutanxiety,whichdisappearsinstinctively(Introduction).Ontheotherhand,
thereisoperantconditioning,ortheconditioningofvoluntarybehaviors.Thisisnormallydone
througharewardorpunishmentafterabehaviorisperformed.Bygivingarewardor
punishment,thebehavioristhenassociatedwithanactionthatiseitherlikedordislikedwhich
mayreinforceordispersethebehavior,respectively.Therewardorpunishmentmaybeeither
positiveornegativeinthatiteitherprovidessomethingoncethebehaviorisperformedfor

positiveorremovessomethingfornegative.Thisisseenintheclassroomthroughreward
systems.Asstudentsperformadesiredbehavior,ateachermayprovideapositivereinforcement
suchasgivingthemsomerewardlikecandyorsomesortoftokentobeusedonlaterprizes
(Classical).
Next,thereisconstructivism.Constructivismisthebeliefthatlearningisdonebestwhen
itisconstructedbythelearner.Thisleadstotwomainideaswithinconstructivismthatdifferin
howtheconnectionsoftheinformationthelearnerisgatheringaremade.Thefirstofthetwo
focusesontheideathatwhenpeoplelearnnewinformation,itisstoredwithandconnectedto
previouslyknowninformation.Thismeansthatinformationismostreadilylearnedwhenitis
constructedbythelearneralongwiththecontextofrealworldideasthatstudentsalreadyhavea
majorgraspon.Byusingtechnologyintheclassroomthatallowsstudentstoexploreontheir
ownandlearnfromoutsidesources,studentscanconstructtheirownknowledgewhilelearning
howitfitsintotheworldaroundthem.Theothersideofconstructivismisalsobasedontheidea
thatstudentsmustconnectinformationtolearnit,butfocusesonadifferentmethodofgathering
theinformation.Ittakesuseoftheideathatthereisalimitedamountofinformationthat
studentsmaylearnwithguidancefromsomeoneelseasbasedonwhatthestudentalready
knows.Calledthezoneofproximaldevelopment,teachersandotherknowledgeablestudents
musthelpstudentstolearnthisfurtherinformationasbasedonandconnectedtowhatthe
studentalreadyknows(McLeod).Thisisregularlyseenascooperativelearninglikegroup
activitiesandcoauthoredpapersandprojectswithinclassrooms.
Thelastmajortheoryoflearningishumanism,whichdealswithreaching
selfactualization,orreachingonesfullpotentialinlife.Thisisgenerallyaccomplishedbyand

mostreadilyrealizedbyfindingonesmeaningandpurposeinlife.Theeasiestwayto
implementthisintheclassroomisforteacherstoteachstudentstohavegoalsandworkonways
andstepstoreachthosegoals.Thesegoalsdonothavetospecificallyrelatetoschoolor
learningingeneral,butjustgenerallifegoalsthatwillallowthestudentstoreachtheirfull
potential.Teachersmaythenprovidesecureenvironmentsthatallowthestudentstofeel
comfortableandenvironmentsthatprovidefortheirbasicneeds.Maslowdescribesthe
hierarchyofneeds(Hierarchy)tobe:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Physiologicalneeds
Securityneeds
Socialneeds
Esteemneeds
Selfactualizingneeds

Teachersneedtoknowtheseneedsandmakesurethattheyareallsufficientlymetinorderfor
selfactualizationforthestudentstooccur.
Inworkingwiththislearningtheoryprojecttobetterunderstandthethreepreviously
mentionedtheories,Icametolearnseveralthingsthatapplyonapersonallevel.First,I
recognizedthatIidentifymostwithMaslowsworkandhisbeliefthatpeopleshouldwork
towardstheirfullpotential.ThisideaissomethingthatIhavebelievedinforquitesometime
andishowImakemostofthedecisionsanddecidemostofmyactionsinmylife.Iaimfindmy
purposeandmeaninginlifeand,hopefullysomeday,reachselfactualization.Maslowsideaof
theneedsthatneedtobesatisfiedissomethingthatIagreewithespeciallysinceIhaveslowly
beenrealizingthatImakemostprogressinfulfillingmypotentialasImeetthoseneeds.And
whileImaymostidentifywithMaslowinmyultimatelifegoalsIfindthatmypersonallearning
styleismorealongthelinesofconstructivism.WhileIdofindthatthereissomeinformation

thatisbestlearnedfromteacherssimplypresentingittome,Ifeellikethemajorityofmy
knowledgethatisnotinerthascomefrommyownstudies.Ifindmyselfreadingalotofbooks
andlearningabouthistoryandworldculturethroughthatandIalsofindmyselflookingup
informationontheinternetorfromotherknowledgeablepersonswheneverIencountera
problemIdontknowhowtosolve.AndduetomyinquisitivenatureIfindmyselflookinginto
thingsthatIfindinterestingandjustspendingmoretimedivingintotheinformationandlearning
asmuchasIcanaboutit.
Participatinginthisprojecthasalsogivenalargeinsightintothedifferentwayspeople
learnandretaininformationorsimplyprogressinlife.FromthisIplantouseavarietyof
techniquesfromalltheoriesasIenterandbegintoteachmyownclasses.FrombehaviorismI
plantousetheideaofarewardsystemtoconditionstudentsintogoodacademicandlifehabits.
Thismaytakeforminthingsliketurninginhomework,participatinginclass,andbehavinginan
orderlymanner.Theseareallskillsthathavefurtherlifeapplications,ifreinforced,wouldgive
studentsamajoradvantage.Ialsoplanonusingsometechniquesfromconstructivism.Iwould
providestudentsmanyopportunitiestoworktogetherandbuildoffofeachother,allowingthem
toconstructinformationinasocialsetting.Studentswillalsobeabletousemanydifferent
resourcesandformsofinquirytotakequestionsabouttheworldaroundthemandletthem
searchfortheanswers.ThiswouldallowthemtoconnecttheinformationthatIwillwantthem
tolearntoideasthattheyalreadyhavewithin.Andlastly,Iwouldtakefromhumanism.My
planistonotonlyprovidestudentswithknowledge,buttoalsohelpthemrealizeanygoalsthat
theymayhave.Iwantstudentstosetgoalsandthenhelpthemworktowardsthosegoalsinany

waythatImaybeabletohelpsinceIhavecomerealizehowworkingtowardsgoalsand
reachingonesfullpotentialisoftheutmostimportance.

WorksCited
Cherry,Kendra."ClassicalvsOperantConditioning."About.comPsychology.N.p.,n.d.Web.23Mar.
2014.
Cherry,Kendra."HierarchyofNeeds."About.comPsychology.N.p.,n.d.Web.21Mar.2014.
Cherry,Kendra."IntroductiontoClassicalConditioning."About.comPsychology.N.p.,n.d.Web.23
Mar.2014.
McLeod,Saul."ZoneofProximalDevelopment."SimplyPsychology.N.p.,2010.Web.23Mar.2014.