AET 500 Learning Theories Presentation

Learning Theories Presentation

AET/500

August 2, 2015

Emily Bethea, Kristina Foxx

Karen Sheppard, James Stephens Sr.

Instructor: Melinda Medina

Cognitive Learning TheoryTheorist

Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

Jean Piaget was a psychologist born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland in 1896 (“Distinguished Scientific Contribution Awards: 1969,” 1970, p. 65).

He began studying children at the Museum of Natural History in in Neuchâtel “by the presentation of questions and by imposing tasks involving simple concrete relations of cause and effect” (“Distinguished Scientific Contribution Awards: 1969,” 1970, p. 66).

He began his research with social environment and language, but kept in mind his goal of determining the psychological mechanism of logical operations and of causal reasoning


Jean Piaget (1896-1980) (cont.)

The results of his work at the Institute from 1921 to 1925 were contained in his first five books on child psychology” (p. 66).

While continuing to teach at the Institute, he was also a professor of psychology, sociology, and the philosophy of science at the University of Neuchâtel from 1925-1929.

From 1929 to 1930, Piaget developed three distinct avenues of development in his research:

While holding various teaching and professional positions, Piaget also carried out two extensive studies from 1939 to 1945



“First, with the collaboration of various assistants, he undertook a long-range study of the development of perception in the child in order to better understand the relationship between perception and intelligence, as well as to test the claims of the Gestalt theory” (“Distinguished Scientific Contribution Awards: 1969,” 1970, p. 67).

“Second, he began his research on the development of time, movement, and velocity, and on behavior involving these concepts. In the postwar period, with the collaboration of B. Inhelder, he conducted about 30 experiments on the development of spatial relations in two- and three-year-old children, together with a study of the reactions of young children to irreversible physical phenomena, and a study on the genesis of probability” (“Distinguished Scientific Contribution Awards: 1969,” 1970, p. 67).



Piaget opened his Center for Genetic Epistemology and many people studied there. Meanwhile, He continued his research on children and broadedned his studies to include memory , mental imagery, and causality until his death in 1980 (“Distinguished Scientific Contribution Awards: 1969,” 1970, p. 67).

Piaget’s Cognitive Theory

According to Saul McLeod (2009), The three basic components to Piaget’s cognitive theory are:

Schemas (the building blocks of knowledge).

Adaptation processes that enable the transition from on stage to another (equilibration, assimilation, and accommodation).

Stages of development:

Sensorimotor,

Preoperational,

Concrete operational,

Formal operational.

Piaget’s Cognitive Theory (cont.)

Schemata are, according to McLeod (2009), “the basic building block of intelligent behavior – a way of organizing knowledge. Indeed, it is useful to think of schemas as “units” of knowledge, each relating to one aspect of the world, including objects, actions and abstract (i.e. theoretical) concepts.”

As a person develops and gains more schemata, they begin to develop mental processes such as assimilation, accommodation, and equilibration.

Assimilation is “using existing schema to deal with a new object or situation” (McLeod, 2009).

Accommodation “happens when the existing schema (knowledge) does not work, and needs to be changed to deal with a new object or situation” (McLeod, 2009).


Equilibration is “the force which moves development along. Piaget believed that cognitive development did not progress at a steady rate, but rather in leaps and bounds. Equilibrium occurs when a child's schemas can deal with most new information through assimilation. However, an unpleasant state of disequilibrium occurs when new information cannot be fitted into existing schemas (assimilation). Equilibration is the force which drives the learning process as we do not like to be frustrated and will seek to restore balance by mastering the new challenge (accommodation). Once the new information is acquired the process of assimilation with the new schema will continue until the next time we need to make an adjustment to it” (McLeoud, 2009).


Stages of Development according to McLeod (2009):

The sensorimotor stage happens from 0 to 2 years and results in object permanence.

The preoperational happens from 2 to 7 years and results in egocentrism.

The concrete operational stage happens from 7 to 11 years and results in conservation.

The formal operational stage happens from 11 years and up and results in abstract reasoning (manipulating ideas in head).

Piaget’s Cognitive TheoryClassroom Setting

Scenario

Traditional classroom setting

Adults

Night class-CPR

College campus

Students will come in each day and individually; one by one, perform what was learned the previous day through assessment, this will allow the student to effectively measure their own techniques, fix errors and self-assess through personal experiences and acquired skills from previously taught classes.

Piaget’s Cognitive TheoryClassroom Setting(cont.)

Scenario (cont.)

Each week the students will also be able to see other classmates perform CRP on their own manikins.

Each student will create their own assessment for other classmates and watch them perform CPR, they will score the other student and advise them if they have passed or failed.


Impact of Mode of Delivery

Adult learners are able to use their cognitive thinking and mapping skills to asses other students, in turn they have to remember all the steps before they can effectively assess another student allowing them to effectively retain the information and steps to perform CPR.

This allows the adult student to be self-motivated and self-directed throughout the entire process while acquiring all necessary information while having fun. (Richard C. 2013)


How it Affects the Chosen Adult Education Program

Affects the adult education program, First Aid Class – Topic “CPR” in several ways:

Will assess the student’s intellectual skills as well as the student’s memory.

The importance of the student’s ability to grasp the information provided and retains the information for an indefinite time period.

Can also assist the students in learning CPR at their own pace and by doing so become more engaged as they learn.

As the adult student is motivated to learn this lifesaving technique, this being one of their goals in why they took this first aid course, they are also incorporating the motivational part of cognitive theory.


Applicability of Topic to the Selected Adult Education Audience and Environment

Cognitive Development does not play as big a roll in this fictional classroom setting.

The assumption is that the students are all adults who have already arrived at Piaget’s final stage of intellectual development; the Formal Operational Stage. (McLeod, S. 2015. para. 10.)

There are many variables that influence and contribute to the learning of our CPR students.

It is imperative that the educators not only create a venue that encourages learning, but also take the time to understand each individual adult


Applicability of Topic to the Selected Adult Education Audience and Environment (cont.)

“Setting the stage,” in this CPR class is necessary to ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate in the activities provided by the educator.

As, cognitivism encompasses studying learning, the adults strength in memory, intelligence, and their ability to problem solve, all things important in learning and one day possibly utilizing their learned CPR training to save a life, the use of Piaget’s Cognitive theories in this classroom environment and topic does work.

Behavioral Learning TheoryTheorist

B. F. Skinner (1904-1990)

Burrhus Frederic Skinner was an American psychologist born in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania in 1904.

He graduated from Hamilton College with a degree in English and, at the encouragement of Robert Frost, took a year off from his studies to pursue a career as a writer; however, he decided he had “nothing to say” and returned to graduate school (Huitt & Hummel, 2008, p. 528).

He entered a doctoral program at Harvard University, “ where he began experiments on the behavior of rats that led to more than two dozen journal articles and culminated in his 1938 book, The Behavior of Organisms” (Huitt & Hummel, 2008, p. 528).

During WWII, Skinner helped train pigeons which helped further his research and he began to replace rats with pigeons in his laboratory experiments (Huitt & Hummel, 2008, p. 528).


B. F. Skinner (1904-1990) (cont.)

According to Huitt & Hummel (2008), “In the 1930s, as B. F. Skinner was developing the laws of operant conditioning, he constructed an apparatus, technically called an operant chamber but popularly known as a “Skinner box,” that deprives an animal of all external stimuli other than those under the control of the experimenter (Skinner 1935)

In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, several research laboratories and colleges began teaching about Skinner’s findings (Huitt & Hummel, 2008, p. 528).

Skinner worked with Charles B Ferster to build his teaching machine (Huitt & Hummel, 2008, p. 528).


B. F. Skinner (1904-1990) (cont.)

Skinner began to research and experiment with human behavior in his 1953 book Science and Human Behavior (Huitt & Hummel, 2008, p. 528).

He retired from the laboratory research in 1962 and only returned to research the book he continued to publish after his retirement (Huitt & Hummel, 2008, p. 528).

He continued working until the day before he died from Lukemia on August 18, 1990.

Skinner’s Operant Conditioning Theory

Skinner was not interested in workings of the mind; rather he was interested in observable behaviors.

“The work of Skinner was rooted in a view that classical conditioning was far too simplistic to be a complete explanation of complex human behavior. He believed that the best way to understand behavior is to look at the causes of an action and its consequences. He called this approach operant conditioning” (McLeod, 2007).

According to McLeod (2007), “Operant Conditioning deals with operant - intentional actions that have an effect on the surrounding environment. Skinner set out to identify the processes which made certain operant behaviors more or less likely to occur.”


(cont.) Skinner developed the theory of reinforcement, which

basically states that behavior that is reinforced is more likely to occur than behavior that is not enforced. There are three types of reinforcement: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment.

Positive reinforcement makes wanted behavior more likely to occur because it provides a positive consequence.

Negative reinforcement makes wanted behavior more likely to occur because it removes a stimulus that is negative to the animal or person.

Punishment makes unwanted behavior less likely to occur because it introduces a negative consequence to the person or animal.


(cont.) According to McLeod (2007), Skinner believed

there are three types of operants that can follow behavior:

Neutral operants: responses from the environment that neither increase nor decrease the probability of a behavior being repeated.

Reinforcers: Responses from the environment that increase the probability of a behavior being repeated. Reinforcers can be either positive or negative.

Punishers: Responses from the environment that decrease the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. Punishment weakens behavior.

Skinner’s Behavioral TheoryClassroom Setting

Scenario

The setting takes place in the traditional classroom

Joining the class will be adult students

This is a night class

This is a large community college campus dance room, studio/classroom

The classroom will be set up with a Projector screen for visual interpretation videos to learn and repeat

There will be ample space for each student to have a partner on the floor with their CPR manikin

Skinner’s Behavioral TheoryClassroom Setting (cont.)

Impact of Mode of Delivery

Adult learners will have a one on one opportunity to complete a certified CPR course. The goal is for each student to learn the steps needed through visual aids and student-teacher repetition to learn the steps needed to independently perform critical life saving strategies in case of an emergency.

Most educational fields require the passing of a CPR course before the consideration of employment.

This will allow positive reinforcement for adults because the reward of learning CPR and passing the course equals a possible promotion in employment.

Skinner’s Behavioral TheoryClassroom Setting(cont.)

Impact of Mode of Delivery (cont.)

Negative reinforcement will come from not remembering the necessary steps to save a life: resulting in:

Failing the course

Risking the chance of feeling punished by possibly having to purchase and retake the course a second time delaying job enhancements.

Skinner’s Behavioral TheoryClassroom Setting(cont.)

How it Affects the Chosen Adult Education Program

Affects the Adult education program: First Aid Class – Topic “CPR” very positively.

Real time classroom setting that utilizes hands on exercises and immediate positive reinforcement is beneficial to all students.

This adult night class provides opportunities for negative reinforcement. As the adult learner works on the CPR mannequin, they will feel tired quicker (negative reinforcement) if they are preforming CPR incorrectly on the mannequin. Air will not rise the chest of the mannequin as well as the need to re-do chest compressions

Skinner’s Behavioral Theory

Classroom Setting(cont.)Applicability of Topic to the Selected Adult

Education Audience and Environment.

As the students in this first aid class work on learning and mastering the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) procedure, they must be able to practice and show their instructor their understanding of the order of actions as well as the important technical aspects of preforming CPR.

As the students demonstrate what they have learned the will receive positive reinforcement and guidance to perfect what they have been taught

Skinner’s Behavioral Theory

Classroom Setting(cont.)Applicability of Topic to the Selected Adult

Education Audience and Environment

Adult learners appreciate positive reinforcement as it validates their decisions to further their education.

The classroom is an appropriate environment for this fictional class because they are provided the opportunity for real hands on activities, providing the adult learners with immediate, real time, feedback and assistance.

References

Distinguished scientific contribution awards: 1969. (1970). American Psychologist, 25(1), 65-

89. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/614444052?accountid=166133

Huitt, W. & Hummel, J. (2008). Skinner, b.f. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, 7 (2), 528. Retrieved from: http://go.galegroup.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3045302461&v=2.1&u=uphoenix_uopx&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w

McLeod, S. (2009). Jean piaget. Retrieved from: http://

www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html

http://search.proquest.com/docview/614444052?acco



http://go.galegroup.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/ps



http://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html



References (cont.)

McLeod, S., (2015). Jean Piaget. Retrieved from:


McLeod, S. (2007). Skinner-operant conditioning. Retrieved from: http://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html

Richard C. (2013). Operant conditioning. B.F. Skinner. Retrieved from: http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/operant-conditioning.html

http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/operant-



AET 500 Learning Theories Presentation

Education

piagets cognitive theory

gestalt theory

development of perception

development of time

stages of development

longrange study

reactions of young children

building blocks of knowledge