Behaviourism : This theory supports the idea that how a student behaves is based on their interaction with their environment. It suggests that behaviours are influenced and learned from external forces rather than internal forces., This theory is the basis for psychology that can be observed and quantified. Positive reinforcement is a popular element of this theory. Also, classical conditioning observed in Pavlov’s dog experiments suggests that behaviours are directly motivated by the reward that can be obtained. This theory has an emphasis on rewards and punishment as drivers of learning, and on predefined and measurable outcomes., According to this theory, teachers in a classroom can utilize positive reinforcement to help students better learn a concept. Students who receive positive reinforcement are more likely to retain information moving forward, which is a direct result of this theory., Pavlov, Skinner, Thorndike, and Watson are the important proponents of this theory., According to this theory, teaching is the belief that learning is governed by invariant principles, and these principles are independent of conscious control on the part of the learner. Supporters of this theory generally reject reference to unmeasurable states, such as feelings, attitudes, and consciousness. Human behaviour is above all seen as predictable and controllable. Skinner’s theory of learning provides the underlying theoretical basis for the development of teaching machines, measurable learning objectives, computer-assisted instruction, and multiple choice tests., The influence of this theory is still strong in corporate and military training, and in some areas of science, engineering, and medical training. It can be of particular value for rote learning of facts or standard procedures such as multiplication tables, for dealing with children or adults with limited cognitive ability due to brain disorders, or for compliance with industrial or business standards or processes that are invariant and do not require individual judgement., Cognitivism: This theory looks at the way people think. Mental processes are an important part in understanding how we learn. This theory understands that learners can be influenced by both internal and external elements., Plato and Descartes are two of the first philosophers that focused on cognition and how we as human beings think. Jean Piaget is a highly important figure in the field of cognitive psychology, and his work focuses on environments and internal structures and how they impact learning., According to this theory, teachers can give students opportunities to ask questions, to fail, and think out loud. These strategies can help students understand how their thought process works, and utilize this knowledge to construct better learning opportunities., The most widely used methods based on this theory in education are based on Bloom’s taxonomies of learning objectives (Bloom et al., 1956), which are related to the development of different kinds of learning skills, or ways of learning. Bloom and his colleagues claimed that there are three important domains of learning: cognitive (thinking), affective (feeling) and psycho-motor (doing). This theory focuses on the ‘thinking’ domain., The proponents of this theory focus on identifying mental processes – internal and conscious representations of the world – that they consider are essential for human learning., The approaches to learning based on this theory, with a focus on comprehension, abstraction, analysis, synthesis, generalization, evaluation, decision-making, problem-solving and creative thinking, seem to fit much better with higher education. However, this theory claims even in school/k-12 education, it is possible to teach how to learn, how to develop stronger or new mental processes for future learning, and how to develop deeper and constantly changing understanding of concepts and ideas., Constructivism : This theory emphasizes the importance of consciousness, free will and social influences on learning. Carl Rogers (1969) stated that, ‘every individual exists in a continually changing world of experience in which he is the center.’ The external world is interpreted within the context of that private world. The belief that humans are essentially active, free and strive for meaning in personal terms is an essential component of this theory., This theory is based on the idea that students actually create their own learning based on their previous knowledge and experiences. Students take what they’re being taught and add it to their previous knowledge and experiences, creating a reality that’s unique to them. This learning theory focuses on learning as an active process, which is personal and individual for each student., This theory considers learning being unique to the individual learner. Students adapt their models of understanding either by reflecting on prior theories or resolving misconceptions. Students need to have a prior base of knowledge for such approaches to be effective. Bruner, Vygotsky and Piaget are the three important figures of this theory., According to this theory, teachers can utilize this theory to help understand that each student will bring their own past to the classroom every day. Teachers in such classrooms where this theory is applied act as more of a guide to helping students create their own learning and understanding. They help them create their own process and reality based on their own past. This is crucial to helping many kinds of students take their own experiences and include them in their learning., Vygotsky, Piaget and Bruner are important researchers of this theory., Connectivism : This theory suggests that the collective connections between all the ‘nodes’ in a network result in new forms of knowledge. According to Siemens (2004), knowledge is created beyond the level of individual human participants, and is constantly shifting and changing. Knowledge in networks is not controlled or created by any formal organization, although organizations can and should ‘plug in’ to this world of constant information flow, and draw meaning from it. Knowledge in this theory is a chaotic, shifting phenomenon as nodes come and go and as information flows across networks that themselves are interconnected with myriad other networks., This is one of the newest educational learning theories. It focuses on the idea that people learn and grow when they form connections. This can be connections with each other or connections with their roles and obligations in their lives. Hobbies, goals, and people can all be connections that influence learning., Teachers can utilize connectivism in their classrooms to help students make connections to things that excite them, helping them learn. Teachers can use digital media to make good, positive connections to learning. They can help create connections and relationships with their students and with their peer groups to help students feel motivated about learning., Siemens and Downes are the most important proponents of the theory. Siemens (2005) identifies the principles of this theory as follows: • Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions. • Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources. • Learning may reside in non-human appliances. • Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known • Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning. • Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill. • Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities. • Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.,

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