Kelly Snyder 1
Kelly_lynn20@yahoo.com
Running head: LEARNING PROCESSES THROUGH THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEARNING MODELS
Learning Processes through the Different Types of Learning Models
Kelly Snyder
Strayer University
Kelly Snyder 2
Kelly_lynn20@yahoo.com
CONTENTS
Abstract . 3
Humanist Orientation 4
Cognitivist Orientation .5
Social Learning Orientation .5
Constructivist Orientation 6
References 7
Appendix ..8
Kelly Snyder 3
Abstract
There are many different learning orientations to learning. A few of these orientations include the Behaviorist model, the Cognitivist model, the Humanist model, the Social Learning model, and the constructivist model. Throughout this paper I will talk about a few of these orientations. There are many different theorists who believed in these orientations. I personally like the Humanist model the best. I believe this orientation helps adults the most because it helps them become self-directed learners. By becoming a self-directed learner, adults become a whole person, which is needed to survive in society.
While explaining many of these orientations, I will also give some examples on how teachers can help adult learners in each of the models. Teachers probably play the biggest part when it comes to adult learners. Adults need to find a way to want to learn and understand better. A good teacher bases their learning experiences on past experiences. If learning related to their own life, they are more willing to learn. The role of the facilitator plays a very large part in their learning. Adults need to feel like equals so it is the facilitators duty to make them feel at ease. If these needs are met, learning can occur.
Kelly Snyder 4
Humanist Orientation
The term andragogy means that instruction for adults should concentrate more on process and less on content being taught. The use of strategies such as case studies, role-playing, and self-evaluation are very useful. Andragogy relates to any type of adult learning used primarily in the design of organizational training programs. There are four assumptions about the design of learning: (1.) Adults need to know why they learn something, (2.) Adults need to learn experientially, (3.) Adults approach learning as problem-solving, and (4.) Adults learn best when the topic is of immediate value.
Knowles was convinced that adults learned differently than children. This was the reason for his research into adult learning, which later was widely known as andragogy. He had done prior research on informal adult education that highlighted elements of process and setting (Smith, 2002). Knowles charted the development of the adult education movement in the United States, which helped him come to some developments about the direction of adult education. He brought these elements together and used idea of andragogy.
M.S. Knowles theory of andragogy was an attempt to form a theory especially for adult learners. Knowles states (1975) that adults expect to take responsibility for decisions and are self-directed learners. There are four andragogy principles that Knowles (1975) talks about that pertain to adult learning. The first principle declares that adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction. The second principle states that experience (even mistakes) provides the basis for learning activities. The third principle declares that adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance to their jobs or personal life. The final principle states that adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented. Knowles believed that these four principles was the best way for facilitators to educate adults.
Kelly Snyder 5
Maslow and Rogers are the Behaviorists accredited for the humanistic approach. Abraham Maslow created a hierarchy of motivation, which has levels of physiological needs. When a person progresses through these levels, they have to fully meet the first level before they can move on to the next level (Smith, 1996). The idea of hierarchy of needs exerted a powerful hold over adult education.
Cognitivist Orientation
The Cognitive model was created when a certain group of psychologists, whom called themselves the Gestalt psychologists, started to disagree with the Behaviorists model. They believed that the Behaviorist model focused on single events, such as stimuli and overt behavior. Their thoughts were that images or perceptions should be seen as a whole not a sum of the component parts (Smith, 1999).
There are many theorists who believed in this model. A few of them include Bruner, Kohler, and Piaget. They believed that learning is active and takes place through information processing. They evaluated learning for this model by observable behavior and achievement of intended objects. Today the recent multimedia software is designed based on this theory. These researchers looked at mental processes and how they could be linked to teaching and they explored the contribution of the environment on a learner (Smith, 1999).
Social Learning Orientation
There are two psychologists accredited for this theory, they are Bandura and Rotter. This theory focuses on the interaction with and the observation of others in a social context (Merriam, 1999). This social learning theory was an early bridge between behaviorism and cognitivism. This theory emphasized the social aspect of learning. Bandura believed that people learn by observing others and copying their behavior. Observation allows people to see the consequences of others behaviors (Smith, 1999).
Kelly Snyder 6
Constructivist Orientation
A few famous psychologists known for the creation of the constructivist model were Piaget, Vygotsky, and Dewey. They believed that there is a construction of meaning from experience (Merriam, 1999). This simply meant that learners learn from their many experiences in life. Learning is not transmitted from one person to another but is constructed by the individual. The best way for learners to learn in this model is to take new information and link it to prior knowledge.
This method creates a collaborative learning environment where learners ask questions and discuss ideas freely with each other. Therefore, students sometimes take on the role of the teacher to help other students learn. It is easier for some students to learn by another student rather than a teacher. The use of multimedia software and the Internet can help create a constructivist-learning environment (Learning Theories, 2004).
Kelly Snyder 7
Kelly_lynn20@yahoo.com
References
Learning Theories and Instructional Design, 2004. Retrieved on February 20, 2006, from
http://www.spsu.edu/htc/hughes/papers/interface.htm#_Toc459087696
Merriam, S. & Caffarella, R. (1999). Learning in Adulthood. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc
Smith, M.K. (1996). Humanistic orientations to learning. The encyclopedia of informal
education. Retrieved on February 20, 2006, from www.infed.org/biblio/learning-humanistic.htm.
Smith, M. K. (1999) 'The
social/situational orientation to learning', The encyclopedia of informal
education, . Retrieved on February 28 2006, from www.infed.org/biblio/learning-social.htm
Smith, M.K. (1999). The cognitive orientation to learning, The
encyclopedia of informal
education. Retrieved on February 28 2006, from www.infed.org/biblio/learning-cognitive.
Smith, M.K. (2002). Malcolm Knowles, informal adult education, self-direction and andragogy. Infed Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 12, 2005, from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm.
Kelly Snyder 8
Kelly_lynn20@yahoo.com
Appendix
Learning Theories and Instructional Design, 2004. Retrieved on February 20, 2006, from
http://www.spsu.edu/htc/hughes/papers/interface.htm#_Toc459087696
This was a very interesting article. In this article it talks about the four most common orientations to learning. They included Behaviorists theories, Cognitive theories, Humanist theories, and Social/situated learning theories. I learned so much about each of these learning orientations from this article. In this article it even refers to some of the psychologists responsible for the discovery of the model and what part they played in the discovery.
Smith, M.K. (1996). Humanistic orientations to learning. The encyclopedia of informal
education. Retrieved on February 20, 2006, from www.infed.org/biblio/learning-humanistic.htm.
Mark Smith had a site that I found that discussed the five orientations to learning. On this particular site he talked about the humanistic model. I already knew quite a bit about this approach because it is my favorite. I have read a lot about Knowles and this model. This article taught me a few new things about this model that I did not already know. It made me like the humanistic orientation that much more.
Smith, M. K. (1999) 'The
social/situational orientation to learning', the encyclopedia of informal
education, . Retrieved on February 28 2006, from www.infed.org/biblio/learning-social.htm
This was an article also written by Mark Smith that talks about the Social learning approach. I read a little about each orientation, but his articles on the different orientations really summed it up for me. I learned so much about the orientations that I really understand each one better now.
Kelly Snyder 9
Kelly_lynn20@yahoo.com
I never thought that by observing others you not only learn, but you see what consequences come from each action taken.
Smith, M.K. (1999). The cognitive orientation to learning, The
encyclopedia of informal
education. Retrieved on February 28 2006, from www.infed.org/biblio/learning-cognitive.
This would be another article written my Mark Smith. He really had some great information to help me learn more in detail about each orientation. In this article he talked about the Cognitive orientation. He talked about how the theory came about and why it was created. He also talked about who the Gestalt psychologists were and why they created this learning model. He compared it to the Behaviorist model and told why the Gestalt psychologists did not like that learning theory.
Smith, M.K. (2002). Malcolm Knowles, informal adult education, self-direction and andragogy. Infed Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 12, 2005, from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm.
This was my favorite article. I learned so much about Knowles and his thinking of the humanistic approach. Mark Smith also wrote this article. If you cannot already tell I really liked what he wrote and it was excellent information for the paper. In this article he told about the life of Knowles and about his research into the humanistic learning orientation. He had so much to say on this approach and it really helped me with learning more about this approach.
