Cognitivism as a Learning Theory

What should we do about-isms?  According to Bill Kerr (2007), -isms are offering something useful without any of them being complete or stand alone in their own right.  As I continue to study the learning theory, I realize that behaviorism, constructivism, and cognitivism are all a part of the learning process.   In order for educators to ensure their students are successful in their academic setting, they must teach them how to develop their cognitive skills such memorizing and recalling information to formulate responses necessary to begin the thinking process.  Once those cognitive skills have been developed, students can then begin to analyze information which enables them to solve problems and formulate answers to real world situations.  Students will then be able to develop and apply their collaborative skills in social arenas which will aid them in mastering and conquering their and creative skills.  This process will eventually guide students to become independent, self-confidence learners within the world.  Of course, educators must keep in mind that all students learn differently and at different rates, so offering creative and flexible learning activities within their classroom curriculums will aid them in meeting all the needs of their students.

According to Karl Kapp (2007), learners are complex information-processing systems who must first understand how the human brain processes information.  As educators, we must take and use elements of all the –isms to create engaging, life-learning experiences within our classrooms for our students.  If students are not able to comprehend information in a timely manner, we must redesign our lessons to accommodate their learning styles to aid them in being successful and productive individuals.

References

Kerr, B. (2007, January 1). _isms as filter, not blinker [Web log post]. Retrieved on September 26, 2012; from http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html.

 Kapp, K. (2007, January 2). Out and about: Discussion on educational schools of thought [Web log post]. Retrieved on September 26, 2012; from http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational/.

I responded to David Phenix’s blog @ http://davidphenix.blogspot.com and Renee Johnson’s blog @ www.uga9904.blogspot.com.  

 

What are your beliefs about how people learn best? What is the purpose of learning theory in educational technology?

Learning is the process of drawing connections between what is already known, learned or understand and new information.  When learning occurs, people are encoding and storing information in memory, processing, categorizing, and clustering information that will be applied at the appropriate times and situations.  Using prior knowledge skills are very vital to the learning process, and in order for learning to occur, facts, concepts, and ideas must be stored, connected to other facts, concepts, and ideas must be built upon.   I believe people learn best when they are motivated to learn, have hands-on experiences, receive feedback, and are able to understand what they have been taught.  When children and adults are motivated to learn, they are more receptive to engage and participate in learning new concepts.   Motivating people to develop and use new skills tends to be easier if they want to learn the information.  People tend to focus more when they want to learn versus being forced to learn.  Hands-on experiences provide an opportunity for people to practice new skills by trial and error, making mistakes, and by be active involved in their learning experience.  People also learn from feedback whether it’s positive and/or negative.  The way other people view our ideas, actions, etc. plays a vital part in how we learn.  Often time people are judged by the actions and what they say which eventually effects how they learn new skills.  Lastly, in order for people to learn, they must understand/grasp what they are taught.   People must sort out what is important to memorize and retain, and differentiate between what is useful to build upon versus what is not important to store in our brains. 

The purpose of learning theory in educational technology is the study and practice of facilitating learning to improve an individual’s performance by using various technology resources such as software, wikis, blogs, internet, etc. to enhance and develop the human’s capabilities.

Reference

Hilgard, E.R. & Bowers, G.H.  (1975). Theories of learning.  Englewoods, Cliffs.  Prentice-Hall, Inc.


I posted to the following people's blogs: Tiffany Thompson @
http://thompson7105.blogspot.com/2012/09/module-1-assignment_16.html?showComment=1348426045001#c8380135381350926195 and

Karen Tino @ http://ktino1.wordpress.com.