Reflection on Learning Theories 1
Individual Research Work.
1. Research and write in your own words the tenets of Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura. (Please do not copy them from any online source).
2. Identify some of the acquired (or learned) behaviours that students exhibit in class that you think are counterproductive and impede learning, but maybe rectified by teachers using modelling technique.
(Talking over each other is one such behaviour that children learn from adults. It may be rectified if adults collectively model appropriate behaviour in class.)
3. Read about Cognitivism, and write in your own words some important differences between Cognitivism and Behaviourism.
Deadline for submission for Primary section -- 8th December, 2019
Deadline for submission for Secondary section -- 7th December, 2019
1. Social Learning Theory:
ReplyDeletePeople (or specifically children) can learn by observing others what they can learn by direct experience.
The world and a person’s behavior are interlinked.
Learning usually occurs when a person is motivated to work by watching others work and be rewarded and vice versa, i.e. they tend to imitate models who are attractive reinforcers.
Children learn what society deems as acceptable behavior.
2. Aggression in class is a behavior that children might learn from adults which could be rectified by modeling a calm demeanor. This can also help with anxious children.
Admitting mistakes in class and being polite is another behavior that can be modelled in class if the children have adopted the habit of lying. This could also apply if a child is afraid to speak up and/or ask for help.
3. Behaviorist theory suggests that learning is an acquisition of new behavior based on environment and reinforcement.
Cognitive theory sees learning as a conscious and reasoned thinking process.
Behaviorist theory depends upon the environment while cognitive theory stresses on the processes in the brain.
Behaviorist theory sees learning as an automatic process while cognitive theory does not.
Behaviorist theory focuses on responses while cognitivist theory focuses on the mental activities of the learner.
Behaviorist theory focuses on changing the environment for better learning while cognitivist theory tries to implement different learning strategies.
- Neha Britto
"Behaviorist theory suggests that learning is an acquisition of new behavior based on environment and reinforcement.
DeleteCognitive theory sees learning as a conscious and reasoned thinking process."
The only thing I would add here is that Behaviorism views learning AS acquisition of new behavior dictated solely by external environment and reinforcements. Behaviorism does not distinguish between behavior and learning; learning always results in change in the old behavior or acquisition of a new on. Also, brain is treated as a black box.
Cognitivism, on the other hand, views learning as BOTH the function of the external environment and reinforcements AND what goes on in the brain. Also, Cognitivism does not demand that learning always result in a change in old behavior or acquisition of a new one. Bandura made an important contribution to this shift from behavioristic way of thinking (we will discuss this particular point on Tuesday).
You can look up my response to Ketki's comment. I have expanded on the difference between behaviorism and cognitivism (but not in great detail).
Delete1. Tenets of social learning theory
ReplyDelete"Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do," "Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions, this coded information serves as a guide for action."
-Albert Bandura, Social Learning Theory, 1977
From the above citation, one can state that learning requires a socially active environment as solitary or isolated learning could have grueling as well as perilous effects on the learner.
According to Bandura, learning takes place through observation. The learners observe the models which has a direct impact on the learner’s behavior. The behavior or the pattern exhibited by the model is absorbed by the learner based on the consequences like reward or punishment. These consequences play an important role in motivating the learner whether to imitate the behavior that has been modeled. By observing the models, the learner is acquiring new knowledge intentionally or unintentionally. If the model holds the attention the new behavior is retained by the learner which can be, later, reproduced at any stage in life.
This observational learning can have positive or negative impacts on the learner. If the consequence of the new acquired behavior is rewarding it is more likely to be repeated by oneself or by others who are observing this rewarding behavior. However, if the consequence is unfavorable, it is less likely to be imitated or performed. This choice made by the learner through observing affirms that the learner is not a passive recipient of the information but an active participant where numerous factors like cognition, environment and behavior help in determining the choice opted by the learner.
"...if the consequence is unfavorable, it is less likely to be imitated or performed. This choice made by the learner through observing affirms that the learner is not a passive recipient of the information..."
DeleteThis is a very important point! The fact that the learner can decide whether to imitate a specific behavior or not is the point at which Cognitivism departs from Behaviorism. Bandura demonstrated this by having children observe adults being aggressive with the bobo doll and later the adult was punished for displaying the aggressive behavior. Accordingly, who watched the adult being punished chose not to act aggressively. However, children who watched an adult being aggressive but not punished, imitated the behavior. In the former case, children learned the behavior but did not imitate it. In the latter case, children learned the behavior and chose to imitated it.
With this Bandura showed that what goes on inside the brain matter in determining the behavior, and that new learning may not always lead to a different behavior. This is different from behaviorism which proposes that learning ALWAYS results in new behavior depending on the type of reinforcement, and that brain is much like a black box.
2.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed the following behaviors exhibited by students which can be rectified by teachers or adults
1. In the recent years, students have developed the habit of using online translators for finding the meanings of the words or translating as it’s easily available to all. This action prohibits them from learning to use the dictionary and make grammatically correct statements. They end up making errors as they are directly copying, without thinking over it, the information displayed by the computer and they fail to put their required efforts.
This problem can be rectified by using the dictionaries regularly in the class and making the students aware about the benefits of using the dictionary.
2. The use of inappropriate language is a common problem faced by the majority of the teachers. The students learn this type of language outside the school premises without comprehending the meaning behind it. With the help of counseling, this problem can be resolved.
3. The students fail to understand the importance of being punctual. This is because, some teachers reach the classroom late on a regular basis. This can be clearly reflected in the actions of the students as they also take longer breaks and fail to abide by the school rules.
The teachers can play an important role by adhering to the class timings. If any situation arises where the teacher reaches the class a few minutes late, he/she can apologize the students for keeping them wait. This apology would convey a strong message to the students that the teacher not only realizes his/her value of time but also thinks about the wasted time of the students.
4. Not being courteous, empathetic and responsible are the common values that the students lack. These values could be instilled by the teachers or adults by using the most common words like ‘thank you’, ‘sorry’ ‘I appreciate’ etc. on a daily basis.
5. Students are ignorant towards the globally accepted ideologies like racism, sexism, feminism, gender equality as these topics have hardly being discussed by the teachers or by the adults. This creates an unfavorable environment for the students to grow as they are not aware about the world. The teachers, instead of turning a blind eye on these topics, should talk and discuss about such ideologies which would not only benefit the students by having an open minded approach but also to the teachers who can enhance their knowledge by being up-to-date with the current happenings.
All excellent points! Thanks!
DeleteOn the first point, one of the ill consequences of having easy access to information -- such as finding the meaning of a word -- is that students no longer feel the need to remember even important information. As a result, when the need arises or a complex problem surfaces problem, these children, now grown into adults, are unable to retrieve important information required to address the problem adequately. This is what the lack of expertise looks like. So, in a way, convenience availed by means of technology has disincentivized the need to develop expertise in various fields.
This is a serious problem we fact today.
3. According to my understanding, the following are the differences between Cognitivism and Behaviourism
ReplyDelete1. Concept
Behaviorism
The associations are formed by the subject based on the actions and events in a given environment.
Cognitivism
The associations are formed by the subject based on the information processed, analyzed, created and stored by the brain.
2. Role of the learner
Behaviorism
Learners are passive recipients as they as just responding to the stimuli i.e to the action.
Cognitivism
Learners are actively involved in the process of learning as they discover the links between the related elements.
3. Research subjects
Behaviorism
Mostly animals were the research subjects where only their behavior was observed and the mental state was not taken into consideration as it cannot be measured. The research conducted on the animals was generalized to the human beings.
Cognitivism
Human beings were the research subjects where the behavior was observed as a point of view from the mental processes taking place in the brain.
4. Self-analysis
Behaviorism
This aspect is not taken into consideration as the behavior of the subject is conditioned.
For example, According to Pavlov’s dog experiment, the dog failed to analyse, after conditioning, whether the food was presented at the ringing of the bell.
Cognitivism
This aspect plays an important role in determining the behavior of the subject.
5. Reinforcement
Behaviorism
The newly acquired knowledge needs to be continuously strengthened. Example repetition without understanding.
Cognitivism
The newly acquired knowledge is associated with the previously learned knowledge.
6. Role of the teacher
Behaviorism
According to me, the teacher creates the environment for the learners. The teacher dominates the class as the information is given to the learners.
Cognitivism
The teacher creates the opportunities for the learners to associate the information. The teacher is like a mediator between the learners and knowledge.
"The newly acquired knowledge needs to be continuously strengthened. Example repetition without understanding." The founding principle of rote learning.
Delete"Behaviorism
According to me, the teacher creates the environment for the learners. The teacher dominates the class as the information is given to the learners.
Cognitivism
The teacher creates the opportunities for the learners to associate the information. The teacher is like a mediator between the learners and knowledge."
This is perhaps the most important and relevant distinction in the context of PDQ. It is opportunities that we need to learn to create rather than a central dominating (command and control type) figure who dictates the learning process.
Thanks of the well-articulated and comprehensive responses!
1)Tenets of Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura
ReplyDeleteLearning takes place when the learner is fully attentive, observant and focussed to comprehend someone else’s behavior or anything that is noticed around and then applied. But by considering the fact that whether it will be beneficial or it is going to harm one ownself or others.
After observing the essential data which is necessary and required gets collected or stored by the observer. Once the data gets collected or registered the observer or learner makes decision and tries to imitate and uses it at the time of need and continues with the same by keeping in mind the effects of it.
Motivation plays a very vital role in the learning process. It can be in the form of reinforcement that is awards, rewards or to use some appraisal words to boost the learner and punishment to bring the learner on the right track and making the learner realize of the mistake which should not be repeated as it is not only harming others but the learner itself .
2) Some of the acquired (or learned ) behaviours that students exhibit in class are:
a) Talking very loudly even when the teacher / friend is besides him/ her.
b) Dominating and arguing nature
c) Stuborness, disrespect for elders, teachers
d) To talk inbetween of the class when the discussion and explanation is on
e) Aggressive, hyperactive
Some of the ways to rectify
a) To ask the learner what do they like or dislike then ask them the reason why do they like and why do they don’t like?
b) To enquire about how do they feel today and how are they ? From this we come to know their mood.
c) To make them speak or write if possible on what is their aim or goal if they have decided and whom do they want to become like and why?
d) To talk about weekend or vacation plans if they have decided.
e) To do meditation- focus on the breathe, observe what is going inside and how are they feeling. What is their planning for the day etc.
f) Games, quiz, puzzles to be played. Videos to be shown related to the subject and topic to make it more clear. Acting , singing and dancing is liked by everyone. So allow them to show their performance to make up their mood. To allow them to tell story or something informative which they would like to share with everyone and to narrate infront of the class in their own words and way.
g) To give them any task like what will they do if they are in that particular situation or how will they handle the situation and give certain time limit. ( Group / individual task )
h) To talk with them personally if they are willing to share their personal problems, feelings and emotions.
3) Behaviorism
• Behaviorism depends on the environment in which one resides. The situation and the people around affects the human behavior.
• Behaviorism is linked with conditioning.
• The environment has a great impact on one’s behavior.
• Behavior can be changed depending on the willingness of the learner / human being/ living being for the benefit of one ownself.
• Behavior also depends on the circumstances on how one is raised. Behavior is conditioned. For example any superstitious belief. It is so much drilled that even if we are highly qualified we practice or follow the same belief like for an instance while leaving the house if we sneeze one time, then we’ve to wait for the second time to come or else something will go wrong.
• Behaviorism is also conditioned by rewards and punishment . If we do good,we will be awarded or rewarded but if we do bad or harm others or our ownself then we will be punished . Behaviorism is exernal and it is in the outer world how we behave.
Nice work Ms Rajeshri! I see lot of improvement in your writing since the first writing exercise.
DeleteIn your response to the second question of application of Bandura's Social Learning Theory you have included the following points:
"a) To ask the learner what do they like or dislike then ask them the reason why do they like and why do they don’t like?
b) To enquire about how do they feel today and how are they ? From this we come to know their mood.
c) To make them speak or write if possible on what is their aim or goal if they have decided and whom do they want to become like and why?
d) To talk about weekend or vacation plans if they have decided.
e) To do meditation- focus on the breathe, observe what is going inside and how are they feeling. What is their planning for the day etc.
f) Games, quiz, puzzles to be played. Videos to be shown related to the subject and topic to make it more clear. Acting , singing and dancing is liked by everyone. So allow them to show their performance to make up their mood. To allow them to tell story or something informative which they would like to share with everyone and to narrate infront of the class in their own words and way.
g) To give them any task like what will they do if they are in that particular situation or how will they handle the situation and give certain time limit. ( Group / individual task )
h) To talk with them personally if they are willing to share their personal problems, feelings and emotions."
All of these are excellent suggestions which actually result in improved student behavior and learning outcomes; but the question was specifically on the application of Bandura's SLT and I am finding it difficult to see how each of these demonstrate learning by means of observation. Maybe I'm missing something?
Most of the points you have mentioned in your response to question three are very well put, but some could be re-written in a better way. For example, "Behaviorism is also conditioned by rewards and punishment," could be better written as "Behaviorism includes conditioning by means of rewards and punishment." Here, it is not the behaviorism that is being conditioned, rather conditioning is a part of the theory of behaviorism.
Very well done! I'm impressed with your overall progress :)
Thank u sir. Will take care further and try to understand and if not understood then will get back to you. From Rajeshri.
DeleteThe origin of behaviorism
ReplyDeleteBehaviorism is shape through positive or negative reinforcement.
External environmental stimuli . Learner can be conditioned to behave in a specific way . Learning takes place when there is a change in the behaviour of a learner which is based on environmental conditions . External attributes reveal true data for behaviour .Behaviorism is related to activity . Learning is long-term change in behaviour that is based on learning .
Two types of learning _ classical conditioning learning and operant or instrumental learning.
In classical conditioning pavlov experimented on dogs .He proved that how brain can associate unrelated stimuli and responses and how reinforcement and punishment can result in change behavior. In humans this works exactly in the same way .Example if you go to a doctor and the doctor will say do not worry this will not hurt you a bit for a shot and then she gives you the most powerful shot you ever got . Then a few weeks later when you go to a dentist for a check up and when he puts some instrument in your mouth and tells you do not worry it will not hurt you, still you will have the fear as when you went for the doctor the same words became the conditioned stimulus and the pain of the shot was unconditioned stimulus .So classical conditioning explains how you acted or behaved in a particular situation .Classical conditioning in action .Operant conditions leads to changes in voluntary behaviour. It is based on two important factors.
Reinforcement and punishment with reinforcement you tend to do it again and again .Punishment you are likely to do less .Reinforcement and punishment can be positive and negative, but it does not mean good or bad .Positive means the adding of a stimulus like getting chocolates after finishing your veggies while negative means the removal of the stimulus .
B.F. Skinner expanded the work of Thorndike and developed operant conditioning in its most simplest form . Operant conditions is learning by consequences . He experimented on rats and pigeons and describe behaviour as an operant volunteer behaviour. When we engage in this volunteer behaviour it accidentally leads to some sort of consequences .This consequence can either reinforce behaviour or punish behavior . Behavior can be affected by adding something or taking away something . Reinforcement occurs after the behaviour.
Watson extended the work of Pavlov and demonstrated his work on little Albert experiment .In his experiment a little boy Albert was used to be conditioned . He presented little Albert with many objects that he was not afraid of and which he initially liked . Albert had positive reaction and now came the conditioning .When Albert reached to touch the rat a loud horror sound was produced. Now when ever Albert touch the rat the sound was produced and he started to cry .As Watson had condition a fear respond in little Albert.
Albert suddenly became afraid of objects that had the similar characteristics as the white rat this was known as generalisation .Watson wanted to see that fear would Still remain in Albert over a period of time. Watson was successful as Albert showed strong signs of withdrawal .Watson prove that he can condition fear into baby Albert. He concluded that phobias were not likely to condition response. Watson who is called the father of behaviourism .Behaviorism include fear concept rather than fear. Principle of reward relates to behaviour .
The theory of Albert Bandura is on social cognitive learning . Albert Bandura agrees with behaviourists learning theory of classical conditioning and operant conditioning .Behaviour is learnt from the environment through observational learning rather than inherited through genetic factors . Bandura emphasized that children learn from observation and imitating others this is called as Social learning theory .He showed the relationship between human cognition in relation to social awareness and influence . Children observe people around them behaving in different ways this is illustrated during the famous Bobo Doll experiment the Bobo Doll experiment is a study exposed children to adults behaving aggressively towards a doll, it demonstrated that children behave aggressively when aggression is modelled by adults .However , if the adult was punished for hitting the doll , children were less likely to hit the doll . Children in non aggressive group would behave less aggressively then the former . There were important gender difference when it came to whether a same sex or opposite sex model was observed . Boys who observed adult males behaved violently more influence than those who had observed female models behaving aggressively . Boys behaved more aggressively than girls. Individuals that are observed are called models . Children are surrounded by many influential models such as parents, TV characters ,friends etc. These models provide examples of behaviour to observe and imitate . Children get influenced by these people (models )and react on their behaviour and later in life may imitate or copy the behaviour which they observed regardless whether its is age or gender appropriate , but they behave . Later they observe and relate with gender people around the child will response to the behaviour it imitates with reinforcement or punishment . (positive or negative ) resulting in change in behaviour .People also learn by observing the consequence of people behaviour . Example observing the older sibling getting rewarded the younger one will observe and imitate and repeat . Observational learning would not take place unless cognitive process as they help in learning to determine whether a new response is acquired so individual do not automatically observe and behave of a model and imitate it they think there is some thoughts which work prior to imitate and this they considered I think . It occurs between observing the behaviour stimulus and imitating it or not response . It has come out on the ideas that people learn by watching ,observing ,imitating , accept what others do . It provides a framework for understanding , predicting and changing human behaviour . It is a connection behaviorism and cognitive learning as it focuses on attention , memory and motivation . The emotional reaction of others with respect to environment social learning theory explains human behaviour in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive behavioural and environmental influences .
ReplyDeleteHarry Harlow’s experiment on infant monkeys .
ReplyDeleteHarry Harlow’s work revealed the importance on contact comfort social interaction to healthy development influencing rearing practices . The theory helps us to understand the importance of caregiving , affection and social relationship in the early life . It helps us to understand the important role in shaping child development . It is also so very important to develop safe , secure and supportive emotional bonds with caregivers during early childhood . Feeding a child is a primary need between a mother and child but Harlow’s experiment proves that while feeding is important it is the physical closeness and contact that provides the comfort and security that a child needs for a normal development . It reflected that isolation leads to the distress and anxiety when separated from their primary care givers . So attachment was a learnt behaviour . Which has an tremendous impact that continues throughout life . Attachment improves the child’s chances of survival .
Nital Ashar
ReplyDeleteSocial Learning Theory - Albert Bandura
Social Learning Theory - Albert Bandura's theory asserts that people learn from each other through processes such as observation, imitation and modelling.
From his studies, he concluded that observational learning requires the presence of four elements - 1) Attention - To learn anything through observation, the learner must first pay attention to the model. Certain characteristics of models can make attention more likely depending on the environment. For example, people pay more attention to those they perceive as similar to them and to those they perceive as attractive.
2) Memory - The learner must also be able to retain the memory of what was done such as remembering the steps to tie shoe laces as shown earlier by an adult.
3) Imitation - The learner must be capable of imitating the actions of the model. Someone may be able to recall the actions seen before but they may not be able to perform or reproduce the same action due to lack of required skills and inability in terms of physicality.
4) Desire - The learner must have the desire or motivation to perform the action. A person who is promised (expects) a reward will be much more likely to imitate the observed behavior. Successful models are powerful figures for imitation, but rarely would we be motivated to imitate someone who fails or is punished.
Cognitivism and Behaviourism
Cognitivism can be defined as the mental activity that goes on in the brain including how people think, perceive and process information- organize it and understand it. It is the study that focuses on how people remember, learn and solve problems. It is not only thinking and memory but much more like making decisions, comparing it to other information and using it to solve problems, and communicating that information to others. In short it is memory, intelligence, perception, problem solving and language.
Behaviourism is the theory that explains altering behaviour patterns of humans and animals in terms of conditioning, without relating to thoughts or feelings. It is the
worldview that assumes a learner is essentially passive, responding to environmental stimuli. The learner starts off as a clean slate and behavior is shaped through observation, and positive or negative reinforcement. It assumes that behavior is either a reflex evoked by the pairing of stimuli in the environment, or a consequence of that individual's history, including reinforcement and punishment. Although heredity plays an important role in determining behavior, focus is mainly on environmental events.
Thank you for your response! Overall it is very well articulated.
DeleteI think you have missed the second question.
Things you've mentioned in the first question are not exactly the tenets of Social Learning Theory but the four processes which are involved in learning anything from observations. Tenets are general statements that describe characteristics and assumptions of a theory. Compare the processes that you've written above with the tenets I've included on the last page of the pdf document I has shared on the group.
I'm aware that there are websites that state these processes as tenets or principle of SLT. These websites have it wrong.
Albert Bandura has given the theorie of social learning he was able to spans the gap between behaviorism and cognitivism.
ReplyDeleteSocial learning theory incorporates the idea of behaviour reinforcement from the former, and cognitive processes such as attention, motivation and memory from the latter. In fact, Social Learning theory is essentially – as the name suggests – an explanation of how we learn when we are in social contexts.
He explain how children learn in social environments by observing and then imitating the behaviour of others. In essence, be believed that learning could not be fully explained simply through reinforcement, but that the presence of others was also an influence. He noticed that the consequences of an observed behavior often determined whether or not children adopted the behavior themselves.
Through a series of experiments, he watched children as they observed adults attacking Bobo Dolls. When hit, the dolls fell over and then bounced back up again. Then children were then let loose, and imitated the aggressive behavior of the adults. However, when they observed adults acting aggressively and then being punished, Bandura noted that the children were less willing to imitate the aggressive behavior themselves.
Bandura’s 4 Pinciples are
1. Attention
We cannot learn if we are not focused on the task. If we see something as being novel or different in some way, we are more likely to make it the focus of their attention. Social contexts help to reinforce these perceptions.
2. Retention
We learn by internalizing information in our memories. We recall that information later when we are required to respond to a situation that is similar the situation within which we first learned the information.
3. Reproduction
We reproduce previously learned information (behavior, skills, knowledge) when required. However, practice through mental and physical rehearsal often improves our responses.
4. Motivation
We need to be motivated to do anything. Often that motivation originates from our observation of someone else being rewarded or punished for something they have done or said. This usually motivates us later to do, or avoid doing, the same thing.
How it can be applied to education
Social modelling is a very powerful method of education. If children see positive consequences from a particular type of behaviour, they are more likely to repeat that behaviour themselves. Conversely, if negative consequences are the result, they are less likely to perform that behaviour. Novel and unique contexts often capture students’ attention, and can stand out in the memory.
Students are more motivated to pay attention if they see others around them also paying attention. Another less obvious application of this theory is to encourage students to develop their individual self-efficacy through confidence building and constructive feedback, a concept that is rooted in social learning theory.
Ms Jasmine Masani
Delete1) Difference Between Behaviorism and Cognitive Psychology
DeleteBehaviour
Behaviorism: Studies on behaviorism, which have mostly been done on animals, reveal that every behavior is an unchangeable outcome of external stimuli.
Cognitive Psychology: Studies on cognition, mostly done on human beings, explain how the behavioral patterns are decided by the internal processes of mind which target acquiring, processing and storing information.
2)Behaviorism vs Cognitive psychology
Behaviorism is a branch of psychology that deals with actions of people based on external environmental influences, whereas cognitive psychology is based on the mental thought process that alters a person’s behavior. Both behaviorism and cognitive psychology are two different schools of thought of the field of psychology. They both deal with human behavior. The difference lies in what they think is the cause behind the behavior.
Behaviorists, that is psychologists belonging to the school of behaviorism, believe that actions are influenced by one’s external environment. Ivan Pavlov added the two methods of conditioning behavior: classical conditioning and operant conditioning. In classical conditioning, a person/animal can be trained or conditioned to act in a particular manner by repetitive practice, that is conditioning. Operant conditioning is partly based on rewarding desirable behaviors and partly on punishment for behavior which needs to be curbed. Cognitive psychology, on the other hand, says actions are based on the mental processes of reasoning, logical thinking, memory, motivational thoughts, positive and negative thoughts, etc. It is a very important aspect of psychology as it differentiates humans from animals. This branch of psychology is based on intellectual and logical reasoning which only humans are capable of.
Ms Jasmine Masani
DeleteWell articulated as always!
DeleteThe four points you've mentioned in your response to the first question are the processes involved in learning something by observing actions of another person. These cannot be called tenets or principles of the theory. Tenets or principles are general statements on the features and the assumptions that underlie the theory. Processes, on the other hand, describe the mechanics of the theory.
"Novel and unique contexts often capture students’ attention, and can stand out in the memory." I don't know if you thought of it yourself or you found it from your research but this is a consequential fact in modern education. Human brain likes novel and unique contexts. Remember norepinephrine released when a person comes across novel facts, ideas or activities? Norepinephrine produces positive feeling which makes the brain remember the experience and the learning associated with that experience. Based on this realization, we can design learning activities that are novel and exciting to students. Such activities will get them enthused and keep them engaged with the content they are trying to learn by means of the activity.
"Ivan Pavlov added the two methods of conditioning behavior: classical conditioning and operant conditioning." Wasn't it Skinner who proposed Operant Conditioning?
1.Tenets of learning:
ReplyDelete-Similarity such as same age group, sex etc. between the observer and representative influences learning.
-Also children tend to imitate actions which seem to be attractive, prestigious to them.
-The observed behaviour is retained by children and they reproduce the same behaviour later.
-Describing the consequences of behaviour can effectively increase appropriate behaviour and decrease the inappropriate ones.
2. Behaviours that inhibit learning and strategies to overcome them:
-When students do no behave in an appropriate manner so if they are punished ( cancelling something that they like) so it is a direct reinforcement for that child and indirect reinforcement for others.
-Teachers can provide positive reinforcement in the class for learners who have shown improvement in their behavior but it must be provided fairly and quickly after the behavior is noticed.
- Positive reinforcement must also be accompanied with evidence i.e. point out the specific act (which was praised) and explain why it was important.
3. Difference between behaviourism and cognitivism:
-Behaviourism says that language is learnt like any other cognitive behaviour while cognitivism views language as something inborn/natural.
- Behaviourism adopts teacher centered approach whereas cognitivism adopts more of learner centered approach.
-In behaviourist theory practice along with constant repetition is necessary while in cognitivist theory, practice is important but rote learning/meaningless repetition is not.
-In behaviourism learners are basically passive just responding to stimuli but in cognitivism learners process, store and retrieve information enabling learners to make more associations later.
Excellent work on differentiating behaviorism from cognitivism!
ReplyDeleteThe points you have made under the tenets section can't really be called as tenets; they are more like corollaries of the tenets of SLT.
The theory of social learning is formulated by Albert Bandura. According to them, one learns through observation, imitation and ideal behavior. Bandura used a bobo doll on a child.
ReplyDeleteHe showed 3 movies to a boy -
1. The first child was shown a movie based on social values and the child showed social behavior.
The second movie was based on love
. On seeing her, the child loves Baby Doll. Caresses him.
The third movie was a violent scene which sees the child behaving violently with the doll.
From these experiments, Bandura concluded that children do not know what to learn and what not to learn.
The child learns what he sees. Therefore, the ideal treatment should always be done with the child. Through the theory of social learning, Bandura researched that boys tend to adopt the behavior of male teachers and girls of female teachers, more. This is a natural tendency. This principle has much importance in the field of education -
Only good qualities should be displayed in front of children.
The basis of social learning is imitation.
In front of children, adults should behave as role models.
Bad and immoral behavior should be avoided in front of children.
The following behavior are exhibited by students that can be rectified by teacher -
ReplyDeleteModeling is technique where the learner learns by imitation alone without any specific verbal direction by an adult or a teacher.
1. If a student makes some mistake in class, then he should make a class monitor, give him some responsibility, he likes this thing and he starts putting his energy in positive things by not putting in negative things, thus the teacher can improve him.
2. If the teacher makes a mistake, then he should not hide it, he should accept it in front of the children. Will learn to do ,will not lie and will not lie to his friend.
3. Sometimes children use dirty words which are not taught in school. This happens, the teacher can improve it by sending him to the counselor and showing himself as role model.
4. Nowadays , students do not translate to another language themselves . They rely heavily on Google . And they do not have good command on sentence structure . By chance ,if they do not have the support of technology, they will feel handicapped . Hence, the role of the teacher is that they should teach it thoroughly to the students .
More than that the teacher can get words written in their notebooks and get them translated by dictation and practice .
Different Between Behaviorism and Cognitivism-
ReplyDelete1. In behaviorism, environment is considered to be the main thing, whereas in cognitivism, the ability of thinking of the mind or the brain is considered to be the main.
2. Behaviorism is generalized with humans using psychology on animals whereas in cognitivism the thinking process going on in the brain is attributed to the behavior of the person.
3. In Behaviorism learner is passive recipient but in cognitivism learner is active recipient. Learners use different strategy to process and construct the personal understanding of the content.
4. In behaviourism learner can be conditioned to behave in specific way but in cognitivism learner is independent to behave in his own way.
5. In behaviorism learning is defined as change in the behavior of the learner based on environmental condition but in cognitivism learning is defined as change in behavior of learner based on analytical skill of brain.
6 .In Behaviorism Learning was simply reaction to stimulus but in cognitivism learning is an idea in which thinking plays an important role.
Thanks for a to the point and well articulated!
ReplyDelete"Students are seen to engage themselves in rote learning without understanding the meaning of what has been learned." Do you mean here that students engage in rote learning because they have seen adults do it? I'm asking this because you have written this in the context of Bandura's Social Learning Theory which makes me think that it might be connected to observed behavior.
Behaviour is a theory about what we observe in a students and how they act in the environment, and how the environment also affects them .Every stimulus that we give is going to generate a reaction. For example students learn better if they are physically, mentally and emotionally strong ,which is reflected in their behaviour and also learning takes place better. Teacher’s when provide a the correct stimulus . Then the student can reach their desired goal of learning .The method of behaviorism can be drilling , practicing again and again ,rote learning etc .Actually behaviorism can also be seen as rewards and punishment .They may be positive reinforcement or negative .
ReplyDeleteExample _ A parent will promise a child that when he is first in the class .He will give you a toy car but in case if he does not get the first rang then he will not get anything.
Cognitivism is a learning theory that focuses on how Information is received ,organised ,stored and retrieved by the brain cognition views the mine like a computer processor where information is received . In Cognitivism new information is link with prior knowledge, children acquire knowledge using their sensory motor and use critical thinking to be curious and try to learn by themselves to discover their own techniques . Cognitivism is more about the process of our brain ,how we acquire knowledge , how our brain works. Why we do to what we do . For example in the classroom the instructions should be given very , organised and sequenced and should be presented in a manner that is understood and meaningful to the learner . Cognitivism emphasizes retention and recall through the use of quality teaching practice . Example cognitivism is used in class development classroom lessons and helping learners to learn higher order thinking skills .
Example daily revision by playing quiz ,activating prior knowledge by playing Kahoot .These are
examples of priming our brain cells . Cognitive can be improved by giving information into comprehensive knowledge and which is easy to understand into small parts . Then only skills can be developed for knowledge .
Example for a child who has to know long division then the child in that case should know basic multiplication ,subtraction and basic division , so teacher must check the prior knowledge for better learning for long division So the teacher should give steps like simple division , multiplication and subtraction , breaking down into steps .The teacher can also make use of chats and posters if the learner forgets they can look up the chart to cue their memory . So the student can understand, retain and recall the long division process method . Cognitivism can be improved by using visual and multi media like charts , graphs , maps and posters . Even during examination short answers and easy questions should be asked .In cognitivism the left brain is used.
For example if you work very hard and you do not get some intensive or promotion , then the person starts thinking about it as why he did not get the intensive after working so hard .
cognitivism :
ReplyDeleteThe brain collects the information by observing then thinks, knows the situation or the concept, connects or co-relates with day-to-day situation and then solves them or comes to conclusion or applies them.
2) The learner connects the new information with the present situation or with the current state or stage. Focusses only on what is necessary and required.
3) The learner is an active recipient and is flexible to receive the new knowledge or information given or received from somewhere and store it and then implies or uses it.
From Rajeshri. Hodar
ReplyDelete*Tenets of Social Learning Theory*
ReplyDeleteImportant points made by AB.
@ Learner is NOT a passive recipient of information
@ Humans are active and THINK about the _relationship between their behaviour and its consequences__
@ agrees with behaviorist learning theories of classical conditioning and operant conditioning but adds 2 ideas
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A. Mediating process occurs between stimulus (behaviour to be modelled) and response ( reproducing this behaviour)
The above mediational process again depends on the following factors
#a# Attention - The extent ,to which the student is exposed or is able to focus, on the stimulus.
#b# Retention- Memory of the stimulus's behaviour MUST be formed for it to be internalized.
#c# Reproduction- student should be able to imitate.
For example, he might have developed the desire to replicate, but could lack the skill (playing a violin/conversing in a foreign language)
#D# Motivation - is the student motivated enough to replicate the modelled behaviour. The perceived reward, by way of vicarious reinforcement , should outweigh the perceived costs, else behaviour might not be imitated.
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B. Behaviours is learned from the environment through observational learning.
Children are surrounded by many influential models.
- They are more likely to imitate those people they perceive similar to themselves
- or imitate those people whose qualities that are perceived as desirable.
Next, point AB makes is that if in imitating the student/child/learner receives a reward on imitating ,it would continue performing the behaviour.
The motivation to repeat behaviour could be in the form of i)external reinforcement ( approval from another) or
Ii) internal reinforcement ( being happy about receiving approval)
It is important to understand that positive /negative/external reinforcements will have little impact , if it does not match with the individual's needs.
Hence, SLT takes thought processes into account and acknowledges the role they play in deciding if a behaviour is to be imitated or not.
Ref: McLeod,S.A.(2016,Feb0y).Bandura_Social Learning Theory.Simply Psychology.
Https://simplypsychology.org/bandura.html
I have listed below a few behaviours of the students that impede learning
Delete#1#
Not carrying the relevant resourcebooks regularly.
I would attempt Harlow's technique of isolation, maybe ask him to leave his seat and stand in a corner during the lesson.
The objective being to associate a negative emotion to the behaviour of not carrying the correct resource books.
Allow this to be internalised and retention of this memory would be the desirable mediational process .
Which brings about the intrinsic motivation to carry the resource material the next time.
I would also make note to reward this behaviour sufficiently for the student to continue performing the behaviour.
#2#
Student competing another subject assignment during my class.
I would draw from AB's SLT that explains that "motivation of the individual arises from.the mediational.process where he perceives the rewards (of paying attention to what is being taught in class) outweigh the perceived cost ( the fear of punitive measures for not completing the assignment for another subject) . And the method deployed would be to engage in a quiz for the students paying attention during the class.
A quiz on topic earlier taught would also involve using the method of constructivism whereby students are using their brains to access knowledge gained earlier.
This should motivate the student enough to join in, either because of extrinsic reinforcement - as the rest of the class is participating and he is not.
Or
Intrinsic reinforcement , where his individual need of partaking and excelling at the quiz is met.
Cognitivism dwells on understanding the process of learning . This in turn assists the teachers to improve upon their teaching skills.
DeleteCognitivism also views the student in a passive role, on the receiving end of all the knowledge, whereas the teacher is the authority figure dispensing all the knowledge
1 Tenets of Social Learning Theroy : Albert Bandura has explained personality development on the basis of social learning theory, the surrounding environment of a person, how situations have a direct effect on personality development and how a person learns on that basis. Depending on the current circumstances, people's actions change, social, cognitive and observational factors play an important role in personality development.
ReplyDeleteObservational learning : Observational learning is like observing and imitating at others. Here the child considers someone ideal, wants to look like them. Children imitate famous celebrities;they wear clothes like them, mimic their way of talking and body language and mirror the social behavior of their role model. This is called modeling.
Bobo Doll Experiment:
All the children were shown a five-minute movie; there were many toys in a room and there was a big Bobo Doll, a boy shows anger towards all the toys and gets aggressive towards the big toy. He attacks the doll, throws it on the floor, stumbles and falls and even sits on it. There were three separate situations shown as different films, after the child attacks the toys. In the first situation, the aggressor was rewarded and his behavior was praised. In the second, the boy was punished. In the third film, the boy was neither rewarded nor punished.
In an experimental room, all children were left free to play with toys and it was analyzed that some children were aggressive towards the toys; these were the ones who saw the film which awarded aggressive behavior. The ones that showed the least aggression were the ones who saw that type of behavior being punished. Children developed a sense of imitating aggression through the films and consequences portrayed. Here, the child obtains knowledge through observation, but the child follows through with those actions depending on whether they will be rewarded or punished.
2 Some of the behaviors rectified using modelling technique :
Children that might be from verbally abusive social backgrounds can be made to understand the negative impact of using abusive language and be helped to differentiate between right and wrong.
Even while playing, small girls act like their mother or female teacher by behaving like them, imitating their manner, wearing a sari, and when this behaviour of theirs is noticed, they may get embarrassed and stop doing it. Here the child feels either ashamed or rewarded for her behavior and acts accordingly in the future.
While singing the national anthem, some boys from my class would mockingly sing in a high-pitched voice, I tell them to sing in their natural voice.
3 Cognitivism : Skinner did experiments on animals and Noam Chomsky reviewed Skinner's study on oral behavior which challenges the practical approach of effective language and behavior studies. Chomsky proposed theories about arbitrary thoughts of stimulation, response, reinforcement. He emphasized that during research and analysis, the child's contribution to language acquisition should not be neglected; humans are born with a natural ability to acquire language. Children can learn fiercely from their role models through observation, during which there is no change in their open behavior and this can be considered as a sub-internal process.
Thank you for your comment, Ms Chhaya!
ReplyDeleteYou answer to the first question attempts to describe Bandura's experiment and the Social Learning Theory that emerged from it; however, this description cannot be called as "tenets". Tenets mean general principals or statements derived from many experiments and describe key relationships between different quantities. These principals together form a theory which can be used to explain specific cases. Tenets are akin to laws that encompass the essence of the theory.
"While singing the national anthem, some boys from my class would mockingly sing in a high-pitched voice, I tell them to sing in their natural voice." Telling someone to behave a certain way is not an example of Bandura's SLT. Any application of SLT would involve some kind of modelling, and telling is not modelling.
Behaviorism and Cognitivism differ in many respects. One need not evoke Chomsky's work here as his focus was solely on the acquisition of language. Cognitivism did not exist when Chomsky raised the issue of language acquisition. Many after Chomsky have contributed to Cognitivism. Therefore, using only Chomsky's work to compare behaviorism and cognitivism does not encompass all the necessary differences. It would be better to instead compare the general tenets of behaviorism with general tenets of cognitivism to elicit the primary differences between the two.
LIST SOME OF THE BEHAVIOURS THAT STUDENT EXHIBITS IN CLASS THAT YOU THINK ARE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE BUT MAY BE RECTIFIED USING THE MODELLING TECHNIQUE
ReplyDeletea) Side conversation: Some students in class have a habit of chatting or discussing among themselves on the relevant or irrelevant topics in class which can interfere with effective teaching and learning process.
Solution: Identify talkative student of the class and keep them engaged by asking questions or plan a game method (interactive method) for a particular lesson
Induce ground rules from the first lecture, make sure the student knows the ground rules and routine of the classroom behavior and discussion and keep on reminding at regular intervals
Opportunity (Talk time): Teacher by giving opportunity to students to talk about their interest may be last five minutes or first five minutes will help in avoiding side conversation as the teacher is providing them the opportunity to talk
b) Attention seeking (discussion dominating student) these students wants to be heard and they want to be heard often. Whether or not these students have something of substance to add they want to dominate the conversation as it will showcase that they have valuable point
Solution: Give equal opportunity to each and every student for discussion while asking them to raise their hand if anything valuable/query they want to share
Speak to that individual privately after class, and let him or her know that, while you value the eagerness to participate, you hope to hear from as many students as possible, By highlighting the advantage to be a good listener
c) Fantasy world (day dreamer): Some students are apt to drift off into their own thoughts or in their fantasy world which will affect teaching and learning
Solution: Make topic interesting where the can relate and ask such students lot of questions which will prevent them to be in their fantasy world during classroom teaching.
d) The uncivil or disrespectful student: Student's behavior lays groundwork for respectful and productive classroom session.If even one student disrespects the time , feeling and thoughts of you and their fellow students then this will have a negative impact to the classroom ethos
Solution: Attach Guideline and policies of classroom behaviour in the class on the soft board
Remind them about the consequences/necessary action taken related to bad behaviour in the classroom