Grasping the Schools of Learning

I got started early on this blog because we are learning about a concept that I thought I had a handle on. We were asked to read the following articles:

Foundations of Educational Theory for Online Learning
http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/ch1.html

Toward a Theory of Online Learning
http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/ch2.html

Learning Theories and Instructional Strategies Matrix
http://www.elizabethstps.vic.edu.au/learningtheoriesmatrix.htm

These are explaining three common schools of learning: behaviorism, cognitive, and constructivism. We were asked to look at three mini-cases.

Mini-Case 1: You have be assigned the task of developing an online training for "How to Change a Flat Tire". Which learning theory would you use to guide your training design? Why would you select that particular theory?

Mini-Case 2: You are developing an online Business Ethics course for a University. Which learning theory would you use to guide your training design? Why would you select that particular theory?

Mini-case 3: You are developing an introductory Chemistry course for high school students. Which learning theory would you use to guide your training design
I thought I was rather versed on the subject until the professor pointed out flaws in my way of thinking.

My post:
I would have to go with behaviorism on this one simply because there are certain concrete and definite rules to business ethics. I don’t think this course is intended to change to rule of business ethics. But rather, it is to observe and apply the parameters of business ethics. Constructivism can be used to go deeper into the course. However, primarily behaviorism should be used to deliver and teach specific objectives.

The instructor’s response:
Rarely in academic settings would you see 'behaviorism' as the primary learning theory employed, although there are elements of behaviorism in most courses. Taking a behaviorist approach, approach for something like ethics, which involves discerning relative 'rights' and 'wrongs' and coming to a decision certainly would not be appropriate for an approach that was predominantly behaviorist. If any of the mini-cases would support a behaviorist approach, it might arguably be changing a tire.

This response prompted me that I really didn’t have a grasp on the three theories. So I reread the articles and the third one happens to give me insight on how I should go about understating these ideals. I paid close attention to mini-case 2 because I still believe that my answer is on point. Let’s look at the rubric from the third reading.

If you can click on the above link and reference the behaviorism module, there are some key tenets that match how a Business ethics course should be taught. I will name only the ones that serve as a base for my answer:

· Stimulus-Response
· Programmed Instruction (logical presentation of content, overt responses, immediate knowledge of correctness)
· Learner must know how to execute the proper response as well as the conditions under which the response is made
· Communicate or transfer behaviors representing knowledge and skills to the learner (does not consider mental processing)
· Instruction is to elicit the desired response from the learner who is presented with a target stimulus
· Practice paired with target stimuli

These alone can be fitted to business ethics because this course is behavior-based. Ethics is an abstract course that is not necessarily based on fact, but is based on a set of rules that should be followed. Of course, those rules are constantly updated but still there are a set of parameters that govern business ethics as a whole. The mere idea that behaviorism is hardly used anymore doesn’t rule it out as a good fit. Constructivism is a more lengthy, independent, and innovative approach to behaviorism in my opinion.

Look at the chart and compare behaviorism and constructivism. The common thread that binds the two schools of learning is stimuli and situation-based learning. Learning can come through experience and living a lesson. These approaches adopt both. Behaviorism is a more basic approach to teaching a set of guidelines that govern a whole subject matter. Constructivism addresses those guidelines but gives the learner the ability to interpret and mold those respective rules. Where behaviorism would be a high school diploma of the subject, constructivism would be the doctorate.

Now, that I’ve read and review those articles and looked deeper into the subject, I believe that I have a greater understanding of the schools of learning. I think I had a good base to begin with. These readings helped spawn new insight into different learning styles and how they apply to the success of online learning.