Blog Entry 2 - Learning Theories for the Digital Age.

LEARNING THEORIES FOR THE DIGITAL AGE 

1. INFORMATION PROCESSING THEORY 

Proponent:  

• George A. Miller 

What is the Information Processing Theory? 

    Information processing theory is about the sequence and execution of cognitive events, it is a thinking process. It is made up of the sensory memory, short term memory and long term memory. The sensory memory holds information associated with the senses for the information to be processed. ”Information is transformed or processed as it passes from one stage of memory to the next.” In order to retrieve something from the long term memory, the mind has to find the previous information and short term memory is temporary working memory which you use immediately to think. “Information processing theory has become a general theory of human cognition.” 

    According to Expert Learners, Information processing theory focus on how people attend to environmental events, encode information to be learned and relate it to knowledge in mo memory. They store new knowledge in memory and retrieve as needed and therefore they become active seeks and processors of information. (Expert Learners, September 2011)

Related Learning Activity:

This theory can be related to lot of daily activities.A simple example from a teacher can be, a smell can be inputed into our memory. When it is processed in the brain the output is we remember where we smelt that scent before or what it is related to. 

• Info Processing explained 

• Practical Teaching Examples

2. SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY 

Proponents : 

• Albert Bandura in the 1960's. 

What is the Social Cognitive Theory? 

• Social cognitive theory originally started as a social learning theory. “Learning occurs in a social context with a dynamic and reciprocal interaction of the person, environment and behavior.” It is important to learn by observation and modelling. The reciprocal causation model is a continuous interaction between behavior, personal factors and the environment. What makes up the social cognitive theory are: reciprocal determinism, behavioral capability, reinforcements, expectations and self-efficacy. Some limitations are a change in environment and change in behavior. 

•  SCT considers the unique way in which individuals acquire and maintain behavior, while also considering the social environment in which individuals perform the behavior. The theory takes into account a person's past experiences, which factor into whether behavioral action will occur. These past experiences influences reinforcements, expectations, and expediencies, all of which shape whether a person will engage in a specific behavior and the reasons why a person engages in that behavior. (Boston University School of Public Health, April 2016)

Related Learning Activity : 

• Social Cognitive Quiz

• Social Cognitive Theory Explained in Video

3. SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVISM 

Proponents: 

• Lev Vygotsky

What is the Social Constructivism Theory? 

“Social Constructivism is about a sociological theory of knowledge according to which human development is socially situated and knowledge is constructed through interaction with others.” It is a variety of cognitive constructivism that emphasizes on nature of learning and the importance of cultural and social context. “Learning is not simply the assimilation and accommodation of new knowledge by learners it was the process by which learners were integrated into a knowledge community. This process of interpretation, articulation and re-evaluation is repeated until they can demonstrate their comprehension of the subject.

"According to Vygotsky, language and culture play essential roles both in human intellectual development and in how humans perceive the world. Humans' linguistic abilities enable them to overcome the natural limitations of their perceptual field by imposing culturally defined sense and meaning on the world. Language and culture are the frameworks through which humans experience, communicate and understand" Vygotsky states (1968, 39) However, he argued that cognitivists such a Piaget had overlooked the essentially social nature of language. As a result he claimed they had failed to understand that learning is a collaborative process. Vygotsky, Lev (1978). Mind in Society. London: Harvard University Press. 

Related Learning Activity : 

• Practical Teaching Examples

• A Little About Lev Vygotsky and his Theory

4. Connectivism 

Proponents:

• Stephen Downes and George Siemens.

What is the Connectivisism Theory? 

    Connectivism theory is for a digital age. “Connectivism is the integration of principles explored by chaos, network, and complexity and self-organization theories. Learning is a process that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements – not entirely under the control of the individual.” It is a learning theory that explains how the Internet has created new opportunities for people to learn and share information Connectivism presents a model of learning that acknowledges the tectonic shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal, individualistic activity.

“Some principles of Connectivism:

§  Learning and knowledge rests in opinions.

§  Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.

§  Learning may reside in non-human appliances.”

Related Learning Activity: 

Connectivism

Video Explaining Connectivism

References 

1)   http://www.itdl.org/journal/jan_05/article01.htm

2)   Expert Learners, September 2011.

      http://www.expertlearners.com/cip_theory.php

3)   Wayne W. LaMorte, Boston University School of Public Health, April 2016.

      http://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/MPH-Modules/SB/BehavioralChangeTheories/BehavioralChangeTheories5.html

4)   Berkeley Graduate Division, GSI Teaching and Resource Center, 2017.

      http://gsi.berkeley.edu/gsi-guide-contents/learning-theory-research/social-constructivism/