Learning theory (education)

Learning theories are models and hypotheses against which learning processes are described and explained psychologically. The complex process of learning is thereby explained with the simplest possible principles and rules. In the psychology of learning theories are developed and verified by means of empirical studies, their content and their feasibility.

The overview of the main theoretical approaches to learning and statements shows that most of the existing learning theories focus on specific, individual forms of learning.

Conditioning

Edward Lee Thorndike explored at the end of the 19th century, problem solving, and the role of insight. In his paradigmatic experiment of 1898 he sat cats in a cage that was open from inside by pulling on a string, outside put food back and measured the time taken for the cats to self-liberation. His observations and conclusions led to the theory of instrumental conditioning.

A short time later, the theory of classical conditioning arose. Randomly came in 1905, the physiologist Ivan Pavlov on this principle (for trial: see also Pavlov's dog). A classical conditioning occurs when an initially neutral stimulus (eg a tone ) triggers a reflex, such as salivation or eyelid closure.

B. F. Skinner has V.A. to with the operant behavior, ie the reaction of the consequences of a behavior to the same thing, and has described the principle of operant conditioning.

These learning principles have been supplemented from the 1960s into the psychology of the principles of learning in the model, and (with limitations ) of learning by insight.

Instruktionalismus

When Instruktionalismus the learner knowledge is taught, which of these is to passively absorb. This obtained knowledge is deepened by exercises. This learning theory follows the model of behaviorism, ie that stimulus-response models to be strengthened. At a given stimulus a reaction is trained.

It is hardly touched on prior knowledge, experience or strengths of the learner.

Learning by insight, learning from models

The learning theories of cognitivism related cognitions and emotions with a. A cognitive theory is, for example, of learning by insight ( cognitive learning ).

The theory of learning in the model based on the fact that many animals and people learn through abschauen other and process what they have seen in simple or complex cognitive processes, where they create a cognitive approach as a model their own behavior.

The importance of cognition is reflected in the social cognitive theory of Albert Bandura:

The expectation of one's self-efficacy (also: Self- Efficacy ) here is a key influence on the behavior - another here is the current emotional state.

Model learning, learning by imitation and identification of learning are forms of social learning. When learning the model 's attractiveness lies in the success of the observed action. In imitation learning the attractiveness lies in the observed action. When identifying learning the attractiveness lies in the observed person.

The instruction learning is also one of the cognitivist theories of learning and has nothing to do with the behaviorist approach of Instruktionalismus.

Situational Context / transfer

That learning happens in certain situations, is the starting point for learning theory approaches to situational learning or situated learning. They are based among other things on the observation that students, the school learned under circumstances quite well in the classroom and school use, but in a new or different kind of situation (such as when paying in business) do not apply bring ( gap between knowledge and action ). See also → constructivist theories of learning situation → circle.

Biocybernetically -neuronal learning theories

Lately also increasingly biocybernetically - neural approaches ( Neurobiology ) are formulated which describe the workings of the human brain and nervous system in the first place, see also → Cognitive Science. A branch of research within the biocybernetically -neuronal learning theories form the mirror neurons, which could exert besides empathy, empathy and rapport ability neuronal basis functions for learning the model.

Machine Learning

The statistical learning theory to Vladimir Wapnik and Alexey Chervonenkis examined the statistical properties of learning algorithms ( Machine Learning ). The main objective is a theoretical framework for the problem of the inference to provide - that to achieve the problem, from a knowledge of the underlying data model.

Criticism

The critics of the learning theories mention two important points: First, they point out that learning theories can explain only abgeschautes / imitation behavior. Accordingly, there is no explanation for new behavior, ie for innovation or creativity. In addition, it was stated that the majority of the observed learning processes to the gain of benefits intended (eg, hunger or thirst) compensate for a deficiency state. Critics see the full potential of people but only realized when overriding motives are sought (eg, striving for self -realization). These are - according to critics - left at the learning theories in mind. Some of the objections are redundant if the purely theoretical learning approaches are extended to cognitive processes, such as Bandura's social cognitive learning theory.

The critical rationalism considers the relevant learning theories for simply incomplete. Accordingly, there is the actual learning process that the relevant learning theories would see, in reality of free gear plus critical examination. It merely describes the process by which a once trained as theory would be transferred from consciousness into the subconscious mind, so that eg a learned activity may be carried out unconsciously and on demand.

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