Introduction

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= = = = = = =               Here are three learning theories that influence learning and teaching practises in schools. Why do we do what we do? = In order to complete this Web Quest sucessfully, you need to have an understanding of "Learning Theory". Your task is to complete a mind map on the **__" Learning Thoery" __** Here are some website that can help you with your mind map. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_theory_(education) http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-learn.htm http://www.learning-theories.com/
 * Task One: What is Learning Theory?**

=Source: Wikipedia=
 * [|Behaviorism] || [|Cognitivism] || [|socio-culturalism] || [|Constructivism] ||

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Summary: Behaviorism is a worldview that operates on a principle of “stimulus-response.” All behavior caused by external stimuli (operant conditioning). All behavior can be explained without the need to consider internal mental states or consciousness.======

Originators and important contributors: John B. Watson, Ivan Pavlov, B.F. Skinner, E. L. Thorndike (connectionism), Bandura, Tolman (moving toward cognitivism) Keywords: Classical conditioning (Pavlov), Operant conditioning (Skinner), Stimulus-response (S-R)   || Summary: The cognitivist paradigm essentially argues that the “black box” of the mind should be opened and understood. The learner is viewed as an information processor (like a computer). Originators and important contributors: Merrill -Component Display Theory (CDT), Reigeluth (Elaboration Theory), Gagne, Briggs, Wager, Bruner (moving toward cognitive constructivism), Schank (scripts), Scandura (structural learning) Keywords: Schema, schemata, information processing, symbol manipulation, information mapping, mental model s || Incorporating influences traditionally associated with sociology and anthropology, socio-constructivism emphasizes the impact of [|collaboration], and //negotiation on thinking and learning//. A central notion in socio-constructivism is //assisted learning//, a concept that is influenced by [|socio-culturalism] and its concept of //proximal learning//. Some also would include [|situatedness], i.e. interaction with the social and physical context. (1) A first form of socio-constructivism can be defined as an approach according to which individual knowledge relies on its social construction of it. (Piaget, Doise and Mugny, 1984). Especially relevant in this respect are the communication processes ([|learning dialogs]) occurring in situations where at least two persons try to solve a problem. The social world of a learner includes the people that directly affect that person, including teachers, friends, students, administrators, and participants in all forms of activities. Accordingly, learning designs should enhance //local// collaboration and dialogue but also engage other actors (e.g. domain experts) to participate in certain ways. Research on [|collaborative learning] is particularly interested in learning mechanisms that are triggered by specific collaborative activities. || = = Summary: Constructivism as a paradigm or worldview posits that learning is an active, constructive process. The learner is an information constructor. People actively construct or create their own subjective representations of objective reality. New information is linked to to prior knowledge, thus mental representations are subjective. Originators and important contributors: Vygotsky, Piaget, Dewey, Vico, Rorty, Bruner Keywords: Learning as experience, activity and dialogical process; Problem Based Learning (PBL); Anchored instruction; Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD); cognitive apprenticeship (scaffolding); inquiry and discovery learning. . ||