Cooperative Learning and Social Theories

Social learning theories believe in the following:

• people learn by observing and imitating
• reality is constructed through humans' activity: it does not exist until people create it
• learning is a social process
• knowledge can change when new knowledge is created (connectivism)

Cooperative learning strategies support social learning theories. In cooperative learning, students are involved in a social process. They interact with each other in groups to learn. Students can pick up something from someone else in their groups and add that to their knowledge pool (observing and imitating).

In multimedia projects, students in the cooperative learning group can divide up the work and, depending on each other, come together to make a whole final product. Each student masters a task and can then teach the rest of the group about what they researched in a jigsaw fashion. Again, knowledge here is social.

Voice Thread: Problems in the Classroom

http://voicethread.com/share/571379/

Constructivism/ Constructionism Projects

Powerpoint is a great tool for the Constructivism/ Constructionism theories to be applied. It is one of my favorite programs to use with my students for assessments. I think any technology that the students create a product with applies to this theory. I also like to use podcasting with iMovie and garageband with my students. You can do so much more media wise with these. What are some other technologies you use in your class that can apply to this theory?

Constructivism/ Constructionism

The constructivist constructionist learning theory is centered around a basic principle that learners construct their own knowledge actively. It is believed that people learn best doing hands on activities, by making something. Through that creating, the learner makes his or her own experience. There are several ways for the learner to be successful in the constructivist constructionist learning: active learning, solving authentic problems, collaboration with others, discovery and inquiry, viewing many perspectives to the same issue, and ownership.

The instructional strategies presented in this week’s learning theories involve generating and testing hypotheses. The tasks that are presented in the book correlate to constructionist constructivist learning theory because they actively involve the learner in creation of something to help them learn.

In the systems analysis task, students are involved in discovery and inquiry where they predict what would happen if a situation changes. Using research, background knowledge, and any other resources they may have available to them, the students would be creating their own knowledge and guessing what an outcome would be. The teacher could then confirm their guesses. Problem solving is similar to this in that the students examine different outcomes to an issue.

In historical investigation, the students are involved again in problem solving, discovery and inquiry as they try to come up with a solution to a problem that has not yet been solved.

When students setup an experiment to test their hypothesis in an experimental inquiry task, they are actively engaged in carrying out the experiment. Making and doing an experiment is especially what this theory is about as it involved creating something to learn.

Finally, with decision making, the students are involved in viewing many different perspectives before they come to a conclusion about an issue.

Throughout all of these tasks in the generating and testing hypotheses strategy, the students are learning through making something. They are collaborating with others and sharing ideas, they are taking ownership of their learning. It is truly a constructivist constructionist theory.

Cognitive Learning

Cognitive learning theory assumes that learning proceeds as learners transform short term knowledge to long term knowledge. Prior knowledge is a very important determinant in what students learn in this theory. Students who have more initial knowledge and more prior knowledge learn new information much better. The instructional strategies described in this week’s learning resources are perfect to satisfy this theory.

It is important that cues are used by the teacher to help the learners activate prior knowledge about the topic at hand. Cues are one of the first steps in the cognitive learning theory process. Questions work in the same way. The teacher may ask a question to activate prior knowledge before introducing new material, or they may ask questions after introducing something to try to help the student remember previous lessons that they can connect the new knowledge to. The more connections the students make, the better it will be for their learning. Advance organizers give students a visual representation of the connections they are making from prior knowledge to new knowledge to the topic at hand.

Using technology to accomplish these strategies makes the process less tedious, and more interactive for the learner. Sometimes, with the use of technology to learn new information, the learner becomes immersed in the topic. (As they would in a virtual field trip.)

Summarizing is another important means of effectively carrying out cognitive learning theory. It would be impossible for students to remember and make a connection to every thing they hear, read, and see in textbooks and in the classroom. However, summarizing is an effective means of stripping away “extra” information and really focusing on what is important. The word processing markup method is another wonderful way for students to literally see what they need and do not need when taking notes.

REFERENCES
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Behaviorist Learning Theory

The instructional strategies in the learning resources correlate with Behaviorist Learning Theory. In this week’s learning resources, two different strategies were presented: reinforcing effort and homework and practice.

The concept of reinforcing effort is straight from behaviorist learning theory. The theory is built on the two concepts of reinforcement and punishment. Reinforcing effort highlights the part of the operant conditioning idea. When a positive behavior is shown by a student, behavior theory says the teacher should reinforce it. “Technology makes it easier for students and teachers to track the effects of effort and facilitates more immediate feedback” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malinoski, 2007, p.156). When a student keeps track of their effort in a chart like the one shown in Figure 8.1 (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malinoski, 2007, p.157), and the teacher gives immediate feedback, the student’s positive effort is immediately reinforced, therefore encouraging the student to continue the positive behavior. A positive, encouraging response from the teacher is the desired response to motivate the student to continue the positive effort.

Homework and practice are designed to give the student a review of a concept taught in school as well as help the students expand their skill level. When a student completes their homework, and is given immediate and constructive feedback on it, they are very likely to complete it again.

REFERENCES
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.