Cognitivism as a Learning Theory, According to Kerr and Kapp
I agree with Kapp that no one learning theory explains the majority of the human population. Since individuals learn differently, there are learning styles that appeal to these differences; as what may work for one individual may not for another. The same is true for all of the learning theories, or ‘isms,’ as Kerr refers to them, which have been incorporated into education to attempt to explain how individuals think and learn. Therefore, to appeal to the majority of the human population, I agree with Kapp that philosophies and concepts from each of the learning theories should be combined; thereby implementing yet another learning theory that attempts to define the majority of humans. Another strong point that Kapp made is that learning is not one set thing… Learning entails the acquisition, application, and retention of information and knowledge. It is not enough to simply acquire (gain) the information from an array of sources, but the information needs to be presented in a way that is relevant and meaningful to the learner. Additionally, the learner needs to be placed in situations where he or she can actually use (apply) the knowledge, as we tend to remember more of what we do than what we hear or see. And I think that the application stage is what assists with retention of the information.
References:
Kapp, K. (2007). Out and about: Discussion on educational schools of thought [Web log post]. Retrieved March 28, 2012 from http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational/
Kerr, B. (2007). _Isms as filter, not blinker. Retrieved March 28, 2012 from http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html
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I responded to Sherri Carey's (http://theoryandeducationaltech.blogspot.com/) and Jason's (http://learningtheoryinedtech.blogspot.com/2012/03/learning-theory-in-ed-tech.html) post.
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I responded to Sherri Carey's (http://theoryandeducationaltech.blogspot.com/) and Jason's (http://learningtheoryinedtech.blogspot.com/2012/03/learning-theory-in-ed-tech.html) post.
Hi Jessica!
ReplyDeleteI too believe that Kapp is spot on when it comes to understanding how we learn. I just do not buy that one theory can explain all of the intricacies of how we learn. We all go through various types of experiences which shape how we perceive the world and how we acquire information.
For example, I am a child of the computer generation. As soon as computers became affordable, I moved from learning from books to learning by computer. I used hands-on learning to acquire the skills to build my own computer and socialized my intelligence with others who were doing the same. When it came to learning a foreign language, I know I used strategies with cognitive information processing (dual coding, memory, etc) and not the same skill set I used when building the computer.
Ray
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI see how the concepts of behaviorism and cognitivism are combined in educational technology to assist learners in their development. Educators utilize combinations of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning which relates to cognitive viewpoint coupled with attention to successfully promoting erudition and development of mental processes as they relate to behaviorism. Some situations call for information to be broken down in to manageable portions as in Bloom’s Taxonomy in an effort to progress from simple to complex while others can be used to shape a learner’s behavior by reducing tasks into smaller phases. Neither of the approaches is more important than the other, we are tasked with determining how to best incorporate these and other theories in order to be stewards of the discipline.
Hi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and Kapp that learning is not one set thing. I think we all learn differently and the information is better retained if presented in a manner that is relavant. I am very much a doer. I can hear and see something but it really sticks if I do it. I also think that experiences or situations affect learning and make us retain information better.