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A Behaviourist approach

Behaviourists attempted to study behaviour and learning from a scientific approach – only observable and measurable behaviours are reliable. 

They explain human behaviour in terms of cause and effect – therefore learning is a modification of behaviour by application of stimuli, shaping of responses and the provision of reinforcement.

Learning is demonstrated in the response or behaviour of the learner.

TASK: Watch the following video from the Wharton University of Pennsylvania:

http://www.learningwiki.com/theory  

Part 1 – Behaviourism

Examples you may be familiar with:

Classical Conditioning – Pavlov’s  Dogs

The learner (dog) is conditioned (learns) to emit a response (dribble) which was originally a natural response to another stimulus (food) to a new stimulus (a bell).

Classic conditioning can also be demonstrated by our ability to generalize our responses to stimuli.

Eg. A household drill may cause a reaction for a person that has had an experience with a dentist’s drill!

What effect might generalizing have in e-Learning contexts?

Generalising could lead to learners becoming delayed in the learning process as they go at their own pace.