Learning and Design Theories

By: Keri Larew ID #272538 JOT2 Task 2 Mentor: Nina Smith

Behaviorism
First, a little background. Pavlov, Russian physiologist most famous for his experiment on dogs. B. F. Skinner in 1950s and 1960s. Founded on belief that wanted behaviors can be changed with repetition and reward.

 Teacher = stimulus of what is to be learned. Student = response. If correct = reward. If incorrect then, Teacher = new stimulus and try again. Doesnt take into consideration thoughts, feelings or emotions, just works on the specific behavior wanted. (Jackson, ASCD Learning Theory in the Classroom, n.d.)

Behaviorism

What Behaviorism looks like

Direct instruction Group instruction Teacher lecture Note taking Memorization Token System Portfolios (Jackson, ASCD Learning Theory in the Classroom, n.d.)

Cognitivism
Background. Most noted with Gagne and Gardner Believes learners need to be a part of learning in order to add to the knowledge they already have.

Cognitivism
Knowledge is from Teacher to Student. Student must be active in the learning. Believes that learning styles of students should influence how teacher teaches to student. Emotions not important because they are not logical. (Jackson, ASCD Learning Theory in the Classroom, n.d.)

Cognitivism
Looks like: Scaffolding Modeling Less difficult to more difficult Coaching (Jackson, ASCD Learning Theory in the Classroom, n.d.)

Constructivism
Background Based on theory from Vygotsky and Piaget. Follows a belief that learning must have meaning to the learner. True focus on retention and transfer of learned material.

Constructivism
Looks like: Pretests Hands on Activities Teacher monitoring and students working with teacher using little guidance. Problem solving. (Jackson, ASCD Learning Theory in the Classroom, n.d.)

This Lesson Plan based on Behaviorism

Would look like the teacher showing what congruent figures look like and asking the class if they are congruent figures, followed by praise for correct answer and corrective feedback for incorrect answers. This would have much repetition with different congruent figures for generalization.

This Lesson Plan Based on Behaviorism Continued

The teacher would follow the same procedure for similar figures, reinforcing the correct response and using many different repeated practices to make sure generalization was occurring for students. The practices of repetition could look different, for example be on the smart board or on geoboards as well as on note cards with drawings but they would all want classification followed immediately by reinforcement.

This Lesson Plan Based on Cognitivism

The teacher would link the shapes to traffic signs or symbols the students already know. Students would have to give demonstrations or summarize their knowledge of the different shapes that are similar and congruent. Students would have examples that would illustrate the difference between congruent and similar and the teacher would be trying to create organized ways for students to remember in order for them to transfer information later.

This Lesson Plan Based on Constructivism

The teacher would first use a pretest to see exactly what knowledge the students have on the subject of similar and congruent. The students would use a collaborative approach to learning similar and congruent through possible webquest or research on the internet. The teacher would scaffold the new knowledge with what students already know.

Analysis of Lesson Plan

Much of my lesson plan is a combination of Behaviorism, Cognitivism and a tiny bit of Constructivism. I use Behaviorism when teaching a new topic in order to reinforce the correct response from students. I correct immediately and give positive reinforcement for correct answers. By having students practice in different ways, I believe they get repetition but I also try to organize the information in ways they can remember it. I do use a bit of Constructivism when I question students on this topic because I ask them what the signs look like in real-life. We discuss what they mean as well as make a connection.

Theories of Instructional Design

It is definitely helpful to use Gagnes Nine Events of Instruction to help set up your lesson for the best learning environment for your students. These instructions are based on the needs of the lesson. Following these instructional events will set up your students to use and retain information you found important to teach.

Theories of Instructional Design Gagne For This Lesson

1. Gaining attention In my lesson the smart board is used as an attention getter with pictures of signs in the community already on it. Students are asked how the signs connect to Math. They want to tell what the signs mean as well, so we use this as a review. 2. Informing learner of lesson objective Students need to know what they are learning and are told the Learning Target as well as asked to write it in their planner. For this plan, the LTs are: I can define and classify congruent figures, define and classify similar figures, compare and contrast between congruent and similar figures, and differentiate between congruent and similar figures for assessment. 3. Stimulating recall of prior learning In this lesson , I asked students to recall what signs may look like these shapes and asked what the names of the shapes were.

Theories of Instructional Design Gagne For This Lesson Continued

4. Presenting stimuli with distinctive features This is where you show similar or congruent when teaching using the definition. This was done on the smart board so the figures could be manipulated. 5. Guided learning Follow with teaching what you want students to know, making sure they are correct. This would be practicing making shapes that are congruent followed by similar in different ways. Some would be on the smart board, while other students drew on paper. We also use geoboards to make shapes. Students copy shapes I created as well as make up their own shapes on notecards. 6. Eliciting performance This is where using repeated practice comes into play but where students perform the activity. They draw the pictures correctly as well as label correctly on worksheet.

Theories of Instructional Design Gagne For This Lesson Continued

7. Providing informative feedback Discuss correct and incorrect responses to make sure students are getting correct information. This is where checking note cards and smart board pictures would be important. 8. Assessing performance This is where homework would come in. They would be different pictures of the same similar or congruent ideas or they could make up a memory game to go with either similar or congruent shapes. This is also where I assess their knowledge with a formal test. 9. Enhancing retention and learning transfer This is where the next review day they go over cards with peer and check for understanding while teacher listens to them. Hopefully students can transfer this information to the next lesson of geometric shapes. (Gagne and Wagner, 1981)

 Strengths This design theory gives teachers a framework to lay out their lesson plans. It is especially helpful to inexperienced teachers. This design helps keep teachers focus on keeping students engaged in their learning and can work for all levels of learners in some way. Weaknesses This design theory is more rigid and needs all pieces to occur at the right time to be complete. It doesnt guarantee students will transfer the information. This theory is very dependent on the teachers preparation of the lesson, which is time consuming.

Strengths and Limitations of Gagnes Theory of Design

Wiggins Theory of Backwards Design

References
Gagne, R. (1988). The Events of Instruction. Principles of Instructional Design, 186-201. Gagne, R., Wager, W. & Rojas, A. (1981). Planning and Authoring Computer-Assisted Instruction Lessons. Educational Technology, 23. Jackson, D. (n.d.) Learning Theory in the Classroom. ASCD PDOnline Course, 18-19, 2830, 39-44)

3rd one
The next thing the students were asked to do was identify shapes on geoboards that I had created. They had to find and label both similar and congruent figures. Finally I asked them to create their own figures with the geoboards and they had to label as well. I checked their work on a clipboard quickly. This lesson was followed by an assessment specifically on these concepts because of the needs of the special education students and their difficulty combining information.

1st
I planned to use the smart board to show similar shapes followed by discussion of other shapes by teacher questioning. Students would then come to the smart board and draw their similar shapes. This was followed by students drawing shapes on 3 x 5 cards using similar shapes as well. When I could tell that students had mastered this skill, I planned on doing the same thing with congruent shapes. The note cards would be used for review practice and homework help if student needed them.

2nd
The next step was for the students to complete a BrainPop of similar and congruent figures. This is a movie type of instruction on the computer that is no longer than 4 minutes with characters speaking to the students and using examples. It is followed by a quiz that the students can take on the smart board. Next, the students would pair up in groups of two or three and use their note cards to quiz each other on similar or congruent figures they had drawn (and I had checked for correctness). This was also followed by teacher questioning and homework for more practice.