Compare And Contrast Learning Theories Of Learning

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When we think of learning many things come to mind. We may relate learning with: parents, school, teachers, books, experiences, thoughts, understanding, perspective, acquired knowledge, skills, capabilities, and mental functions of the brain. As we learn something, we realize our behavior changes. We also realize how our environment influences our learning or what we have learned. Our learning may stem from the books we have read, the movies we have seen, the interactions we have with people and the observations we have made. Simultaneously as we learn, we may or may not become cognizant of the extent in which our thought process has affected our ability to learn. We discover the behaviors that enable us to learn. Perhaps, we realize that…show more content…
One of the definitions states “Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience”. The second states “Learning is a relatively permanent change in mental associations due to experience”. Both definitions suggest that learning is relatively permanent; they also imply that the change is due to an experience. Although both suggest change from experience, one proposes a change in behavior while the other in mental associations. The learning theories of behaviorists focus on changes in behavior over time and changes from environmental conditions. Whereas learning theories from a cognitive perspective, focuses on thinking or the internal mental…show more content…
These principles relate to things such as experience, interpretation, prior learning, motivation, consequences and diversity. The first principle is: “The specific experiences that people have affect what they know and what they can do”. Both definitions of learning state that learning is due to experience. People will learn from their experiences in places such as school, work, and home, and the lessons they have learned will affect future learning. The second principle is: “Peoples interpretations of their experiences influence the specific things they learn from those experiences”. People may misinterpret certain experiences, and may not be able to truly learn the lesson they are being taught. The third principle is: “New learning builds upon prior learning.” This principle implies that to learn you must begin with the basic and work up to things that are complex. The forth principle is: “Motivation affects what and how much people learn.” Theorist says that you must give people a reason to want to learn, because lack of interest will result in no learning. The fifth principle is: “The consequences that follow people’s behaviors affect their future learning and behavior.” In this principle, “consequences” doesn’t necessarily mean a form of punishment, it may mean constructive criticism. The last principle is: “There is considerable diversity in what different people learn

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