Learning+Theory

=Learning Theory =

According to Conole et al (2004, 17-33) Behaviourism is a broad educational approach which focuses on behaviour modification via stimulus-response pairs, trial and error learning, learning through association and reinforcement, Pedagogical focus is on control and adaptive response and Focus on observable outcomes.

Definitions :


 * 1) **Behaviourism **, also called the learning perspective (where any physical action is a behaviour), is a philosophy of psychology based on the proposition that all things that organisms do—including acting, thinking and feeling—can and should be regarded as behaviours (Skinner, 1984).
 * 2) **Behaviourism** as applied to learners is the idea that the learner is an empty container to be filled with “the learning”. What the learner does after learning is called his “behaviour.” The behaviour can be shaped by putting various things into the container and observing what happens (Focal Works, 2011).
 * 3) **Behaviourism** is a worldview that assumes a learner is essentially passive, responding to environmental stimuli. The learner starts off as a clean slate (i.e. //tabula rasa//) and behaviour is shaped through positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement. Both positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the probability that the antecedent behaviour will happen again. In contrast, //punishment// (both positive and negative) decreases the likelihood that the antecedent behaviour will happen again. Positive indicates the application of a stimulus; Negative indicates the withholding of a stimulus. Learning is therefore defined as a change in behaviour in the learner. Lots of (early) behaviourist work was done with animals (e.g. Pavlov’s dogs) and generalized to humans (Learning Theories, 2008).

This theory is the one that is the most appropriate for the course since all tasks to making computer programs use a step by step approach.