1. Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism
Definition
In education there are several theories that are used in the
field. Many educators use the three most popular theories on a
daily basis at any given time in a class. These theories can be
documented back to the era of Aristotle. The three popular
theories are Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism.
Behaviorism is the theory that describes learning is due to an
observable change in behavior. The behaviors are sometimes
learned in the process. In this theory, the learners observe
the information, practice the information and then receive
reinforcement through praise. The classic example of
behaviorism is when Pavlov used classic conditioning to
investigate the digestive system of dogs. Pavlov conditioned the
dogs to react to the sound of a tuning fork. The tuning fork
became a conditioned stimulus. Other famous theorists include
Edward Thorndike who is known for inventing the puzzle box to
investigate problem solving in animals and B. F. Skinner who is
known for inventing the concept of operant conditioning.
Cognitivism is the theory that describes how information is
processed to produce learning. It is the change in a learner’s
mental behavior. Cognitive theory looks at how information
travels from the sensory memory to the working memory to the
long-term memory. This theory focuses on gaining and
maintaining the learner’s attention. After the learner’s
attention is gained, then rehearsal and visuals are used to move
the information in the memories. Reinforcement is used
primarily as feedback (Woolfolk, 2004). Two famous contributors
to Cognitivism are Jean Piaget who is known for the theory that
children progress through stages and J. Anderson who is know
for the two types of memory procedural and declarative.
Constructivism is the theory that describes learning to due to
the construction of knowledge. The theory focuses on the
understanding the information. A big component of
Constructivism is socializing. The learners are posed with
guiding questions and the learners work together to acquire the
new information.
Two famous contributors to Constructivism are
Lev Vygotsky who is known for the definition of Zone of Proximal
Development and Jerome Bruner who is known for stating that
learning is an active process.

2. Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism
Classroom Implication
In a Behaviorist classroom learning takes place through
acquiring facts, concepts and skills. In this type of classroom
one may observe a reward system for positive learning behavior.
There may be a money system where the students earn classroom
buck to spend at a later time. Also, there may be progress
charts visible. In this classroom, there may be contracts on a
particular student’s desk. Also, the learners will be receiving
effective praise in small and large accomplishments. Also, the
teacher reinforces for both positive and negative behavior. The
teacher is a supervisor in the Behaviorist classroom. Finally
in this classroom there may be an emphasis on mastery learning
with rewards and consequences in place.
In a Cognitive classroom learning takes place through using
strategies to acquire facts, skills and concepts. In this type
of classroom one may observe the teacher using props and various
methods to gain the learner’s attention. Also, one may observe
the use of visuals such as outline and graphic organizers to
connect the information in the learner’s memory. In this
classroom there may be evidence of grouping smaller pieces of
information into larger groups of information. One will witness
some repetition and review in the classroom. Also, one may
witness mnemonics to remember formulas and facts. The teacher
serves as a modeler of strategies in the Cognitive classroom.
Finally one will witness the application of various learning
strategies such as Review, Examine, Ask, DO, and Summarize.
In a Constructivist classroom learning takes place through
retrieving prior knowledge and collaborating to acquire new
knowledge. In this type of classroom one may observe learners
working in groups. The learners are discussing a possible
solution to a particular problem or task. One will observe the
teacher moving from group to group assisting in the discussion
and asking relevant questions. The teacher serves as a
facilitator in the Constructivist classroom. In this particular
classroom the learners are in charge of their own learning. The
learners in this classroom are producing authentic tasks and
artifacts. The learners have a choice in their presentation and
products.
Instructional Technology

3. Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism
Learning from the behaviorist point of view involves gaining
knowledge from observable behavior. Because of this,
behaviorist influenced technology occurs through drills and
practice. This type of software focuses on skill building by
using the method of observing a particular skill and practicing
the skill. Most drill and practice software gives instant
feedback by telling the user whether the answer is correct or
incorrect.
Some examples of drill and practice software are
Math Blaster, Learn to Speak Spanish and Numbers Munchers.
Learning from the Cognitive point of view involves mimicking the
human thought process. The technology focuses on thinking like
a person. This type of technology uses animations to keep the
learner’s attention and use chunking to present the information.
One type of cognitive technology is trouble shooting programs.
Some examples of this type of software Buggy and Logo. Other
types of cognitive software that encourages learning are
Cognitive Tutor by Carnegie Learning, Challenging our Minds, and
Plato.
Learning from the Constructive point of view involves building
knowledge collaborative through investigations and problem
solving. Constructivism and technology is not limited to one
type of software. Learners may use technology to research
information to help in solving an authentic problem. For
example, the learners may investigate how to eat healthy. The
learners can use the internet or books to search for relevant
information. Learners may use multimedia software to create an
authentic product to their problem. Learners may use LCD
projectors to present their product. Learners may use
technology to exchange information, email or chats.
There are a few similarities in the three theories. In the
Behaviorist theory and Cognitive theory both theories believe in
reinforcing the concept. Also the Cognitive theory and
Constructivist theory both believe in using various
representations to learn. Cognitive theory uses premade visuals
where Constructivist theory use visuals discovered by learners.

4. Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism
References
Cognitive Theories of Learning. Retrieved February, 13, 2008
from
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/w/x/wxh139/cognitive_1.htm#maj
or
Constructivism meets Technology. Retrieved February 15, 2008
from
http://online.sfsu.edu/~foreman/itec800/finalprojects/eitankapla
n/pages/technology.htm
Mergel, B. (1998). Instructional Design and Learning Theory.
Educations and Communication Technology
Woolfolk, A. (2004). Educational Psychology. Boston.
Pearson