Learning theories and learning styles.

1. Learning
Theories
Learning
Style
Andragogy
Malcolm Knowles
VAK
Experiential
Learning
David Kolb
Kolb’s
LSI
Behaviorism Constructivism Cognitive
Social Learning
Theory
Welcome to the Learning Theory and Styles Library
Click on a book above to learn more about the learning theory or style

2. Andragogy proposes that adults learn best
when:
1. They feel the need to learn
2. They have some input into what, why, and how
they learn
3. The learning’s content and processes have a
meaningful relationship to the learner’s past
experience.
4. Their experience is used as a learning
resource.
5. The material relates to the individual’s current
life situation and tasks.
6. They have as much autonomy as possible
7. The learning climate minimizes anxiety and
encourages freedom to experiment.
8. Their learning styles are taken into account.
9. There is a cooperative learning climate
10. We create mechanisms for mutual planning
11. We arrange for a diagnosis of learner needs
and interests and enable the formulation of
learning objectives based on the diagnosed
needs and interests
12. We design sequential activities for achieving
the objectives
Malcolm Knowles and others theorized that
methods used to teach children are often not
the most effective means of teaching adults.
Pedagogy "means "leading children."
"Andragogy" was a term coined to refer to the
art/science of teaching adults. In The Modern
Practice of Adult Education (1970), Knowles
defined andragogy as "an emerging
technology for adult learning." His four
andragogical assumptions are that adults:
1. Move from dependency to self-
directedness;
2. Draw upon their reservoir of experience
for learning;
3. Are ready to learn when they assume
new roles; and
4. Want to solve problems and apply new
knowledge immediately.
Andragogy: Malcolm Knowles
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3. David A. Kolb created a well-known model that
includes four elements: concrete experience,
observation and reflection, the formation of
abstract concepts and testing in new situations. He
represented these in the experiential learning
circle (bottom left.)
The four elements are the essence of a spiral of
learning that can begin with any one of the
elements, but typically begins with a concrete
experience.
1. Concrete experience (feeling): Learning from
specific experiences and relating to people.
2. Reflective observation (watching): Observing
before making a judgment by viewing the
environment from different perspectives.
3. Abstract conceptualization (thinking): Logical
analysis of ideas and acting on intellectual
understanding of a situation.
4. Active experimentation (doing): Ability to get
things done by influencing people and events
through action. Includes risk-taking.
Experiential
Learning
Theory
David Kolb
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4. Behaviorism
B.F. Skinner
Skinner believed that t it is more productive
to study observable behavior rather than
internal mental events. He believed that the
best way to understand behavior is to look at
the causes of an action and its
consequences. He called this approach
operant conditioning or the changing of
behavior by the use of reinforcement given
after the desired response. Skinner
identified three types of responses or
operants that can follow behavior.
1. Neutral operants: responses from the
environment that neither increase nor
decrease the probability of a behavior
being repeated.
2. Reinforcers: Responses from the
environment that increase the probability
of behavior being repeated. Reinforcers
can be either positive or negative.
3. Punishers: Response from the
environment that decrease the likelihood
of a behavior being repeated.
Punishment weakens behavior.
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5. Constructivism is currently a popular topic in
educational philosophy. It potentially has significant
influence on how current `traditional' instruction is
organized and aligns with a number of educational
trends, for example:
1. The transition of the teacher's role from "sage
on the stage" (fount/transmitter of knowledge)
to "guide on the side" (facilitator, coach);
2. The teaching of "higher order" skills such as
problem-solving, reasoning, and reflection;
3. Enabling learners to learn how to learn;
4. Open-ended evaluation of learning outcomes;
5. Cooperative and collaborative learning skills.
Definition: Constructivism is an educational
philosophy which holds that learners construct
their own knowledge that then resides within
them, so that each person's knowledge is as
unique as they are. Among its key precepts
are:
• Situated or anchored learning, which
presumes that most learning is context-
dependent, so that cognitive experiences
situated in authentic activities such as
project-based learning;
• Cognitive apprenticeships, or case-based
learning environments result in richer and
more meaningful learning experiences;
• Social negotiation of knowledge, a
process by which learners form and test
their constructs in a dialogue with other
individuals and with the larger society.
Constructivism
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6. While behaviorists focused on the learner’s
environment, cognitivists shifted focus to the brain.
They developed an approach that focused on
mental processes rather than observable behavior.
Common to most cognitivist approaches is the idea
that knowledge comprises symbolic mental
representations, such as propositions and images,
together with a mechanism that operates on those
representations. Knowledge is seen as something
that is actively constructed by learners based on
their existing cognitive structures. Therefore,
learning is relative to their stage of cognitive
development; understanding the learner's existing
intellectual framework is central to understanding
the learning process.
While behaviorists maintain that knowledge is a
passively absorbed, cognitive constructivists argue
instead that knowledge is actively constructed by
learners and that any account of knowledge makes
essential references to cognitive structures.
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7. Bandura’s Social Learning Theory emphasizes the
importance of observing and modeling the
behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of
others. Bandura (1977) states: "Learning would be
exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if
people had to rely solely on the effects of their own
actions to inform them what to do.”
Social learning theory is closely related to behavior
modeling which is widely used in training programs.
In recent years, Bandura has focused his work on
the concept of self-efficacy in a variety of contexts
(e.g., Bandura, 1993).
Principles:
1. The highest level of observational learning is
achieved by first organizing and rehearsing the
modeled behavior symbolically and then
enacting it overtly.
2. 2. Individuals are more likely to adopt a
modeled behavior if it results in outcomes they
value.
3. 3. Individuals are more likely to adopt a
modeled behavior if the model is similar to the
observer and has admired status and the
behavior has functional value.
Social Learning
Theory
Albert Bandura
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8. Home
The VAK learning style framework,
developed in the 1920’s to teach dyslexic
children, proposes that most people have
one dominant or preferred learning style and
although they can still learn using the other
styles, their learning may not be as efficient
or effective. The VAK model also recognizes
that some people may have a mix of learning
styles. Neil Fleming revised the VAK model
to divide the visual learning component into
two parts, a symbolic aspect (represented as
V) and a textual aspect (represented as R).
Additionally, Fleming advanced the original
theory to supplement the auditory learning
and kinesthetic learning components of
traditional VAK theory.
Although research on learning style and
outcomes has been inconclusive, the
VAK/VARK assessments are commonly used
in educational and academic settings to
gather learner information.
VAK/VARK
Learning
Style

9. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory is based on the
work of David Kolb and was designed to measure
the degree to which individuals display the different
learning
styles derived from experiential learning theory.
The Learning Style Inventory (LSI) describes the
way you learn and how you deal with ideas and
day-to-day situations.. Learning can be described
as a cycle made up of four basic processes:
Accommodating, Assimilating, Converging and
Diverging. The LSI takes you through those
processes to give you better understanding of how
you learn. The original version of the LSI was
developed in 1971 and the current version, the LSI
4.0 was revised to include new nine styles:
Initiating, Experiencing, Imagining, Reflecting,
Analyzing, Thinking, Deciding, Acting and
Balancing.
Learn more about the inventory at :
http://learningfromexperience.com/tools/
Learning
Style
Inventory
David Kolb