This document summarizes key aspects of behaviorism and cognitive learning theories, and compares them to social cognitive theories. It notes that behaviorism cannot account for all types of learning, such as when behavior is produced that was not directly reinforced. Social cognitive theories posit that learning can occur through observation of models alone, without reinforcement. The document uses examples like children learning Spanish from watching educational TV to illustrate how social cognitive theories address gaps in behaviorism by accounting for learning that occurs without reinforcement.

1. A presentation by ETEC 512 “Group 1” Ian Brown, Roberta Luchinski, Marie-Louise Thomas Cognitive Approaches to Learning

2. Behaviourism Behaviorism is rooted in the idea that human behavior is part of scientific, natural law. Its basic premise is that behavior is overt and measurable and can be quantitatively studied and assessed. It declines the notion that behavior is the result of internal thought processes.

3. Cognitive Approaches to Learning Behavioral Conditioning Theory suggests that all learning involves forming associations between stimuli and responses. Cognitive Information Theory does not reject these associations, but focuses more on the internal (mental) processes that intervene between stimuli and responses. Schunk, D. H. (2008). pp. 130-131.

4. Behaviourism Its core is “stimulus/response theory”, and it embraces the concepts of positive and negative reinforcement. It is highly accountable, and used in these applications:

5. Behaviourism Leading psychologists in Behaviorist Theory include: B. F. Skinner (1904-1990) Edward Thorndike (1874-1949) John B. Watson (1878 – 1958) Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)

6. Connecting Behaviourism’s Gaps to Cognitive Learning with ModelsA Concept Map Created By Marie-Louise Thomas

11. Social Learning Theory Social Learning Theory suggests that people learn new behavior through overt reinforcement or punishment, or via observational learning from the social actors in their environment. If people observe positive, desired outcomes in the observed behavior, then they are more likely to model, imitate, and adopt the behavior themselves.

12. Application of Cognitive Learning Theories in a Grade 8 English Language Arts Classroom - Roberta Luchinski In this Grade 8 English Language Arts Class the students are engaging in activities that “traditional” teachers might find unusual. The influence of Cognitive Learning Theories (Schunk, 2008, p. 77-103) has reached the classroom level through new curricula that focus on active learning by the students. Curriculum outcomes include self-reflection on how they are achieving and goal setting for improvement. The students are given models or “exemplars” of how Grade 8 work should look. Differentiated instruction (http://www.members.shaw.ca/priscillatheroux/differentiating.html) and multiple intelligences (http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm ) assessments are tools used by the teacher to ensure that each child has equitable access to learning. Visual Organizers and Metacognitive Strategies (http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/metacognition/start.htm ) are used to help learners organize their thoughts.

16. The Two-Store (Dual Memory) Model Applied to Second-Language Learning in the Classroom (adapted from Schunk, 2008, pp. 132-133) In an F.S.L. classroom learners are encouraged to create meaning of new sounds by connecting the spoken word to actions and gestures. In this example, students learn that word “viens” in French is “come” in English. Information processing begins with a teacher modelling a new word to students. An auditory stimulus input (the sound “viens”) and a visual/kinesthetic stimulus (a hand gesture that signals “come”) impinge on two of the learners’ senses (hearing and sight). The appropriate sensory register receives the input and holds it briefly in sensory form. It is here that perception (pattern recognition) occurs, assigning meaning to the new stimulus. While this does not typically involve naming, the input (the sound “viens” not necessarily interpreted as an actual word) stays in the sensory register for only a fraction of a second. Perception involves matching an input (the sound “viens”) to known information (the hand gesture for “come” (Schunk, p. 133). The sensory register transfers information (the sound “viens”) to Short Term Memory (STM). STM or working memory (WM) corresponds to awareness, or what one is conscious of at the given moment. WM is limited in duration; for the sound to be retained in WM, it must be repeated (the teacher repeats the paired sound and gesture). Without rehearsal the information is lost in a few seconds. Once sound is rehearsed by the learner and meaningfulness is added to the sound (now a meaningful word) “viens”, the learner can use and produce the word.

18. (2)The learner has already given meaning to the word 'viens' having seen and heard the model's actions and model's successes saying 'viens' and using the hand gesture in the classroom. The model's repetition leading to the learner's new perceptions are only one step in learning. For continued meaningfulness and more permanent learning, the learner must now produce the word 'viens' in its appropriate context (Schunk, p. 98).

19. (3) Indeed there are behaviourist undertones in the pairing of the two stimuli, sound and hand gesture. Yet, there is no overt student response in the initial stages of learning. Learning takes place using the two-store model in WM and LTM, through the actions of the model, and the cognitive processing by the learner that gives meaning to the new word.

20. (4) This rehearsal generally occurs in the classroom in interactions between the teacher and students. Eventually, students respond to the sound ‘viens’ without the model’s use of the hand gesture. This appears to be a behavioural learning process. Yet, the emphasis here is that the model's success, not the student's success, motivates learning. Moreover, more LTM learning is created after the students have created the meaningful connections themselves. The importance learner’s perceptions make this a cognitive process.

22. Learning Occurs in the Absence of Reinforcement Social Cognitive Theories of LearningBuild on the Gaps in Behaviourism – continued Behaviourism cannot account for observable and measurable behaviour that has not been reinforced. For example, a child who has listened to the educational television program, Dora the Explorer begins to produce context-appropriate Spanish phrases at playtime with their stuffed animals. The cartoon character repeatedly models context-appropriate Spanish. The language has been learnt, but the Spanish was not reinforced by a parent or by the teacher (Dora on the television show ). Social cognitivists would argue that learning had occurred even before the Spanish was produced by the learner. Similar television programmes like Sesame Street encourage new learning without negatively or positively reinforcing appropriate language use.

24. Yet, Behaviourism does not explain why children only imitate some reinforced behaviour or produce behaviours that were not initially reinforced, as in the previous case of a young Spanish learner (Mergel, 1998). Do Behaviourists account for unreinforced behaviour? Not according to Cognitivists.

25. References Bandura, A., Ross, D. & Ross, S. A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 575-582. Retrieved September 27, 2009 from http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Bandura/bobo.htm. Mergel, B. (1998 ). Instructional design & learning theory. Scholarly paper: University of Saskatchewan. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm. Novak, J. D. (1998). Learning, creating, and using knowledge: Concept maps as facilitative tools in schools and corporations. (pp. 49-78). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Shunk, D. H. (2008). Learning theories: An education perspective (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River. NJ: Pearson.

26. - Focus Questions -Post your responses on the discussion thread: Unit 2 Theory Comparison Which theory, Social Learning Theory or Behaviousism, offers more for education? Are some learning tasks better approached by one or the other of these theories?