This document discusses several theories of learning: - Learning involves acquiring or modifying knowledge through experience and being taught using various techniques. It is aided by motivation and occurs through processes like habituation, conditioning, play, and complex activities. - Early learning can occur prenatally through habituation as early as 32 weeks into gestation, indicating the brain is primed for learning from a young age. - Reinforcement theory and behaviorism hold that learning is strengthened through positive reinforcement or avoidance of negative consequences for desired behaviors.

1. Learning is acquiring new, or in which habituation has been observed statements, facts presented visually, use
modifying existing, knowledge, as early as 32 weeks into gestation, of a variety of techniques and media.
behaviors, skills, values, or preferences indicating that the central nervous
and may involve synthesizing different system is sufficiently developed and Reinforcement theory This
types of information. The ability to primed for learning and memory to theory was developed by the
learn is possessed by humans, animals occur very early on in development.[3] behaviourist school of psychology,
and some machines. Progress over time notably by B.F. Skinner earlier this
tends to follow learning curves. Learning is the acquisition of century (Laird 1985, Burns 1995).
Learning is not compulsory; it is knowledge or skills through study, Skinner believed that behaviour is a
contextual. It does not happen all at experience, or being taught:these function of its consequences. The
once, but builds upon and is shaped by learner will repeat the desired
children experienced difficulties in
what we already know. To that end, behaviour if positive reinforcement (a
learning may be viewed as a process, learning pleasant consequence) follows the
rather than a collection of factual and behaviour.
procedural knowledge. Sensory Stimulation
TheoryTraditional sensory stimulation Positive reinforcement, or 'rewards' can
Human learning may occur as part of theory has as its basic premise that include verbal reinforcement such as
education, personal development, effective learning occurs when the 'That's great' or 'You're certainly on the
schooling, or training. It may be goal- senses are stimulated (Laird, 1985). right track' through to more tangible
oriented and may be aided by Laird quotes research that found that rewards such as a certificate at the end
motivation. The study of how learning the vast majority of knowledge held by of the course or promotion to a higher
occurs is part of neuropsychology, adults (75%) is learned through seeing. level in an organisation.
educational psychology, learning Hearing is the next most effective
theory, and pedagogy. Learning may (about 13%) and the other senses - Negative reinforcement also strengthen
occur as a result of habituation or touch, smell and taste account for 12% a behaviour and refers to a situation
classical conditioning, seen in many of what we know. By stimulating the when a negative condition is stopped or
animal species, or as a result of more senses, especially the visual sense, avoided as a consequence of the
complex activities such as play, seen learning can be enhanced. However, bahaviour. Punishment, on the other
only in relatively intelligent this theory says that if multi-senses are hand, weakens a behaviour because a
animals.[1][2] Learning may occur stimulated, greater learning takes place. negative condition is introduced or
consciously or without conscious Stimulation through the senses is experienced as a consequence of the
awareness. There is evidence for achieved through a greater variety of behaviour and teaches the individual
human behavioral learning prenatally, colours, volume levels, strong not to repeat the behaviour which was

2. negatively reinforced. A set of The basic premise of this theory is that Facilitative teachers are:
conditions is created which are the 'individual personality consists of
designed to eliminate behaviour many elements ... specifically ... the less protective of their
(Burns, 1995, p.108). Laird considers intellect, emotions, the body impulse constructs and beliefs than other
this aspect of behaviourism has little or (or desire), intuition and imagination teachers,
no relevance to education. However, (Laird, 1985, p.121) that all require more able to listen to learners,
Burns says that punishment is widely activation if learning is to be more especially to their feelings,
used in everyday life although it only effective. inclined to pay as much
works for a short time and often only attention to their relationship
when the punishing agency is present. Facilitation theory (the humanist with learners as to the content
approach) Carl of the course,
Burns notes that much Competency Rogers and others have developed the apt to accept feedback, both
Based Training is based on this theory, theory of facilitative learning. The positive and negative and to use
and although it is useful in learning basic premise of this theory is that it as constructive insight into
repetitive tasks like multiplication learning will occur by the educator themselves and their behaviour.
tables and those work skills that require acting as a facilitator, that is by
a great deal of practice, higher order establishing an atmosphere in which Learners:
learning is not involved. There is learners feel comfortable to consider
criticism of this approach that it is rigid new ideas and are not threatened by are encouraged to take
and mechanical. external factors (Laird 1985.) responsibility for their own
learning,
Cognitive-Gestalt approachesThe Other characteristics of this theory provide much of the input for
emphasis here is on the importance of include: the learning which occurs
experience, meaning, problem-solving through their insights and
and the development of insights (Burns a belief that human beings have experiences,
1995, p.112). Burns notes that this a natural eagerness to learn, are encouraged to consider that
theory has developed the concept that there is some resistance to, and the most valuable evaluation is
individuals have different needs and unpleasant consequences of, self-evaluation and that learning
concerns at different times, and that giving up what is currently held needs to focus on factors that
they have subjective interpretations in to be true, contribute to solving significant
different contexts. the most significant learning problems or achieving
involves changing one's concept significant results.
Holistic learning theory of oneself.

3. sounds people made were
THE DING-DONG THEORY supposedly in harmony with the
world around them.What's wrong
This theory was proposed by with this theory? Apart from some
Friedrich Max Müller and later rare instances of soundsymbolism,
wisely abandoned byhim. there's no persuasive evidence, in
According to this theory speech any language, of an
arose because people reacted to the innateconnection between sound
stimuli in the world around them, and meaning.
and spontaneously produced sounds
(oralgestures) which in some way
reflected or were in harmony with
the environment.The main evidence
would be the universal use of
sounds for words of a
certainmeaning, but apart from a
few cases of apparent sound
symbolism (such as (teeny-weeny),
the theory has nothing to commend
it. Several fanciful exampleshave
nonetheless been cited, mama is
supposed to reflect the movement
of the
lips as the mouth approaches the
breast, and bye-bye or ta-ta show
the lips andtongue respectively
‘waving’ good-bye.This theory,
favored by Plato and Pythagoras,
maintains that speech arose in
response to the essential qualities of
objects in the environment. The
original