Good Essay About Learning Theories

Learning is an experience, and as a teacher, I am entitled to create this experience for the learner. While a teacher can only provide the experience, it is up to the learner to utilize this experience for enhancing his performance or knowledge. For example, I will try to teach the students English spellings. Behaviorism theories can be used to explain a learning process that will lead to an observable and measurable changes in the student’s behavior, which in this case is his ability to spell English words, correctly.
Pavlov Classical conditioning and Skinners Operant conditioning are examples of Behaviorism theories. In Pavlov classical conditioning, a stimulus is presented to the learner, in order to elicit a response. The response is brought by initially presenting the conditioned stimulus, along with an unconditioned stimulus. Once the learner is habituated to respond to a combination of both stimuli, the conditioned stimuli in isolation can bring about the expected response. This is a reward based method of motivating the student to learn and the reward acts as an unconditioned stimulus. The techniques that I will use based on the classical conditioning theory, is a promise of picnic to all students who perform well in the spellings. This reward of picnic will help elicit their interest, enthusiasm and passion for learning. These positive traits cannot be incorporated through punishment as in Skinners Operant conditioning. In behavioral theory, the sole responsibility of bringing a change in the student’s behavior through learning, rests with the teachers alone, and the student’s contribution to this process is nil. This system does not give importance to the active role of student in the learning process. It is not necessary that punishment or reward can bring about the expected change in the student, as we are not training them to exhibit their reflexes, like in the example of the dog in Pavlov’s experiment. Nevertheless, between reward and punishment, reward will give a more enriching experience and do less psychological harm.