LEARNING
WHAT IS LEARNING ?
• Learning is define as a relatively permanent change in behavior or
knowledge that occurs as a result of experience or practice.
• Learning is a key process in human behavior.
• One must remember that some behavioral changes occur due to illness, and
the use of drugs etc….
• They are not considered learning.
• Changes due to practices and experiences, which are relatively permanent
change.
IN PSYCHOLOGY
Mental Human Human experiences
process behavior (reaction, responses)
learning
Experience understanding human behavior changes
learning permanent in
nature
• Such changes are temporary. (That is not learning)
• Learning is a time consuming process .
• Learning is a reflection of human experiences.
• Edward Thorndike (1898)
• Learning is the formation of the associations between stimulus and response through
trial- and – error, strengthened by satisfying outcomes (the law of effect).
• Ivan Pavlov (1927)
• Learning is the process by which a natural stimulus comes to elicit a reflexive response
after being paired repeatedly with an unconditioned stimulus.
• John B. Watson (1913)
• Learning consist of the conditioning of overt behavior- that is, the replacement of one
reflex response with another through stimulus-response association.
• Jean Piaget (1952)
• Learning arises from active construction of knowledge through the dual process of
assimilation and accommodation as one interact with the world.
TYPES OF LEARNING:
• Formal learning (education, training).
• Informal learning (self-study, experiences).
• Non-formal learning (works shops mentoring).
• Experiential learning ( hands-on, project-based).
• Social learning (observing, imitating).
FEATURES OF LEARNING
• Learning by experience: learning always involves some kind of experience.
• we experience an event occurring in a certain sequence on a number of
occasions.
• For example;
One learns that if the bell rings in the hostel after sunset, then dinner is ready
to be served.
CONT……
• Repeated experience of satisfaction after doing something in a specified
manner leads to the formation of habit.
• Sometimes a single experience can lead to learning.
• A child strikes a matchstick on the side of a matchbox, and gets her/his
finger burn.
• Such an experience makes the child learn to be careful in handling the
matchbox in future.
LEARNING THEORIES
• Behaviorism (stimulus-response- B.F Skinner , Pavlov )
• Focus on observable behaviors.
• Learning is shaped by reinforcement and punishment.
• Like classical and operant conditioning.
• Cognitivism (information processing- Piaget, Bruner)
• Emphasize mental process like thinking, memory, and problem solving.
• Learning involves active information processing.
CONT……
• Constructivism (personal Construction- Vygotsky)
• Learning is a social process.
• Learner construct knowledge through interaction and experience.
• Humanism (self-actualization- Maslow, Rogers)
• Focus on personal growth and self-actualization.
• Emphasize motivation, emotions, and learner-centered approaches.
Th
an
ky
ou
