Learning Theories

The are three  popular learning theories that are applied in classroom teaching & learning environment. They are;

1- Constructivism.

2- Behaviorism.

3- Cognitivism.

These theories guide the instructor to impart knowledge and skills to the learner using different instructional means. The following is the brief description of the three learning theories;

1- Behaviorism theory;

The renown proponent of this theory was Edward Thorndike who tested it on animals. It was later developed more by B.F Skinner (Newby et al, 2006) who associated learning with the behavior of the learner under the influence of external environmental factors. The subsequent scholars were the likes of Pavlov and Bloom. In this theory, the learner acquires knowledge and skills from the environment which stimulates his or her behavior in order to respond to the consequences which reinforce the desired behavior.

Technology integrated learning is one of the teaching instructions that can be enhanced by the behaviorist theory.  The instruction becomes effective when the instructor, for instance, introduces a topic or question or task that prompts the learner's immediate response. The learning process of the behaviorist theory helps the learner to get feedback for his or her responses which enhances repeated frequencies as reinforcements.

In order to achieve the intended instructional objectives, the following are some of the instructional materials that can facilitate learning; audio, video, audio-visual, texts, pictures and simulations Roblyer (2003).

The theory suggests that learning is more effective through observation of the learner's behavior, providing motivational incentives to the learner, providing regular feedback and enhancing drill and practice activities.

2- Cognitivism theory

This theory was developed through cognitive development psychology associated with Gardner, H in 1950s and was later described by Jean Piaget in regard to child developmental stages; sensorimotor stage 0-2 years, pre-operational stage of 2-7 years, concrete operations stage of 7-11 years and formal operations stage from 11 years and above (Roblyer, 2003). The advent of this this theory came as a response to the behaviorist theory which focuses only on the learner's behavior influenced by antecedents from the environment to produce stimulus-response behavior the process of which does not consider other aspects of the learner's instincts.The proponents of this theory introduced mental  processing that enhances the learner's abilities that occur internally, within the mind of the learner (Newby et al 2006).

Technology integration in teaching and learning uses the technological advancement of computers to enhance learning using information processing. As behaviorist define learning as change of individual's behavior as influenced from interaction with environment, cognitivists through information processing, define it as change in the acquired knowledge and skills that are stored in the learner's innate memory.The functions of the stored knowledge in the learner's memory are the major focus in the educational integrated learning.The learning functions are based on the learner's ability to master the three most fundamental aspects; attention (receiving the information), encoding (interpreting the concepts in memorable forms) and retrieval (reproducing the acquired information). The role of the instructor here, is to help the learner to achieve abilities through; introducing new information, relate the information to the learner's previous experience and guide him or her to store the information for later retrieval. By the use of computer, the instructor can use say; textual or pictorial visuals, video, audio, tables and charts.

3-Constructivism theory

This theory according to the body of literature, is described as a combination of different learning approaches that include discovery learning and situated learning. Some scholars associate this theory with John Dewey (1987) who linked education with continuous reconstruction of experiences. Dewey's ideas were later developed by other scholars including Vygotsky, Bruner and Pieaget.

In comparison with the behaviorists and cognitivist theories, constructivist theory focuses on the learner's own ability to generate knowledge through the process of reflecting on his or her prior experiences. Therefore, effective learning occurs when the learner interacts with three aspects; learner's prior knowledge of experience, the given task or problem to be solved and the availability of favorable social environment. The theory describes also the concept of collaboration in two ways; the learner interacting with the peers and the role of the instructor to guide the learner (Newby et al 2006).

In the technology integrated learning, the learner gets introduced to technology materials that assist in problem solving. These can include; interaction of the learners from far distance by say use of teleconferencing for academic discussions, electronic massaging, SMS texting, classroom interaction with the help of the instructor, use of internet, creation of projects through hypermedia software and creation of simulations. All this is to encourage the learner to discover his or her own learning.

On the other hand, there are other theories that emerged from constructivist theory; action theory and social constructivism developed by Vygotsky (1978) and  situated learning theory developed by Lave & Wenger (1980s).