Video on Theories of Learning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YOqgXjynd0

Summary

	Behaviorism	Cognitivism	Constructivism
Learning is…	Regular and expected responses	Recall of stored information	Building knowledge by doing
Instruction is…	Repetition and reinforcement	Grab attention and help storage	Guiding problem solving
Other important concepts	Input (stimulus) --> Output (responses) “Practice makes perfect.”	Mind as computer Memorization	Importance of hands-on experience

Two types of theories regarding learning:

1. Descriptive theory (Learning theory - what is learning)

2. Prescriptive theory (Instructional theory - how do we help people learn)

Insights

• There seems to be a trend shifting from behavorism and cognitivism to constructivism in pedagogical practice nowadays
• One can find all three perspectives in local classroom in HK
• Which perspective to adopt depends on the learning outcome expected
• The video did not contain much discussion on the importance of social connection in the process of learning