Prompt
- How would the learning be designed differently by a behaviourist, a cognitivist, and a constructivist? Scenario: A high school social study teacher is planning a class on climate change.
According to chapter 11 of Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology “As one moves along the behaviourist-cognitivist-constructivist continuum, the focus of instruction shifts from teaching to learning, from the passive transfer of facts and routines to the active application of ideas to problems” (Ertmer and Newby, 13).
Learning designed by a behaviourist would focus on the mastery of basic knowledge and skills through repeated practice. Teachers who follow a behaviourist approach may focus on lower-order thinking skills and use reinforcement and continual feedback to develop habits.
Learning designed by a cognitivist would focus on retrieving prior knowledge and applying it to new or challenging situations. Teachers who follow a cognitivist approach may ask students to demonstrate taught concepts or participate in interactive discussions.
Learning designed by a constructivist would focus on students building their knowledge through their own discoveries. Constructivism requires the use of higher-order thinking skills to solve complex problems and go “beyond the information given” (Ertmer and Newby, 13). Constructivism gives learners the onus for their learning because the accumulation of knowledge is their responsibility. Although this theory of learning focuses on students, the teacher’s role is critical. Teachers must “align and design experiences for the learner so that authentic, relevant contexts can be experienced” (Ertmer and Newby, 13). As an educator, I value the constructivist approach. When students are placed at the centre of their learning, they are more likely to participate in meaningful learning experiences that maintain attention, keep learning relevant, and boost confidence through autonomy. Also, it supports UDL because of “[t]he need for information to be presented in a variety of different ways” (Ertmer and Newby, 13). Constructivism can make learning accessible regardless of the unique ways in which each student learns.
Climate Change Class Scenario: Behaviourist
- Memorization of new vocabulary terms (Ex: fossil fuels, CO2, greenhouse gas effect). Behaviourists value positive reinforcement, thus incorporating reward systems for successful students may be beneficial. Sample activities:
- Matching games: providing new vocabulary terms and their associated definitions to be sorted
- Flashcard repetition activities
- Scavenger hunt: provide the definitions and students search the classroom for terms
Climate Change Class Scenario: Cognitivist
- Interactive discussions based on materials used in class (books, videos, articles, images, graphic organizers)
- Think-pair-share
- I used to think….now I think
- See, Think, Wonder
- K-W-L charts: (What I Know, Want to know, Learned)
- Debates regarding an issue that contributes to climate change.
- deforestation, mining, agriculture, transportation
- Students will use the knowledge they have acquired to support arguments
Climate Change Scenario: Constructivist
- Place-based learning/Field trips
- Goal: see the effects of climate change in their local community
- Inquiry projects. Students research ways to stop climate change and pick how they want to show their learning.
Word Count: 443
Reference:
Ertmer, P. A. & Newby, T. (2018). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features From an Instructional Design Perspective. In R. E. West, Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology: The Past, Present, and Future of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. EdTech Books. Retrieved from https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/behaviorism_cognitivism_constructivism
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