Question: Describe an example from your life of when you were taught using each method described in this article: behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism.
The behavisorim method example I will focus on is when I learned to row in a scull. In the summer of 2020, I decided to learn how to row to get into sports again. It was a completely unnatural instinct for me to be going backwards on the water. This new skill had to be broken down into basic steps, using “instructional cues, practice and reinforcement” (Ertmer & Newby, 1993). I first started out being taught the concepts behind rowing, such as the movement of the boat and the oars and after the concepts were discussed, I went on a rowing machine that sits on the dock to get a feel for the oar in the water. I started every practice on the dockside rower before going out on the water to deepen my understanding. For this whole learning process, there were plenty of cues, practice and reinforcement used in the behaviourism learning method.
In university, students are constantly using the cognitivism method in their learning. This blog post is a great example, we are being asked to reflect on what we just learned to see deeper into the topic and make connections. Any time we are moving through the cognitive method, we are expanding on what we just learned to understand it, because “knowledge does not equal understanding” (second vid).
One approach to the constructivsm method is learning in pairs and teaching one another, which I have done in the swimming pool. I loved doing this with my peers in the water because while watching someone else do a skill such as a flip-turn (somersault), I would give them feedback and then when giving that feedback I can apply it to myself too, and critically think if I needed to fix that as well. This method helps see the learning from an alternative view and therefore helps you learn in a different way.
I believe that not only one method helps a person learn, but it can differ for different areas of learning. Learning these methods will help in deciding which learning method helps me best, and which learning methods I can use to strengthen understanding when teaching someone.
Sources:
Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. (1993). Behaviourism, Cognitivism, Constructivism. Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology, Chapter 11.
SmarterEveryDay. (2016). The Backwards Brain Bicycle- Smarter Every Day 133. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFzDaBzBlL0.
Hi Ashley! Thank you for sharing your understanding of learning theories based on your experience as a learner! Learning a new skill is always challenging, so breaking it down into smaller steps definitely helps. I also like your example of constructivism when teachers ask students to teach each other. Another constructivism strategy I appreciate is project-based, which allows students to connect theory with the real world. For example, Riipen matches actual companies’ requests with students’ projects for the course. It gives students practical experience in their field throughout their schooling.