Unit 4 Dtlls

Unit4 – Theories and principles of learning and communication

Learning theories have been developing from as early as Aristotle, and are still used in modern day education to adapt learning methods to individuals or groups to better enable learning. There are many ways to pass on information to others, which is what learning is, and there are many theories of learning to help teachers do this. The main learning theories can be seen as behaviourism, cognitivism, and humanism, with behaviourism being   the starting point of a learners journey, where learners learn by repetition, repeating tasks, responding to stimuli, questions problems etc. The cognitivist theory challenges the behaviourist theory as it includes knowledge in the learning process, and also allows for learning through thought, senses, and experience. It could be seen as the development of a learners journey, where behaviourist methods are no longer effective or stimulating, and allow the learner to explore other ways to gain knowledge other than repeating tasks or responding to the teachers input. Humanism is the third main learning theory, and is one of the most recently developed, and puts more emphasis on allowing for varied behaviour and changing circumstances. It allows the learner to choose their own learning path, speed, and style, requiring less input from the teacher as the learner researches and learns with little guidance other than the primary input. There are many other theories and sub theories, but these three summarise the basis of developing learning theories best. I have seen areas where I have changed learning styles, and am trying out new ways to introduce other learning theories into my work. Predominantly my learners respond best to a behaviourist approach, and it works well in teaching mechanics, demonstrating tasks, then repeating them until it is second nature, but some of the more able students can progress by introducing elements of both cognitivist and humanist theories...