Who's On First...

Oh well, I can't find my notes from last class...

For some reason, I just don't get it, this theory, learning theory, instructional theory.  It's the word "theory" that trips me up.  Tiffany drew a graphic that helps, but we'll see if I can recall the difference next class.  The Abbott and Costello routine "Who's on First" comes to mind... Here's a link to a clip of the routine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShMA85pv8M

Thank goodness Tiffany reviewed the KB assignment again.  I thought I understood it, but apparently I didn't.  Maybe because I'm stressed that I just can't seem to follow directions this semester.  But back to the class.

After class I asked Tiffany ignoring a student when they give a wrong answer is a negative reinforcement or a negative punishment.  We decided that it depends on the student.  If the student dislikes getting ignored, then the student will reduce giving wrong answers -- then silence is a negative punishment.  If the student increases giving correct answers, then the silence is a negative reinforcement. 

While it seems that instructors tend to favor one theory to explain learning, it is possible to chose an alternative theory if the situation warrants it.  For example, if you are a cognitivist, but the learner is an animal, then wouldn't you use behaviorist instructional theories to teach the animal?

Oh well, if I find my class notes, I'll add more about my impressions of last class.

Behaviorism, Part 1

 Today we began the discussion of behaviorism.

Tiffany changed the rules of class engagement to demonstrate how a behaviorist approach is used to teach behaviorism.

She used positive reinforcement when we produced the correct responses.  She threw Halloween candy at us.  Everyone but George was into the candy.  George tried to refuse the chocolate, but Tiffany insisted he take it and then give it away.  Not all learners value the same type of reinforcement.

She had us repeat the definition of behaviorist learning through out class -- repetition of the desired S-R behavior increases learning.  In this case the S was the question and the R was, well, the response.

She gave plenty of feedback, including sounds of disapproval and grimaces whenever we failed to produce the desired response.

After we demonstrated a basic knowledge of some of the behaviorist learning concepts, Tiffany gave us programmed instructional learning tool.  The booklet contain 34 pages that broke down learning into chunks of information.  Concepts were introduced in chunks, and then every other page we were assessed to determine mastery.  If we answered the questions correctly (demonstrating mastery/behavior change), we were rewarded with the right to progress to the next concept chunk.

She used operant conditioning to get to raise our hands to seek permission to speak.  She used positive reinforcement (candy) when we raised our hands and answered correctly, and positive punishment (withdrawal of attention, aka ignoring us) when we exhibited the undesired behavior of speaking without raising our hands and waiting to be called on.  This reduced our tendency to call out answers and comments.

We also had the opportunity to practice applying behaviorist concepts to work in teams to design a instructional strategy for a instructional scenario.  This demonstrated to Tiffany what we learned thus far.  She gave feedback, but not any reinforcement that I can identify.

For me, the one the biggest take a ways was expanding my understanding of what activities are considered behavior, stimulus, response, reinforcement. 

I think I might have learned something.  At least my observed behavior in today's class indicates that learning may have occurred.

Week Three: I'm trying to think but nothing happens

Okay. I'm feeling overwhelmed by this course.  On the one hand, the knowledge base (KB) assignment sounds really cool, but on the other hand it's scary.   If I just following the rubric I should be able to do it.

Philosophy. Theory. Strategy. Between IDE 621, 651 & 741, I've read these definitions and examples a billion times in the last three weeks, and yet my brain hurts whenever I think about the definitions for these terms.  Clearly I'm a constructivist/cognitivist, but my brain won't construct or cognate or epistemologize or .... To quote Curly from The Three Stooges, "I'm trying to think but nothing happens." 

So what did I observe in today's class....
Constructivism is a philosophy (I forgot that from last class).  That learning theory describes and can't be applied, but instructional design theory prescribes methods and strategies.  That my dog can't teach me anything.  I liked the terminology exercise we did in class.  I liked opening the definitions up for discussion in the class.  Hearing fellow classmates definitions and explanations helped bring me closer to an understanding of the terms we discussed.  Social learning?

We had three activities where we broke into groups to discuss.  It didn't seem that any of these three opportunities to discuss was a fruitful as discussions that were held in other groups seemed to be.  Especially the ice cream sundae exercise.  Our team barely go through the instructions for how to make the sundae.  We never got to create a instructional strategy with job aides, diagrams, practice, etc.  It was interesting how each group heard the assignment.  We focused on the steps, not the design of the instruction.  But I like this method of using us to generate examples of learning issues, of instructional issues, etc.