Examining Different Learning Theories

Dominant Learning Theories Excellence in the field of pedagogy depends on an understanding of the major learning theories and models along with an ability to use them when appropriate. Even if one doesn't agree with these major learning theories, it's still important to be aware of them as a professional. A strong comprehension of the major learning theories can also help to guide one's actions and choices as an educator, scholar or general pedagogue.

Behaviorism, for example, is a major learning theory which asserts that the bulk of learning that occurs in human beings is done through conditioning. This is important as it puts a lot of focus on the power of the environment and how the environment can shape a person's behaviors through the stimuli acquired. Behaviorism is a school of learning which pays very little attention to mental states, finding things like moods and emotions to be too subjective.

This is perhaps the biggest difference that lies between behaviorism as a learning theory and the cognitive learning theory. Cognitive learning theory plays fierce attention to mental and internal states, while behaviorism sees these states as of little consequence. One of the benefits of behaviorism is that it truly believes that any single person could be trained and developed to perform virtually any task, in spite of things like their genetic background or personality traits: it all depends on the right conditioning.

This is part of the reason why conditioning can be seen as so effective because one can use it easily within the workplace. Classic conditioning is a technique used in behavioral training which happens when a stimulus is connected with a response: "Next, a previously neutral stimulus is paired with the naturally occurring stimulus. Eventually, the previously neutral stimulus comes to evoke the response without the presence of the naturally occurring stimulus. The two elements are then known as the conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response" (Cherry, 2014).

Operant conditioning is a type of learning that occurs via rewards and punishments for behavior: this can also be useful in the workplace as it creates a strong correlation between cause and effect and behavior and consequences for a given behavior. This can also be used in the workplace: for example, if an employee is constantly late, money could be taken out of his pay as a means of deterring this problematic behavior.

One of the dominant theories in the field of education is the cognitive learning theory which looks mainly to the thought processes of human behavior as a means of explanation. The overwhelming foundational assumption which underscores the cognitive process is that human beings are logic-based creatures and generally make decisions which are based on choices that make the most sense to them (Fritscher, 2012). "Pure cognitive theory largely rejects behaviorism on the basis that behaviorism reduces complex human behavior to simple cause and effect.

However, the trend in past decades has been towards merging the two into a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral theory. This allows therapists to use techniques from both schools of thought to help clients achieve their goals" (Fritscher, 2012). It's also useful to be aware of one of the subsets of cognitive theory which is social cognitive theory, which asserts that much of the way we behave is modeled after the actions of other people (Fritscher, 2012).

Cognitive theory generally can be seen as a massive rejection of behavioral theory, as behaviorism is something which some argue as reducing human interactions to simple cause and effect. Cognitive theorists generally see behaviorism as far too simplistic to be useful in explaining human behavior and not an adequate tool for guiding learning. Cognitive theory can be beneficial in the workplace as it appeals to people's sense of logic and rationale, and uses that as a guiding point and impetus for trying to understand human behavior.

This can be useful in the workplace in helping to motivate employees or in inspiring employees to work at the highest level of their abilities. One learning theory which is remarkably different from both the behavioral and the cognitive learning theory, but which is still worth investigating is what's known as the humanistic learning model. The humanist learning theory believes that learning is a manifestation of the entire individual and that it just can't occur unless both the cognitive and affective domains are both participating (euromedinfo.eu).

Self-determination and the necessity of the individual to engage in self-determination is also a vital function of this theory. "For example, humanist theory is used to help post myocardial infarction patients regain a sense of personal control over their health care management. It is possible.