Week 3: Behaviorism vs Cognitivism

 

I agree with Bill Kerr that the theories are a filter for how humans learning.  No one theory is the “be all” stand-alone single theory that encompasses the many different layers of the human mind.  Like peeling an onion, each approach offers a new perspective into the complexity of the various ways we learn.  However, each theory produces handy tools that help instructional designers and mental health professionals develop a structured approached to navigate and facilitate learning. Behaviorism offers objectives or outcomes that set expectations of what will be the result of specific actions.  Also, task analysis is a behaviorist tool that breaks down the step by step behavior required to reach the desired objective or outcome (Producer, n.d.).

Additionally, I agree with Kerr that cognitivism builds up the next level by bringing thought to action. Cognitivism offers how we process information through receiving input, remembering, and recalling (Atkisson,2010). How an action is done improves as learning is received, retained, and recalled as new information opening pathways to new stimuli and responses. Unlike animals, humans will ask why and how they are following the rules or find ways to improves the process.  The rational with behavior is that it can be modified to learn and unlearn (Orey, 2010). The cognitive approach offers tools to help learners think about information instead of what and how things are done (Orey, 2010).

 

Reference

Atkisson, M. (2010).  Behaviorism vs. Cognitivism | Ways of Knowing. (2010). https://woknowing.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/behaviorism-vs-cognitivisim/

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Behaviorism and instructional design [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Standridge, M. (2010). Behaviorism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology.  http://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/Orey_Emergin_Perspectives_Learning.pdf