Term
| Adult Learning Theory - P. Cross |
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Definition
Adult learning programs should capitalize on the experience of participants.
Adult learning programs should adapt to the aging limitations of the participants.
Adults should be challenged to move to increasingly advanced stages of personal development.
Adults should have as much choice as possible in the availability and organization of learning programs. |
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Term
| Andragogy - Malcom Knowles |
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Definition
emphasizes that adults are self-directed and expect to take responsibility for decisions
Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction.
Experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for learning activities.
Adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance to their job or personal life.
Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented. |
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Term
| Experiential Learning Theory - C. Rogers |
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Definition
Cognitive learning is meaningless. Experiential learning consists of personal involvement, self-initiated, evaluated by learner, and pervasive effects on learner.
Significant learning takes place when the subject matter is relevant to the personal interests of the student
Learning which is threatening to the self (e.g., new attitudes or perspectives) are more easily assimilated when external threats are at a minimum
Learning proceeds faster when the threat to the self is low
Self-initiated learning is the most lasting and pervasive. |
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Term
| Information Processing Theory - G. A. Miller |
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Definition
Short term memory (or attention span) is limited to seven chunks of information.
Planning (in the form of TOTE units) is a fundamental cognitive process.
Behavior is hierarchically organized (e.g., chunks, TOTE units). |
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Term
| Multiple Intelligences - Howard Gardner |
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Definition
. Individuals should be encouraged to use their preferred intelligences in learning.
Instructional activities should appeal to different forms of intelligence.
Assessment of learning should measure multiple forms of intelligence. |
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Term
| Script Theory - Robert Schank |
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Definition
Conceptualization is defined as an act or doing something to an object in a direction.
All conceptualizations can be analyzed in terms of a small number of primative acts.
All memory is episodic and organized in terms of scripts.
Scripts allow individuals to make inferences and hence understand verbal/written discourse.
Higher level expectations are created by goals and plans.
Example: "John read a book" could be represented as: John MTRANS (information) to LTM from book, where MTRANS is the primative act of mental transfer. |
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Term
| Situated Theory - J. Lave |
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Definition
Knowledge needs to be presented in an authentic context, i.e., settings and applications that would normally involve that knowledge.
Learning requires social interaction and collaboration. |
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Term
| Social Learning Theory - A. Bandura |
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Definition
The highest level of observational learning is achieved by first organizing and rehearsing the modeled behavior symbolically and then enacting it overtly. Coding modeled behavior into words, labels or images results in better retention than simply observing.
Individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behavior if it results in outcomes they value.
Individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behavior if the model is similar to the observer and has admired status and the behavior has functional value. |
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Term
| Attribution Theory - B. Weiner |
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Definition
Attribution is a three stage process: (1) behavior is observed, (2) behavior is determined to be deliberate, and (3) behavior is attributed to internal or external causes.
Achievement can be attributed to (1) effort, (2) ability, (3) level of task difficulty, or (4) luck.
Causal dimensions of behavior are (1) locus of control, (2) stability, and (3) controllability. |
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Term
| Cognitive Dissonance - L. Festinger |
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Definition
Dissonance results when an individual must choose between attitudes and behaviors that are contradictory.
Dissonance can be eliminated by reducing the importance of the conflicting beliefs, acquiring new beliefs that change the balance, or removing the conflicting attitude or behavior. |
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Term
| Constructivist Theory - J. Bruner |
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Definition
Instruction must be concerned with the experiences and contexts that make the student willing and able to learn (readiness).
Instruction must be structured so that it can be easily grasped by the student (spiral organization).
Instruction should be designed to facilitate extrapolation and or fill in the gaps (going beyond the information given). |
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Term
| Transformative Learning - J. Mezirow |
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Definition
Adult exhibit two kinds of learning: instrumental (e.g., cause/effect) and communicative (e.g., feelings)
Learning involves change to meaning structures (perspectives and schemes).
Change to meaning structures occurs through reflection about content, process or premises.
Learning can involve: refining/elaborating meaning schemes, learning new schemes, transforming schemes, or transforming perspectives |
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Term
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Definition
Part of the Adult Learning Theory (Cross) - Characteristics of Adults as Learners
This model consists of personal characteristics (aging, life phases, and developmental phases) and situational characteristics (part-time vs full-time, voluntary vs compulsory learning |
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Term
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Definition
| part of Information Processing Theory (Miller) - idea that short-term memory could only hold 5-9 chunks of information |
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Term
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Definition
another part of Information Processing Theory (Miller) - stands for test-Operate-Test-Exit
In a TOTE unit, a goal is tested to see if it has been achieved and if not an operation is performed to achieve the goal; this cycle of test-operate is repeated until the goal is eventually achieved or abandoned. |
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Term
| the seven foms of intelligences (Gardner) |
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Definition
| linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, body-kinesthetic, intrapersonal (e.g., insight, metacognition) and interpersonal (e.g., social skills) |
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Term
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Definition
| embodies certain beliefs and behaviors to be acquired. As the beginner or newcomer moves from the periphery of this community to its center, they become more active and engaged within the culture and hence assume the role of expert or old-timer. (Lave - situated theory) |
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Term
| The component processes underlying observational learning (Social learning theory - Bandura) |
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Definition
| (1) Attention, including modeled events (distinctiveness, affective valence, complexity, prevalence, functional value) and observer characteristics (sensory capacities, arousal level, perceptual set, past reinforcement), (2) Retention, including symbolic coding, cognitive organization, symbolic rehearsal, motor rehearsal), (3) Motor Reproduction, including physical capabilities, self-observation of reproduction, accuracy of feedback, and (4) Motivation, including external, vicarious and self reinforcement. |
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Term
| Three ways to eliminate dissonance (Festinger) |
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Definition
| (1) reduce the importance of the dissonant beliefs, (2) add more consonant beliefs that outweigh the dissonant beliefs, or (3) change the dissonant beliefs so that they are no longer inconsistent. |
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Term
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Definition
| broad sets of predispositions resulting from psychocultural assumptions which determine the horizons of our expectations (Mezirow) |
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