04 Theories of Learning Free Online FlashCards

What is classical conditioning?

Classical conditioning occurs when a learner associates two stimuli, so a previously neutral cue can eventually produce a learned response.

How does operant conditioning shape behavior?

Operant conditioning changes how likely a behavior is through its consequences: reinforcement increases the behavior, while punishment decreases it.

What do “positive” and “negative” mean in reinforcement?

In reinforcement, positive means adding a consequence and negative means removing one. Both can increase a behavior; these terms do not mean good and bad.

What is a limitation of behaviorist approaches?

Visible performance may not reveal what a learner understands or why they struggle. Punishment may suppress behavior without teaching a better alternative.

What is reciprocal determinism?

Reciprocal determinism describes the interaction among personal factors, behavior, and environment in social-cognitive theory.

What supports learning by observing a model?

Learners attend to a model, remember what they observe, develop the ability to reproduce it, and have a reason to try it.

What is self-efficacy, and why does it matter?

Self-efficacy is a learner’s belief that they can succeed at a particular task. It can influence whether they attempt difficult work and persist.

How do cognitive and social constructivism differ?

Constructivism views learners as actively making meaning by connecting new information with prior knowledge. Cognitive constructivism emphasizes revising mental understandings; social constructivism also emphasizes language, culture, and interaction.

What is the zone of proximal development?

The zone of proximal development is what a learner can accomplish with appropriate guidance but cannot yet accomplish alone.

What is scaffolding in learning?

Scaffolding is support—such as a prompt, worked example, teacher, or peer—that is reduced as the learner gains independence.

What do cognitive and information-processing theories emphasize?

Cognitive and information-processing theories focus on mental processes such as attention, interpretation, memory, and problem solving; learning involves taking in, working with, and storing or retrieving information.

What are the stages in Kolb’s experiential learning cycle?

Kolb’s cycle moves through concrete experience, reflection, developing or refining an idea, and testing that idea through further action.