Three main theoretical schools or philosophical
frameworks have been present in the educational technology literature. These
are Behaviorism,
Cognitivism and Constructivism. Each of these
schools of thought are still present in today's literature but have evolved as
the Psychology
literature has evolved.
Behaviorism
This theoretical framework was developed in the early
20th century with the animal learning experiments of Ivan Pavlov,
Edward
Thorndike, Edward C. Tolman, Clark
L. Hull, B.F. Skinner and many others. Many psychologists used
these theories to describe and experiment that is parallel to human learning.
While still very useful this philosophy of learning has lost favor with many
educators.
Skinner's contributions
B.F.
Skinner wrote extensively on improvements of teaching based on his
functional analysis of Verbal Behavior[8]
and wrote "The Technology of Teaching",[9]
an attempt to dispel the myths underlying contemporary education as well as
promote his system he called programmed instruction. Ogden
Lindsley also developed the Celeration learning system similarly based on
behavior analysis but quite different from Keller's and Skinner's models.
Cognitivism
Cognitive
science has changed on how educators view learning. Since the very early
beginning of the Cognitive Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, learning theory
has undergone a great deal of change. Much of the empirical framework of
Behaviorism was retained even though a new paradigm had begun. Cognitive
theories look beyond behavior to explain brain-based learning. Cognitivists
consider how human memory works to promote learning.
After memory theories like the Atkinson-Shiffrin memory model and
Baddeley's Working memory model were established as a
theoretical framework in Cognitive Psychology, new cognitive frameworks
of learning began to emerge during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. It is important
to note that Computer Science and Information Technology have had a major
influence on Cognitive Science theory. The Cognitive concepts of working memory
(formerly known as short term memory) and long term memory have been
facilitated by research and technology from the field of Computer Science. Another
major influence on the field of Cognitive Science is Noam
Chomsky. Today researchers are concentrating on topics like Cognitive
load and Information Processing Theory. In addition,
psychology as applied to media is easily measured in studying behavior. The area
of media psychology is both cognative and affective and is central to
understanding educational technology.
Constructivism
Constructivism is a learning
theory or educational philosophy that many educators began to consider in the
1990s. One of the primary tenets of this philosophy is that learners construct
their own meaning from new information, as they interact with reality or others
with different perspectives.
Constructivist learning environments require
students to use their prior knowledge and experiences to formulate new,
related, and/or adaptive concepts in learning. Under this framework the role of
the teacher becomes that of a facilitator, providing guidance so that learners
can construct their own knowledge. Constructivist educators must make sure that
the prior learning experiences are appropriate and related to the concepts
being taught. Jonassen (1997) suggests "well-structured" learning
environments are useful for novice learners and that "ill-structured"
environments are only useful for more advanced learners. Educators utilizing
technology when teaching with a constructivist perspective should choose
technologies that reinforce prior learning perhaps in a problem-solving
environment.
Instructional technique and technologies
“Children and young people are growing up in a
vastly changing context. No aspect of their lives is untouched by the digital
era which is transforming how they live, relate and learn”[10]
Some examples of these changes in the classroom include Problem Based Learning, Project-based Learning, and Inquiry-based learning. Together they are active
learning educational technologies used to facilitate learning. Technology
which includes physical and process applied science can be incorporated into
project, problem, inquiry-based learning as they all have a similar educational
philosophy. All three are student centered, ideally involving real-world
scenarios in which students are actively engaged in critical thinking
activities. The process that students are encouraged to employ (as long as it
is based on empirical research) is considered to be a technology. Classic
examples of technologies used by teachers and Educational Technologists include
Bloom's Taxonomy and Instructional Design.[11]
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