Learning Theory

Kenny Waddell

Cognitive Domain

Blooms Taxonomy is often used to describe how learners often move from beginner to more advanced in their knowledge.

Cognitive Domain• Activities• Self-check quizzes• Case studies• Drill and practice• Short answer essay• Project or problem-based activities

• Delivery Considerations• Web-enhanced materials supplementing classroom lectures• Hybrid course with cognitive content on the web• Multimedia simulations of challenging and key concepts

• Assessment• Project based for higher cognitive skills• Multiple choice or short essay questions• Case Studies(Vinson, Cindy Ed.D. “Learning Domains and Delivery of Instruction”)

Emotional Domain

• Also referred to as the Affective Domain• This domain deals with attitudes, motivations,

feelings, values, appreciation, and enthusiasm.

Physical Domain• Also referred to as the

Psychomotor Domain.

• The psychomotor domain (Simpson, 1972) includes physical movement, coordination, and use of the motor-skill areas.

Simpson E. J. (1972). The Classification of Educational Objectives in the Psychomotor Domain. Washington, DC: Gryphon House.

There are seven major categories from simplest to most complex:1) Perception2) Set3) Guided Response4) Mechanism5) Complex Overt Response6) Adaption7) Organization

Curriculum

Schiro. Michael, Stephen (2013). Curriculum Theory: Conflicting Visions and Enduring concerns. SAGE Publications Inc.

Curriculum

• My personal theory on curriculum shows that I favor scholar academic ideology.

• I also favor, but have mixed feelings about learner-centered ideology.

- Learner centered allows for the whole person, not just the academic or student side of the person. (Easton. p. 83)• I do not favor the social reconstruction theory.

Curriculum

• Curriculum in today’s society needs to incorporate 21st century skills.

• Students need to be able to make connections across the curriculum as well as make connections with what they already know.

• Curriculum needs to incorporate technology and the curriculum needs to be relevant to the students.

21st Century Learning

Instruction

• Instruction should be differentiated to meet the needs of all learners.

• Instruction should be collaborative by involving all students in planning and creating activities.

• Students should learn by doing and attach real world meaning to each activity.

• Students should be encouraged to problem solve, create, and investigate to come to conclusions on their own.

• Instruction should not consistently be lecture style where the students do not have a choice in instruction and evaluation.

Instruction

Assessments

• The purpose of assessments is to assess students prior knowledge, monitor student progress, and to identify student strengths and weaknesses.

• Assessments can also be used to measure teacher effectiveness.

• Teachers can use data from assessments to create more effective lesson plans to meet the needs of each student.

School Organization

• Schools need to use a systems thinking approach.• I agree with Senge (1994) who says that learning

organizations encourage personal mastery (individual learning), stress the sharing of mental models or assumptions, foster a shared vision, and engage in team learning.

• Really deep learning is a process that is driven by the learner, not by someone else.

School Organization

• Schools should be learning organizations.

• Staff learning should be encouraged along with student learning.

• Schools and educators should value team learning and be able to share their successes and struggles.