1. Experiencing Learner-Centred Training Approaches
aura
Engaged Excellence in Research & Teaching Practices
Mood Monitor
Experiencing Learner-Centred
Training Approaches
Teaching Course 1, Day One, Session 2

2. Session Learning Outcomes
By the end of this session, you will:
Identify the application of socio constructivist theory to learning through experiential activities
Analyse and produce a key resource that summarises the behaviourist, cognitivist and connectivist learning theories
Identify how different learning theories can be incorporated into your teaching practice
Reflect on learner outcomes and consider how to foster critical thinking

3. Activity 1: Experiential learning task
You will be asked to create a structure:
The envelope contains a diagram of your structure
In groups, you have 10 minutes & paper only to make your structure
Listen out for the trainers instructions
To complete the task, your structure must stand independently for 1 minute

4. Group A: Create a Castle Structure
TonyHammond/Flickr.com

5. Group B: Create a Tower Structure
Michael Slonecker, Wikimedia

6. Group C: Create a Traditional African Dwelling/ Hut
Create as many as you can within the time permitted

7. Group D: Create a Tower Structure Using a Computer
Michael Slonecker, Wikimedia

8. “People only deeply understand what they have constructed1”
Activity Purpose
“People only deeply understand what they have constructed1”
The activity requires you to:
Use existing knowledge of construction
Was this easier with stimulus image? Did the image influence your design?
Highlights the importance of teamwork
Alerts you to different roles people play in a team (achieving a task)
Stresses importance of listening & communicating
Stimulates creative & problem solving skills
1. Learning Theory - Constructivist Approach, StateUniversity.com 

9. Constructivism
Nationaal Archief, Flickr

10. Social Constructivist Theory
Prior knowledge & experiences play a central role in learning
Ideas are formed and re-formed through settings (e.g. social, work, or education)
Collaboratively constructing knowledge
Bring shared ideas to learning process
Learning is an iterative process
Process of repetition, with each ‘iteration’ informing the basis of the next
Building scaffolds 10

11. Social Learning Theorists
Learning is situated within culture, history and context
Learning happens through interaction rather than passive observation
Test and synthesise ideas
Builds a deeper understanding of learning concepts
Ability to generalise & transfer concepts
Promotes higher-order thinking skills
Meaning arrives through discussions rooted in everyday realities
Ability to communicate ideas, solve problems & find solutions

12. Group Activity
Create a group resource providing details of the key principles of the following learning theories:
Cognitivist
Behaviourist
Connectivism
(20 mins)

13. Activity 2: Learning Theory
The purpose of this activity:
Define the characteristics, activities and limitations of:
Behaviourism (Skinner and Thorndike)
Cognitivism (Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner)
Connectivism (Siemens and Shore)
Reflect on the students response to different learning theories
Conclude how different learning theories can be incorporated into your teaching practice

14. Learning Theory – Concepts Table
Definition/Characteristics
Types of Activity
Limitations
e.g. Socio/constructivism
Problem-solving
Collaborative learning
Emphasis on social, meaningful exchanges
Co-construction of knowledge
Acknowledges learner has prior knowledge
Group-based problems or projects
Discussions based on reflection, or evaluation
Peer error checking or feedback
Co-operative learning
Students can lack direction (due to limited guidance of educator)
Problematic with certain students with disabilities
Without guidance, students can reach unclear/untrue conclusions

15. Learning Theory – Concepts Table
Definition/Characteristics
Types of Activity
Limitations
e.g. Behaviourism
Shaping and changing behaviours
Stimulus-response (Conditioning an expected response)
Observable behaviour
Teacher reinforcement
Teacher-modelling
Student-repetition
Rewards & positive reinforcement
Memorisation activities, rewards or positive reinforcement on completion (e.g. instant feedback)
Useful in transforming or modelling ‘acceptable behaviours’
Teacher demonstrations
Teacher-led inputs (e.g. lecturing without interactivity)
A focus on observable outcomes or behaviours is a limiting and shallow approach
May not take account of new information, and their impact on behaviours

16. Learning Theory – Concepts Table
Definition/Characteristics
Types of Activity
Limitations
e.g. Cognitivism
Reaction to behaviourism in 1960s
Focus on inner mental activities or mental processes
Knowledge is viewed as a ‘schema’ & learning is changes in a person’s schemata
Problem-solving
High-level cognitive skills
Problem-solving activities
Examining problems
Cognitive games
Sorting games
Experiments
Lab-based experiments
Cognitive processes may not be easily observed
Large scale implementation can be problematic as the educator has to invest time on a per student basis
Duplicates knowledge of ‘knower’

17. Learning Theory – Concepts Table
Definition/Characteristics
Types of Activity
Limitations
e.g. Connectivism
Emphasises the role of social and cultural context
Learning as a network
Learning as a process of pattern recognition
Learning evolves through student enquiry and empowerment activities
Topics defined at a high level by ‘educators’
Acknowledges complexity/diverse opinions
Individual investigatory activities
Student could define learning outcomes/goals
Peer discussions
Expert discussions
Network forming processes
Suitable for technology based learning, connecting to nodes (people) or resources
Communities of practice
May be unstructured without educator guidance
Complex learning may not suit the learning style or expectation (requires autonomy and self-motivation)
Maintaining connections is essential to facilitate learning

18. Critical Thinkers & Effective Information Users
Are the best problem solvers, because they:
See a complex problem through multiple lenses
Are innovative thinkers
Are willing to ‘disagree’
Able to deconstruct ideas & problems
Are willing to test deeply held assumptions
Are debaters

19. Session Learning Outcomes
You should now be able to:
Identify the application of socio constructivist theory to learning through experiential activities
Analyse and produce a key resource that summarises the behaviourist, cognitivist and connectivist learning theories
Identify how different learning theories can be incorporated into your teaching practice
Reflect on learner outcomes and consider how to foster critical thinking

20. The content is authored by:
Siobhan Duvigneau,
AURA Programme Manager,
Institute of Development Studies,
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- Non-commercial ShareAlike 3.0