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HOW PEOPLE LEARN

The Roots

Understanding the complexities of how people learn mean that you can choose the right model of learning for the challenge at hand.

 Robert Riser - A History of Instructional Design and Technology 2007

The three primary means of instruction prior to the twentieth century (Still the most common means today) --- the teacher, the chalkboard, and the text book

MEET THE TEAM

Some People Who Helped Us

By understanding how people learn, act, think, and socialize we can provide strategies that are sound and address the specific challenges you are experiencing in your organization. Psychology is a powerful study that helps us understand what makes us humans. Without the contributions of these people, their work and the work of many, many others we do not know if we would understand learning as we do now. We also know we still have more to learn.

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B.F. SKINNER

American Psychologist

Behavioral scientist founding the scientific philosophy Radical Behaviorism.  According to Skinner the most important stimulus that impacts behavior change is the consequence.

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JEAN PIAGET

Swiss Psychologist

Clinical psychologist specializing in child development and considered a pioneer in constructivist learning. According to Piaget children must constantly construct and reconstruct ideas they've learned to incorporate it into their new understanding.

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LEV VYGOTSKY

Russian Psychologist

Developmental psychologist saw human development as being generated by social and interpersonal connections and actions. He recognized that learning should also consider the cultural environment it takes place.

IMPORTANT LEARNING THEORIES

BEHAVIORISM

Learning occurs when there is a change in observable behavior. 
Learning can be achieved by delivering a consequence to a behavior overtime resulting in a change in behavior.

Family Board Game
Drawing & Coloring

COGNITIVE THEORY

Learning occurs when there is a change in mental processes.
Learning is part of a process where information must pass through stages of limited storage before entering long term memory. Information may be lost at any step of this process.

CONSTRUCTIVIST

Learning occurs when learners construct their own knowledge based on experience. 
When new information is internalized by formulating a personal understanding of it and negotiating conflicts with existing knowledge, learning occurs.

Chemistry Students
Preparing Jams

COGNITIVE APPRENTICESHIP

Learning occurs when knowledge is assimilated into the active, social or cultural context it is received. Knowledge learned may be used or interpreted differently depending on the community in which it is learned. This community can be a cultural, social community or a community of practice.

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