| J.B. Watson, the father of Behaviorism, defined learning | | | | thinkers, problem-solvers. It could be achieved through |
| as a sequence of stimulus and response actions in | | | | educational reform that provides the learner with the |
| perceptible cause and effect relationships, thus the | | | | necessary tools to participate in learning process. |
| focus of Behaviorism is on the training of observable | | | | According to Papert (one of the Constructivism |
| human behavior. Major scholars associated with this | | | | researcher), the computer is suitable method to come |
| learning theory are J.B Watson, E. L Thorndike, and B.F | | | | to desired results. Constructivists believe that a lot of |
| Skinner. According to the last, voluntary or automatic | | | | changes should take place in our educational system in |
| behavior is either reinforced or weakened by the | | | | order to change people’s understanding of learning |
| immediate presence of a reward or a punishment, he | | | | and what’s essential to make people motivated to |
| claimed that, "The learning principle behind operant | | | | learn. They suggest to make learning a life long |
| conditioning is that new learning occurs as a result of | | | | process, to make it a fun process instead of a torture |
| positive reinforcement, and old patterns are | | | | (as most children perceive it), and to make it so called |
| abandoned as a result of negative reinforcement". So | | | | "customized" learning, which would not necessarily fit all |
| we can easily track the applied character of this | | | | students. |
| theory to the learning/teaching process as teaching is | | | | As one can conclude the two theories are very |
| the arrangement of possibilities of reinforcement under | | | | different from each other. In essence the Behaviorists |
| which students learn. They learn without teaching in | | | | theory means a systematic approach to learning, with |
| their natural environments, but teachers arrange special | | | | a reward/punishment structure. It has served North |
| incidents which advance learning, speeding up the | | | | Americans for a long time a good deal, but it is now |
| appearance of behavior which would otherwise be | | | | believed that it became outdated with the emergence |
| acquired slowly or making certain of the appearance | | | | of Constructivists, more liberal theory. I personally |
| of behavior which would probably never be realized. | | | | believe a Constructivist theory to be much more |
| Another behavioral theory example could be the use | | | | meaningful in modern schools and colleges as it implies |
| of exams to measure observable behavior of learning, | | | | a free will approach and a possibility of choice. It also |
| the use of rewards and punishments in our school | | | | says that if a teacher motivates children in a correct |
| systems, and the breaking down of the instruction | | | | manner, they will be willing to learn and information will |
| process into "conditions of learning". | | | | stay longer with them as it will be a result of logical and |
| The concept of the directed instructions made by | | | | creative thinking. |
| teacher is where he/she provides knowledge | | | | Both theories nowadays suggest to apply computers |
| (information) directly or through some set of episodes | | | | as the major learning tool; and I would suggest to use |
| is a Behaviorist model of teaching, and consequently, | | | | games and groups projects to facilitate desire to learn. |
| learning. Another important learning theory is | | | | I also think that a reward/punishment system be used |
| Constructivism model, which was mainly introduced by | | | | in extreme case when it is absolutely needed, |
| John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky, and Jean Piaget. | | | | otherwise it is not necessary as it does not usually |
| Constructivists believe that all humans have the ability | | | | motivate anyone. Moreover, teachers would succeed |
| to construct knowledge in their own minds through a | | | | more when employing multiple approach system, thus |
| process of discovery and problem-solving, through | | | | combining different theories on practice, which will |
| acquiring knowledge from experiences of trials and | | | | make the learning process more natural and easy |
| errors rather than in the classroom. The extent to | | | | going. |
| which this process can take place naturally, without | | | | Certainly many theories exist, all focusing on different |
| structure and teaching is the defining factor amongst | | | | aspects of our composition as humans. And each |
| the followers of this learning theory. According to | | | | theory attempts to explain how we learn, act and |
| Constructivists children and learners have a natural | | | | behave: Sigmund Freud focused on our sub-conscious, |
| curiosity for new information, but schools are too | | | | Skinner on our observable behavior (as a Behaviorist), |
| structured and overall designed unnaturally, which in | | | | cognitive psychologists on our mental processes and |
| turn shifts natural desire to learn. Children perceive their | | | | thinking, humanistic psychology on our social and |
| roles as of passive spectators rather then of | | | | interpersonal development. I believe that all of known |
| participants, and this fact lowers their motivation in | | | | theories are more or less dependent on the empirical |
| constructing meaning from the information instructed. | | | | evidence each one of us acquires throughout life no |
| To Constructivist point of view children should be given | | | | matter which theory we support. |
| an opportunity to become motivated learners, critical | | | | |