Describe an example from your life of when you were taught using each method described in this article: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism.
Behaviourism
Behaviourism is a learning theory that describes learning from reinforcement through environmental conditions and the arrangement of stimuli and consequences within the environment (Ertmer & Newby, 2018). Essentally, the learner reacts to conditions in the environment in order to learn and understand the consequences. From my own personal experience, I experienced the behaviorism learning theory when I was learning how to play badminton. The arrangement of stimuli included the verbal command to perform certain moves such as “perform a smash” and “perform a drop shot”. I made changes from my body posture to my racket positioning after exposure to various cues that reinforced my learning through the consequences of each action. Ultimately, I was able to learn how to perform these various actions by learning from my previous actions by myself.
Cognitivism
Cognitivism is a learning theory that describes acquisition of knowledge with mental learning and knowledge through instructional explanations, demonstrations, and illustrative examples (Ertmer & Newby, 2018). Key elements that influence cognitivism also include beliefs, values, and attitude of the learner (Ertmer & Newby, 2018). I experienced the cognitivism learning theory when I was learning calculus in a mathematics course I had taken. Knowledge was taught by the professor of the course through lecture and instructional videos.
Constructivism
Constructivism is a learning theory that describes learning from experience and creating meaning from that experience. (Ertmer & Newby, 2018). Although it is a branch of cognitivism, it is different in the sense that constructivism states that learners only acquire meaning through experience. I experienced constructivism when I worked with another person on a group assignment where we were able to learn and study from one another. I was able to use my experiences to teach the other person and in turn, learn from them. Ultimately, my personal experiences in this situation helped me build knowledge, learn, and create a meaningful experience.
References:
Ertmer, P. A. & Newby, T. (2018). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features From an Instructional Design Perspective. EdTech Books.
