BISHOP STUART UNIVERSITY

NAME: KUKUNDA SYLIVIA

REG NO: 24/BSU/BEDP/0496

FACULTY: EDUCATION, ARTS AND MEDIA STUDIES

COURSE UNIT: EDUCATION PSYCHOLOGY

COURSE: BEDP

YEAR: ONE

SEMESTER: ONE

ACADEMIC YEAR: 2024/2025

LECTURER: KIHEMBO CATHERINE

INDIVIDUAL COURSE WORK

a) Describe the social learning theory and state it's educational implications.
b) Using the relevant examples describe online learning applications.
Social learning theory, introduced by psychologist Albert Bandura, proposed that learning occurs
through observation, imitation, and modeling and is influenced by factors such as attention,
motivation, attitudes, and emotions. The theory accounts for the interaction of environmental and
cognitive elements that affect how people learn.

The theory suggests that learning occurs because people observe the consequences of other people's
behaviors. Bandura's theory moves beyond behavioral theories, which suggest that all behaviors are
learned through conditioning, and cognitive theories, which consider psychological influences such
as attention and memory.

According to Bandura, people observe behavior either directly through social interactions with
others or indirectly by observing behaviors through media. Actions that are rewarded are more likely
to be imitated, while those that are punished are avoided.

Bandura's theory believed that direct reinforcement could not account for all types of learning. For
example, children and adults often exhibit learning for things with which they have no direct
experience. To him, even if an individual has never swung a baseball bat in his life, he would
probably know what to do if someone handed him a bat and told him to try to hit a baseball. This is
because he has seen others perform this action either in person or on television.

Bandura's social learning theory proposed that learning can also occur simply by observing the
actions of others. His theory added a social element, arguing that people can learn new information
and behaviors by watching other people. Known as observational learning, this type of learning can
be used to explain a wide variety of behaviors, including those that often cannot be accounted for by
other learning theories.

Bandura in his 1977 book Social Learning Theory said, "Learning would be exceedingly laborious,
not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform
them what to do," He further said that "Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally
through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed,
and on later occasions, this coded information serves as a guide for action."

There are three core concepts at the heart of social learning theory. First is the idea that people can
learn through observation. Next is the notion that internal mental states are an essential part of this
process. Finally, this theory recognizes that just because something has been learned, it does not
mean that it will result in a change in behavior.
Social learning theory has four mediational processes that help determine whether a new behavior is
acquired:
Attention: The degree to which we notice the behavior. A behavior must grab our attention before it
can be imitated. Considering the number of behaviors we observe and do not imitate daily indicates
attention is crucial.

Retention: How well we remember the behavior. We cannot perform the behavior if we do not
remember the behavior. So, while a behavior may be noticed, unless a memory is formed, the
observer will not perform the behavior. And, because social learning is not immediate, retention is
vital to behavior modeling.

Reproduction: The ability to perform the behavior we observe. It influences our decision about
whether to try performing the behavior. Even when we wish to imitate an observed behavior, we are
limited by our physical abilities.

Motivation: The will to emulate the behavior. This mediational process is referred to as vicarious
reinforcement. It involves learning through observing the consequences of actions for other people,
rather than through direct experience.

In addition to the behavior, rewards and punishment that follow will be studied by the observer. If
the observer perceives the rewards to be greater than the punishment, they will most likely imitate
the behavior. However, if the observer does not value the vicarious reinforcement, they will not
model the behavior

The theory emphasizes the importance of observational learning, where individuals acquire
knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs by watching the actions of others and the consequences that
follow, leading to the modeling and adoption of observed behaviors.

Social learning theory is grounded by several key assumptions, these include:

People learn through observation. Learners can acquire new behavior and knowledge by merely
observing a model.

Reinforcement and punishment have indirect effects on behavior and learning. People form
expectations about the potential consequences of future responses based on how current responses
are reinforced or punished.
Mediational processes influence our behavior. Cognitive factors contribute to whether a behavior is
acquired or not.

Learning does not necessarily lead to change. Just because a person learns something does not mean
they will have a change in behavior.

Social learning theory examples include;

Children who imitate family members, friends, famous figures, and even television characters. If a
child perceives there is a meaningful reward for such behavior, they will perform it at some point.

Social media presents plenty of social learning examples as individuals emulate others by reenacting
movie scenes, copying dance moves from music videos, and engaging in various social media
challenges. This behavior is typically spurred by the desire to be socially accepted or liked.

New employees in the workplace may imitate the behavior of their peers in an effort to conform to
the work culture. Or, they may model coworkers’ behavior to help earn a good standing with a
superior.

Students may emulate fellow students, celebrities, and mentors as a means to fit in or garner
attention. While positive behaviors are imitated, problematic behaviors are modeled as well.

Applications of social learning theory

Social learning theory posits that people emulate the behavior they observe in their environment,
especially if that behavior is reinforced in others. For example, if a child observes their parents going
to work every day, volunteering at a local community center, and helping their significant other with
tasks around the home, the child is likely to mimic those behaviors. If rewarded, these behaviors
become reinforced and most likely repeated by the individual. This premise applies to troublesome
behaviors as well. A person who observes someone treating others poorly and being rewarded for it
may follow suit.

The following are the implications of social learning theory in education;

Sense of Belonging: Exposure to positive role models in education enhances a sense of belonging,
especially for groups subjected to negative stereotypes like women and racial minorities in STEM.
For instance, women who read about successful female physicians in male-dominated careers felt a
stronger connection to their own paths (Rosenthal et al., 2013).
Self-Efficacy: Self-efficacy, the belief in one’s abilities, greatly influences whether a person will
imitate an observed behavior. For instance, women in calculus classes reported higher self-efficacy
and participation when taught by female professors compared to male professors. The women’s
identification with their female professors significantly predicted this increased belief in their own
abilities.

Increased Achievement: Students who read about the challenges overcome by famous scientists
performed better than those who read only about their achievements (Lin-Siegler et al., 2016).
Observing perseverance fosters personal performance.

Perceived attainability: Role models’ successes should be achievable. If aspirants believe they can
attain similar success, they’re more motivated. For example, college freshmen were more motivated
by successful seniors than fourth-year students were, likely because the freshmen felt they had more
time to achieve similar success (Lockwood & Kunda, 1997).

Perceived similarity: An effective role model is someone others see as similar or relatable. This
perceived similarity, whether through shared group membership, experiences, or interests, boosts
motivation. For example, women were more interested in computer science when interacting with
relatable models, like a casually dressed and socially skilled computer scientist, than with
stereotypical ones (Cheryan et al., 2011).
2.

Online learning, also known as distance education or eLearning, refers to the delivery of educational
content and instruction through the internet. It allows students to take courses and earn degrees
remotely, without the need to be physically present on campus. Online learning can take many
different forms, such as web-based courses, video conferencing, and self-paced learning programs. It
is becoming an increasingly popular way for students to access education, as it offers flexibility and
convenience.

Children, teens and students receive information in greater quantities than ever before due to internet
access and they usually converse and exchange ideas via technology. By integrating the real-world
application of science through multimedia, online learning allows teachers to enter into this domain
of ongoing learning.

The size of the student population, the institution, specific subject and other supplementary learning
requirements heavily influence what virtual teaching software to use. It's also important to consider
budgets, with larger schools capable of affording more robust learning management systems. To
reduce the stress involved with learning new software, consider software performance, equity and
user-friendliness.

One's virtual teaching software helps him with planning and coordinating a lesson in a hybrid
context. Therefore, there is need to search for solutions that help to manage the day and stay
connected and in control.

The following are examples of online teaching applications;

Zoom;

Zoom remains a fantastic tool for virtual classes and departmental meetings, in addition to video
calling the family. In terms of participant numbers, the free edition considerably surpasses Skype,
allowing to host up to 100 people simultaneously. It also allows to establish several breakaway
rooms, share screens and use group chats throughout a class for smaller talks. It easily record calls,
which may be valuable for self-evaluation as an individual revises the online teaching approaches
and for sharing sessions with absent colleagues.

Slack;

A flexible communication platform that companies of all sizes frequently use, Slack remains well-
suited for educational applications and online teaching solutions. Slack includes one-on-one chat
options and it's incredibly easy to exchange movies, screenshots, URLs and other media with
anybody in any channel. One can use Slack as a web app, a mobile app or a downloaded software for
computers and laptops. It's a configurable chat platform that lets users build chat rooms in a digital
environment. Teachers use Slack to build a space for each subject they teach or form small groups
for students to collaborate on projects.

Blackboard Learn;

Blackboard Learn, previously Blackboard Learning Management System, is an online learning

environment that has been in development since 1997. One can adapt the system to multiple age
ranges and it's suitable for use in primary schools, higher education, further education and business
schools. Blackboard Learn enables teachers to create personal learning pathways for their students,
supporting virtual learning.

The software is accessible via an app, so students can use the platform when in school, working at
home or following a hybrid remote learning model. The platform allows teachers to view student
data and monitor their progress with ease as it simplifies marking processes for teachers. For
example, it has built-in plagiarism software that identifies duplicate text from other sources on the
internet.

Google Classroom;

Google Classroom is a powerful and easy to use web app for seamlessly organizing the daily
activities of students. Furthermore, this tool allows you to take online classes, distribute course
materials, assign assessments, track students’ progress, send feedback, etc from anywhere at any
time

Dropbox;
This type of teaching software remains a popular commercial document management and storage
solution. It's also ideal for students working in an online collaborative setting. Anyone with access to
a 'box' on Dropbox uploads documents via a browser, mobile device or laptop. Anyone with
clearance to organise the 'box' can readily access files once someone posts them. This allows you to
change documents in real-time or download them in full. It's a platform for teachers to exchange
syllabuses and other materials with students. Students can use Dropbox to post papers and
assignments for a teacher's review.

Microsoft Teams;

Microsoft Teams remains a sensible online teaching solution to run the virtual classroom if an
individual familiar with Microsoft products. The versatile solution, which includes features like one-
on-one chat and group video conferencing, is ideal for all types of teachers. As a cloud-based, all-in-
one collaboration software, use Microsoft Teams to connect with teams and manage documents, with
help from its seamless integration with Microsoft's OneDrive.

Floop;

This type of teaching software acts as the virtual version of raising the hand in the classroom for
pupils. Teachers created it to address the difficulty of giving individualised direction and advice to
remote pupils. Students easily upload photographs of their work with embedded remarks to show
where they are struggling and ask questions. To offer focused feedback, teachers only respond to the
comment. If dealing with read-only digital products, this remains a useful tool. Choose to use
collaborative document solutions like Dropbox Paper in the long run to prioritise tasks.

Cisco Webex Meetings;

Every month, over 110 million professionals utilise Webex to communicate. Cisco initially designed
Webex for commercial uses, but it became a favourite choice among teachers in the virtual
classroom. Since a number of its built-in capabilities allow for communication that resembles
conventional classrooms, Webex remains particularly well-suited for usage in educational settings as
an online tutoring software platform. For instance, it allows students to ask questions through the
virtual hand-raising tool and the live chat tools allow students to discuss topics with one another
without disturbing the teacher.

Edmondo;
Edmondo is primarily for primary school teachers but allows all kinds of teachers to take out time
for all tutor-parent and tutor-student conversations. It's essentially a social network for classroom
discussion and management, with typical post and direct message functions. An individual can also
use it to exchange assignments and information, support students in learning new virtual
technologies, provide classroom announcements and interact with individuals. For students with
limited access to a computer at home or a strong bandwidth connection, Edmondo remains a great
online teaching tool.

Somart Survey;

Feedback remains essential for making remote learning successful, especially in the early stages
when tailoring the technique to an online context. Use Smart Survey with students to examine how
successfully one taught subjects. It's also great to use with teaching staff to identify administrative
blind spots and assess satisfaction.

Join.me;

Since 2003, Join.me continues to successfully facilitate virtual cooperative and collaborative
learning, with users constantly praising the tool's ease of use. An individual simply set it up on the
website with a few clicks, until when ready to start meetings with small or big groups. Choose from
personalisation options on Join.me. For instance, change the backdrop and chat bubbles to reflect the
personality. Teachers who want to encourage students to express themselves while studying via
teaching software find this particularly useful.

Socrative;

Socrative, one of the efficient e-learning web app platforms to improve the engagement of the
students. It allows one to launch a mini-quiz, raise poll questions, assign quick assessment tasks. It is
a cloud-based student response system to instantly examine students’ understanding levels while
remote learning.

In conclusion, discussed above are some of the online teaching applications that can be used in
teaching.
References

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Hammer TR. (2011). Social Learning Theory. In: Goldstein S, Naglieri JA. Encyclopedia of Child
Behavior and Development. San Francisco: Springer; doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2695

Fryling MJ, Johnston C, Hayes LJ. (2011). Understanding Observational Learning: An

Interbehavioral Approach. Anal Verbal Behav.; 27(1):191-203. doi:10.1007/bf03393102

Stout, J. G., Dasgupta, N., Hunsinger, M., & McManus, M. A. (2011). STEMing the tide: Using
ingroup experts to inoculate women’s self-concept in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(2), 255–270

https://www.onlinemswprograms.com/social-work/theories/social-learning-theory/

https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/online-teaching-software

https://colorwhistle.com/top-e-learning-web-apps/