Chapter 3: Learning &

Theories of Learning
Introduction, Definition, nature, characteristics of learning, & factors affecting learning
 Introduction
 One of the most important characteristics of human beings is their capacity to learn.
 An individual starts learning even before birth.
 Our personality, our habits, skills, knowledge, attitude and interest is largely the result of learning.
 All our adaptive as well as maladaptive, and cognitive as well as affective behavior are formed by
learning process.
 These are the vital important in helping the individual to adapt to his environment.
 Definition of Learning
 Learning is a complex process and thus defined in many different ways some of which are given here:
 The term learning covers every modification in behavior to meet environmental requirements.
 Learning is the acquisition of habits, knowledge and attitudes; it involves new way of doing things and it
operates on an individual’s attempt to overcome the obstacles or to adjust the new situations.
 Learning is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviours, skills, values, attitudes, and
preferences.
 Learning is “a process that leads to change, which occurs as a result of experience and increases the
potential for improved performance and future learning”.
 Learning a persisting change in human performance or performance potential . . . (brought) about as a
result of the learner’s interaction with the environment (Driscoll, 1994, pp. 8-9).
 Learning is an enduring change in behavior, or in the capacity to behave in a given fashion, which
results from practice or other forms of experience (Shuell, 1986, p. 412).
 Learning can be defined as a relatively permanent change in a person’s knowledge or behavior due to
experience (Mayer, 1982, p. 1040).
 Key elements in the definitions
 Learning can be defined as “any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result
of practice or experience”(Morgan, et al. 2009).
 This definition has three important elements:
i) Learning is a change in behavior, for better or worse.
ii) It is a change that takes place through practice or experience; changes due to growth or
maturation are not learning.
iii) Before it can be called learning, that change in behavior must be relatively
permanent(persistent, enduring, etc.); this means that temporary and transitory changes in behavior that
result from fatigue, drug, illness, etc. do not qualify to be called learning
 Nature of Learning
 Learning is a process and not a product
 It involves all those experiences and training of an individual which helps to change his behavior.
 Learning prepares the individual to adjust and adopt in the situations.
 All the learning is purposeful and goal-oriented.
 Learning is universal and continuous.
 It is a continuous and never-ending process that goes from womb to tomb.
 Learning brings changes in conative (motor), cognitive, and affective activities of human behavior.
 Characteristics of Learning
 Learning is unitary(Holistic)- The learner responds as a whole person in a unified ways to the
whole situation or total patter; they respond intellectually, emotionally, physically, & spiritually and
they occur simultaneously.
 Learning is an individual and a social phenomenon: Learning is entirely an individual matter
and each individual must learn in their own activity; Learning is a social phenomenon because it
takes place as some type of response to the social environment of the individual.
 Learning is an active process: Learning does not happen without self-activity
 Learning is purposive-It moves towards a certain end goal
 Learning is creative- Human learning is both selective and creative.
 Learning is transferable- Whatever is learned in one context or situation will be applied or affect
another context or situation….
 Factors influencing learning
 Factors associated with the learners
 Learner’s physical health
 Learners mental health
 Basic potential of the learner
 The level of motivation
 Goal of life
 Readiness and will power
 Maturation
 Age
 Emotions
 sex
 Factors influencing learning: Laws of Learning
 Law of Readiness: This law states that learning can only take place when a student is ready to
learn; when students feel ready, they learn more effectively and with greater satisfaction than when
not ready.
 Law of exercise: This law of Thorndike’s states that learning becomes efficient after practicing or
exercising regularly and becomes weak after the trial or practicing is discontinued.
 Just take an example of football if you often practice your connection would be strengthened and if
you stop practicing for an extended time the connection would be weakened.
 Law of exercise has also two parts:
Law of use: This law suggests that the connection between stimulus and response would be strong
after its occurrence, use or practice.
Law of disuse: This law suggests that the connection between stimulus and response would be
decreased without practicing or use.
 The saying "Use it or lose it" summarizes the law of use and disuse.
…Laws of Learning…cont’d
 Law of Effect: Learning is strengthened when associated with a pleasant or satisfying feeling;
Learning is weakened when associated with an unpleasant feeling, becoming less likely for
learning to occur again in the future; Learners will try to avoid it; Learning occurs when it
results in satisfaction and the learner derives pleasure out of it(Learning responds to both
reinforcement & punishment)
 Theories of Learning
 Question: How do people learn?
 Answer: Nobody really knows.
 But there are 6 main theories:
1. Behaviorism
2. Cognitivism
3. Social Learning Theory
4. Social Constructivism
5. Multiple Intelligences
6. Brain-Based Learning