DTE-521: Psychology of Education & Guidance

Unit 3: Learning
Group 5:
1. DureShawar Khoja (Roll no # 21)
2. Kashaf Tahseen Ahmed (Roll no # 43)
3. Maliha Rafi Khan (Roll no # 51)
4. Tamseel Fatima (Roll no# 105)

Group 6 1
3.1 Definition of Learning
and its Characteristics
Maliha Rafi Khan (Roll no # 51)

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What is Learning?
The process of learning is continuous which starts right from the time of
birth of an individual and continues till the death. We all are engaged in
the learning endeavours in order to develop our adaptive capabilities as
per the requirements of the changing environment.

For a learning to occur, two things are important:

• The presence of a stimulus in the environment and
• The innate dispositions like emotional and instinctual dispositions.
 What is "learning?"

An individual's learning may involve changes in any of three

areas:

1. Manner of perceiving and thinking.

2. Physical behavior (motor skills).
3. Emotional reactions or attitudes.

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A person keeps on learning across all the stages of life, by constructing or
reconstructing experiences under the influence of emotional and instinctual
dispositions.

Psychologists in general define Learning as relatively permanent behavioural

modifications which take place as a result of experience. This definition of learning
stresses on three important elements of learning:

• Learning involves a behavioural change which can be better or

worse.
• This behavioural change should take place as a result of
practice and experience. Changes resulting from maturity or
growth cannot be considered as learning.
• This behavioural change must be relatively permanent and last
for a relatively long time.
John B Watson is one amongst the first thinkers who has proven that behavioural changes occur as a result
of learning. Watson is believed to be the founder of the Behavioural school of thought, which gained its
prominence or acceptability around the first half of the 20th century.

Gales defined Learning as the behavioural modification which occurs as a result of experience as well as
training.

Crow and Crow defined learning as the process of acquisition of knowledge, habits and attitudes.

Colvin: “Learning is the modi(caon of our ready-made behaviour due to experience”.

Munn ― To learn is to modify behaviour and experience.

M. L. Bigge ― Learning may be considered as change in insights, behaviour, perception, movaton or a

combination of these.

According to E.A, Peel, Learning can be described as a change in the individual which takes place as a result
of the environmental change.

H.J. Klausmeir described Learning as a process which leads to some behavioural change as a result of some
experience, training, observation, activity, etc.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LEARNING PROCESS

● Purposeful Process. Most people have definite ideas about what they want to achieve. They have
goals or clear objectives. Effective instructors seek ways to create new learning situations to meet
the trainees' goals. Motivation, the force that impels a person toward a goal, is the instructor's most
effective tool to encourage learning. This can be either weak or strong motivation depending on the
situation.

● Internal Experience. The instructor cannot learn for the trainee, nor can he or she pour predigested
learning into the trainee's head. The trainee can learn only from his or her own experiences. A
person's knowledge is a result of their experiences and manner of perceiving them and reacting to
them. No two people have exactly the same experiences. All learning stems from experience.

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● Active Process. Since learning comes only through experience, the trainee must be actively involved
in the experience. This activity can take many forms. Learning is more than simply exposing a trainee
to an idea or a skill. Likewise, one cannot safely assume that trainees can apply what they know just
because they correctly quote a paragraph from a textbook. The trainee must become actively involved
in the learning situation.

● Multidimensional. Learning is multidimensional. Multidimensional develops new concepts. In other

words, it is possible to learn other things while concentrating on or practicing the main subject. While
practicing drill, the trainees learn teamwork and cooperation. While learning dormitory arrangement,
they learn attention to details and following explicit instructions.

● Individual Process. All trainees do not learn at the same rate. New instructors are likely to be
discouraged when they discover that a well-planned lesson does not enable them to teach all the
trainees with equal effectiveness. They soon recognize this as a natural and predictable problem
because trainees seldom learn at the same rate. Differences in rates of learning are based on
differences in intelligence, background, experience, interests, desire to learn, and countless other
psychological, emotional and physical factors. Instructors must recognize these differences in
determining the amount of subject matter to teach, the rate of which they will cover the material, and
the appropriate time to teach it.
 3.2 Laws of Learning
https://prezi.com/esefcrnd4kaa/principles-laws-of-
learning/

Dure Shawar Khoja (Roll no # 21)

Kashaf Tahseen Ahmed (Roll no # 43)
Tamseel Fatima (Roll no# 105)

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 Who was Edward Thorndike?
Edward Thorndike, an American psychologist and pioneer in the field of
educational psychology during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is widely
recognized for his groundbreaking research on the learning process, despite
potential critiques of his methods or conclusions. Thorndike's research focused
on the connection between stimulus and response, which is commonly known as
the S-R theory of psychology. In his research, he conducted experiments on
animals, particularly cats and dogs, to study their behavior and learning process.
Thorndike's goal was to understand how animals learn and how their learning
can be applied to humans, particularly in the field of education.
Thorndike believed that learning is a gradual process that occurs through trial
and error and learning occurs when there is a connection between the stimulus
and the response, and that this connection becomes stronger with repetition.
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PRIMARY LAWS

1. Law of Exercise
Law of use
Law of disuse
2. Law of Effect
3. Law of Readiness

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 The primary laws of learning, often
associated with behaviorist
psychology and educational theory,
provide foundational principles
that explain how individuals
PRIMARY LAWS OF acquire new knowledge and skills.
LEARNING These laws were first articulated by
early behaviorists like Edward
Thorndike and later expanded by
others in the field.

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 Stimulus Response Theory
● Stimulus Response Theory was Examples of a stimulus and a response:
proposed by Edward Thorndike, who ●If you accidentally touch a hot object, you
believed that learning boils down to two automatically withdraw your hand. The heat of
things: stimulus, and response. the hot object is the stimulus and you,
● In Pavlov’s famous (dog) experiment, withdrawing your hand is the response to the
the “stimulus” was food, and the stimulus.
“response” was salivation. He believed ●Hearing a Familiar Ringtone - Reaching for
that all learning depended on the your phone.
strength of the relationship between the ●Hearing Your Name Called - Turning towards
stimulus and the response.
the source or responding.
● If that relationship was strong, the
response was likely to occur when the
stimulus was presented. In order to elicit
a specific response to a specific stimulus,
you had to strengthen its relationship in
one of a few ways.
 1. Law of Exercise:
This law is also called ‘Law of Use and Disuse’.
The Law of Exercise stresses the idea that repetition is basic to the development of
adequate responses; things most often repeated are easiest remembered.
● This principle states that the S-R connection is strengthened by use and weakened with
disuse. (Stimulus-Response connection)
Law of use: When a modifiable connection is made between a situation and a
response, that connection’s strength is other things being equal, increased.
Law of disuse: When a modifiable connection is not made between a situation and a
response over a length of time, that connection’s strength, other things being equal,
decreases.
● Things most often repeated are best remembered.
● Students do not learn complex tasks in a single session.
● The instructor must repeat important items of subject matter at reasonable interval.

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 The idea behind Law of Effect
● Thorndike worked with cats.
● He would place them in a box. Outside the box was a scrap of fish. As the cats
looked for ways to get to the fish, they would try to escape the box. Escaping was
as easy as pulling a lever. When the cat pulled the lever, they were able to leave
and enjoy the fish.
● Thorndike observed the cats be placed in this box over and over again, under the
same conditions. He saw that the time it took to pull the lever decreased as the
cats associated the lever with the fish. This helped him develop the Law of Effect.
● The Law of Effect states that if responses to stimuli produce a satisfying effect,
they are likely to be repeated. If responses produce an unsatisfying effect, they
are likely to be avoided.
● The cats enjoyed the scrap of fish that they could access by pulling the lever. If an
angry dog replaced the scrap of fish, The Law of Effect states that those cats would
not be pulling any levers.
 2. Law of Effect:
This law involves the emotional reaction of the learner.
• Learning is strengthened when accompanied by a pleasant or satisfying feeling.
• Learning is weakened when associated with an unpleasant feeling.
• Learning takes place properly when it results in satisfaction and the learner derives
pleasure out of it.
• The classroom experiences should be satisfactory and pleasant.
• The teacher must enjoy his teaching work.
• Learning experiences and other activities must be meaningful and understandable in
terms of the personal life of the learners.
• School activities should be organized in increasing difficulty order so that the students
may progress without any failure.

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 The idea behind Law of Readiness
● Being subject to continuous trials of pulling levers and
escaping boxes sounds exhausting. If a cat, human, or any
other creature is too tired to try something out, they might just
take a cat nap and leave the response hanging. This idea fits
into Thorndike’s law of readiness.
● The Law of Readiness states that the relationship between
stimulus and response is strengthened based on the subject’s
readiness to learn. If the subject, be it a cat or a person, is not
interested or ready to learn, they will not connect stimulus and
response as strongly as someone who is eager and excited.
 3. Law of Readiness
The Law of Readiness states that individuals learn best when they are ready
to learn, and they will not learn much if they see no reason for learning. If
learners have a strong purpose, a clear objective and a sound reason for
learning, they usually make more progress than learners who lack
motivation. When students are ready to learn, they are more willing to
participate in the learning process, and this simplifies the instructor's job.
● This principle states that motivation is needed to develop an association
or display changed behavior.
● Individuals learn best when they are physically, mentally, and
emotionally ready to learn, and they do not learn well if they see no
reason for learning.
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 Visual Encapsulation: Primary Laws of
Learning
Edward Thorndike’s Three Laws of Learning: Key Concepts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tde1ZbPaVNE (3:45)

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 SECONDARY LAWS OF LEARNING
Thorndike's Secondary Laws of Learning are a set of principles that provide
valuable insights into the learning process. These laws, including the
● Law of Primacy,
● Law of Recency,
● Law of Multiple Response,
● Law of Set Attitude,
● Law of Intensity
These offer practical guidance for educators to create an optimal learning
environment.

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 Law of Primacy:
First impressions matter. Make the first lesson engaging and memorable.

The Law of Primacy highlights the

significance of initial learning
experiences. First impressions are
lasting, and incorrect information can
be difficult to correct later on.
Therefore, it's crucial to ensure that
the first exposure to new knowledge or
skills is accurate and procedurally
correct.

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This law reminds us that we remember the most recent Law of Recency
(last) material covered.
For this reason, you should make a point of including Recent learning is more
chapter or unit reviews and building on previous memorable.
knowledge.
Encourage revision before
This gives your workers the chance to return to earlier
material that may have gotten pushed aside by starting a new lesson.
information near the end of the unit.
• Learning in isolation, without connecting new
skills to overall performance, or relearning
material can lead to confusion and inefficiency.
• A well-structured lesson plan enables instructors to
deliver material effectively and accurately from the
start, promoting a clear and cohesive learning
experience.

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 Law of Multiple Response:
Learners respond in various ways.
Encourage exploration and creativity.

• The Law of Multiple Responses states that individuals will vary

their responses until they find an appropriate behavior.
• This law implies that if a new problematic situation presents itself
before an individual, that individual responds to it in a variety of
ways, the response having been based on previous experiences, to
solve the problem.
• These diverse responses finally lead him on to the correct
response provoked, one after the other, until success is achieved.
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 Law of Set Attitude:
Positive attitudes lead to better performance.
Foster a supportive learning environment.

• The Law of Set or Attitude emphasizes that learning is influenced by an

individual's overall mindset and attitude.
• This determines not only what they will do but also what will motivate or
frustrate them.
• One learner may be very keen to learn a task and another individual may have
no interest in learning the task.
• For example if a person hates the English language and hates also the English
people he will be lacking in the aptitude for the language.
• Having a growth mindset and a strong attitude towards learning is essential for
individual progress.
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 Law of Intensity
• The principle of intensity states that if the stimulus (experience)
is real, the more likely there is to be a change in behavior
(learning).
• A vivid, dramatic or exciting learning experience teaches more
than a routine or boring experience.
• A pupil will learn more from the real thing than from a substitute.
Demonstrations, skits, and models do much to intensify the
learning experiences of students.
• The more intense the material taught, the more likely it will be
retained.
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