Introduction
In a classroom environment, there are many types of learning going on. Students can learn by being rewarded snacks, praise, or stickers. Not only that, students can learn by watching others work on problems or by thinking independently. So, why do people learn differently? What is the reason why people behave differently while at school, online such as social media, or at home? There are three big theories responsible for those behaviors: Cognitive psychology, Behaviorism, and Social-Cognitive Theory. These theories help explain why you fear spiders when you have observed others fearing them or even why you are able to process information and your thoughts in order to study. By the end of this WebQuest, you will be able to understand and compare/contrast these three theories and how they can be applied to the real world.
Task
Your task is to research these three theories- Cognitive Theory, Behaviorism, and Social-Cognitive- using the links that will be given in the next slide.
Your goal is to create a chart that compares/contrasts each theory and include a real world example for each. For each theory, the chart must have: the definition, the key psychologists involved, main idea, the learning-process, and a real world scenario.
This is an individual project.
Process
Step 1: Click on the links below to build an understanding for each theory:
Behaviorism: https://www.simplypsychology.org/behaviorism.html
Social Cognitive Theory: https://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html
Cognitive Psychology: https://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive.html
Step 2: Take notes by creating a chart of three columns in Word each labeled with a theory's name
Step 3: Pick out any important information for each theory: main psychologists, how learning happens, an example used in the real world or in the classroom.
Step 4: Using all the information you noted, condense any excess information and fill it in your chart neatly.
Sample Product for the Comparison Chart
| Cognitive Psychology | Behaviorism | Social-Cognitive Theory |
| Learning happens through mental processes by thinking, solving problems, and processing your memories. | Learning happens through operant (reinforcement and punishment) or classical conditioning. | Learning happens through observing, copying, and modeling behaviors. |
| Main psychologists: Piaget, Ebbinghaus, Miller | Main psychologists: Pavlov, Skinner, Watson | Main psychologist: Bandura |
|
Main focus: internal thought processes and how information is processed and retained Real-World example: student takes notes and learns through cognition by thinking and perceiving thoughts to build understanding and connections of these lessons. |
Main focus: by observing behaviors only Example: student was rewarded candy for having good grades, so he continues studying and performs well. |
Main focus: the interaction between the individual and the social environment Example: A student learns to perform cool basketball moves by watching others do them. |
Evaluation
| Criteria | Exceed Expectations (5 pts) | Meet Expectations (3 pts) | Below Expectations (1 pts) | Score |
| Accuracy of Information | Information is accurate and shows the differences between the theories | Information is mostly accurate with a few inaccuracies or errors | Information is not accurate | |
| Comparison Chart | Chart is complete, full of information, neat and organized, and easy to read | Chart is mostly complete and organized with one or two missing rows | Chart is not complete and is disorganized | |
| Use of Links | Uses the links as given | Uses one or two of the links given | Uses none of the links | |
| Mechanical Aspects | Very detailed with very minor grammatical errors | Some large errors found throughout the chart | Several errors and very difficult to read |
Total points: /20
Conclusion
By exploring and learning about the three theories in psychology, you now know how humans learn. By understanding them, you realize why people behave the way they do and how learning can be improved and reinforced.
Reflection:
Which theory would best suit you in how you learn at school? Would you prefer working by yourself, working with others, or are you motivated to learn by being rewarded?
In your opinion, which theory would be the most effective in teaching a classroom? Why?
If you had the power to create a school using only one theory of learning, what would it be and what would it look like?