Viewpoint of Behaviourism

Learning occur with changes in either the
form or frequency of observable performance.

Learning = accomplished when a proper
response is demonstrated following the
presentation of a specific environmental
stimulus.

Example : 2+4 (stimulus) = 6 (proper answer is the
response)

Concern is how the association between the
stimulus and response is made, strengthened,
and maintained.

Contends that responses that are followed by
reinforcement are more likely to recur in the
future.

-The role of memory is not addressed by
behaviorists.

-The use of periodic practice serves to
maintain a learner’s readiness to respond.

Strategies that build and strengthening S-R associations

use of instructional cues

practice

reinforcement

Reliable and effective in facilitating learning
that involves

discrimination (recalling facts)

generalizations (defining and illustrating
concepts)

associations (applying explanations)

chaining (automatically performing a
specified procedure)

Cannot adequately explain the acquisition
of higher level skills or those that require a
greater depth of processing (e.g language
development, problem solving, inference
generating, critical thinking)

Behaviorists would focus on the design of the
environment to optimize the transfer.

GOAL: to elicit the desired response from the
learner who is presented with a target
stimulus. Teachers ought to arrange
environmental conditions so that students
respond properly to presented stimuli.

Instruction is structured around the
presentation of the target stimulus and the
provision of opportunities for the learner to
practice making the proper response. To
facilitate the linking of stimulus-response
pairs, instruction frequently uses cues (to
initially prompt the delivery of the response)
and reinforcement (to strengthen correct
responding in the presence of the target stimulus).

Determine which cues can elicit the desired
responses; (2) arrange practice situations in
which prompts are paired with the target
stimuli that initially have no eliciting power
but which will be expected to elicit the
responses in the “natural” (performance)
setting; and (3) arrange environmental
conditions so that students can make the
correct responses in the presence of those
target stimuli and receive reinforcement for
those responses.

Repeated presentation of cues. Paired with the
verbal command stimulus. Repeated practice
and reinforcement shape the response until it
is correctly executed.

- Breaking down complex tasks into subtasks

Emphasis on the environmental/external
factors

at what point to begin instruction.

which reinforcers are most effective for a
particular student.

the arrangement of stimuli and
consequences within the environment

Situations involving identical or similar
features allow behaviors to transfer across common elements.

- Teaching machine & programmed texts
- CAI/CAL
- Mastery learning

The exampels of behavioral approaches to
instruction – programmed instruction – are
outcome based and emphasis small step size
and frequent reinforcement of responses.

Learner response to a stimulus during
instruction. Learning is understood to be the
result of a causal link between instructional
stimuli and student responses, which are
strengthened or weakened through
reinforcement.

The use of feedback - A behaviorist uses
feedback (reinforcement) to modify behavior
in the desired direction.

The behaviorists look at learners to determine
where the lesson should begin (i.e., At what
level are they currently performing
successfully?) and which reinforcers should
be most effective (i.e., What consequences are
most desired by the learner?)

People learn through stimulus–response
associations (for example, game-based
learning).