What Is Learning?

LearningLearning is a relatively permanent change in human capabilities that is not a result of growth processes.

These capabilities are related to specific learning outcomes.

Issues in Learning & Instruction

Issues ...

• Outcomes• Conditions• Motivation• Adult Learning Theory• Individual Differences• Learning Processes

Outcomes

What is to be Learned?• Gagne’s Instructional Theory of Learning

Outcomes– Intellectual skills• Procedural knowledge

– Verbal information• Declarative information

– Cognitive strategies• Knowing when & how to use 1 & 2 above

– Motor skills– Attitudes

Domains of Educational Activities• Bloom’s Taxonomy– Cognitive: mental skills (Knowledge)– Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas

(Attitude)– Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (Skills)

Cognitive Domain

• Knowledge: • Comprehension: • Application: • Analysis:• Synthesis:• Evaluation:

Affective Domain

• Receiving Phenomena: • Responding to Phenomena:• Valuing:• Organization: • Internalizing values (characterization):

Psychomotor Domain

• Perception:• Set: • Guided Response: • Mechanism:• Complex Overt Response: • Adaptation: • Origination:

Conditions

Conditions for Learning

• Practice• Learning• Automaticity• Self-regulation• Mental models• Feedback• Meaningfulness• Modeling

Practice

• Active• Repeated • Spaced, distributed

Learning

• Whole• Part

Automaticity

• Performance that requires limited attention• --> parallel processing, quick, efficient

performance• Overlearning– extra learning opportunities even after mastery

demonstrated

Self-Regulation

• Checking one’s own performance

Mental Models

• Organizing material• Experts vs. novices• Mnemonics• Organizers– advanced– comparative

Feedback

• Knowledge of results• Related issues:– perception– source credibility– frequency– negative delayed– individual needs

Meaningfulness

• Linking training to employees’ job experiences and tasks

Modeling

• Learning by observing and interacting with others

• What learning condition do you think is most necessary for learning to occur?

• Which is least critical?• Why?

Conditions

• Practice• Learning• Automaticity• Self-regulation• Mental models• Feedback• Meaningfulness• Modeling

MotivatingLearners

Factors Determining Performance

Performance

P = M x KSA x E

What Does Motivation DO?

• Focuses behavior on goal directed activity.

• It determines:The strength of our response

How much effort we expend, and

How long we persist

Factors Influencing Motivation to Learn

• Self-efficacy• Benefits/Consequences• Needs & Goals

• Environment– situation constraints– social support

• Basic Skills– reading– writing– math– communication– computers

Useful Motivation Theories

• Goal Setting• Reinforcement• Need• Expectancy• Social (Cognitive) Learning– Information Processing– Self-efficacy

Resistance to Learning

• Environmental factors– Peer support– Supervisor support– Climate for learning – Transfer back to the job

• Individual factors– Cognitive ability

• Goal setting• KSA base

– Valences– Anxiety– Goal orientation

Adult Learning Theory

Adult Learning Theory

• Adult learning theory was developed out of a need for a specific theory of how adults learn.

• It is based on several assumptions:– Adults have the need to know why they are

learning something.– Adults have a need to be self-directed.

Adult Learning Theory - 2

• Assumptions continued:– Adults bring more work-related experiences into

the learning situation.– Adults enter into a learning experience with a

problem-centered approach to learning.– Adults are motivated to learn by both extrinsic

and intrinsic motivators.

Assumptions of Adult Learning Theory

– Adults have the need to know why they are learning something.• Immediate application of content

– Adults have a need to be self-directed.• Mutual planning and collaboration in instruction

– Adults bring more work-related experiences into the learning situation.• Use learner experience as basis for examples and applications

– Adults enter into a learning experience with a problem-centered approach to learning.• Instead of subject – centered

– Adults are motivated to learn by both extrinsic and intrinsic motivators.• Develop instruction based on learner’s interests and

competencies

Individual Differences

Learning Styles

Learning Styles

• Diverger– Concrete experience– Reflective observation

• Assimilator– Abstract

conceptualization– Reflective observation

• Converger– Abstract

conceptualization– Active experimentation

• Accommodator– Concrete experience– Active experimentation

Learning Styles

• Visual• Auditory• Kinesthetic/Tactile

Verbal -

the ability to

use words

Visual - the

ability to

see things

in your mind

Physical - the ability

to use your

body well

Musical - the ability

to understand and

use music

Mathematical &

logical - the ability

to apply logic to

systems and

numbers

Introspective -

the ability

to understand

thoughts and

feelings in

yourself

Interpersonal - the

ability to relate

well to others,

people smarts

From Howard Gardner’s

Frames of Mind

The Seven

Intelligences

The Learning Process

The Learning Process

This material asks three questions:1. What are the physical and mental

processes involved in learning?2. How does learning occur?3. Do trainees have different learning styles?

Mental and Physical Processes

LEARNING

ExpectancyPerception

Working Storage

Semantic Encoding

Long –Term Storage

Retrieval

Generalizing

Gratifying

Implications of the Learning Process for Instruction: (1 of 2)

• Employees need to know why they should learn

• Employees need meaningful training content• Employees need opportunities to practice• Employees need to commit training content

to memory• Employees need feedback

Implications of the Learning Process for Instruction: (2 of 2)

• Employees learn through:– Observation– Experience– Interacting with others

• Employees need the training program to be properly coordinated and arranged

3-50

Factors Affecting Motivation to Learn and Transfer of Training

Self-Efficacy

Valence of Outcomes

Anxiety

Climate forTransfer

TrainingTraining Reactions

TransferTo the Job

JobPerformance

Supervisor and PeerSupport

Post-TrainingSelf-Efficacy

CognitiveAbility

SkillAcquisition

KnowledgeAcquisition

Motivation toLearn