Presentation of The Course: Learning Theories

University of Oran2
Department of English
Teacher: Mr. ADDOU
Subject: Cognitive Psychology / L3
Lecture : Learning Theories
Presentation of the course

This course of ‘learning theories’ is expected to be fulfilled
within an allotment extending to 6 hours, tantamount to four
lectures content. These are deposited in the platform in the
form of sections on regular basis to allow students to take
optimal advantage of assimilation. The layout of the sections
appears as follows:
section one: The concept of learning and learning theories
Learning theories defined
Section two: Behavioursm
Implications for learning
Section three: Cognitivism
Section four: Constructivism
Each section will be followed by a rubric ( Test yourself) in

which the student will have to answer some questions related
to the reading material for knowledge consolidation and
meaning negotiation. The whole course will be followed by a
general discussion
General Objective
The course of learning theories aims to achieve a number

of goals related to the study of cognitive psychology. Most
importantly, by the end of this course students should be able
to :
1. Identify the nature of learning and learning theories.
2. demonstrate the benefits of studying learning theories.
3. Recognize the learning theories that have affected the field of
education.
4. differentiate between these theories in terms of theoretical
assumptions and efficiency to language learning.
5. Gauge the significance of the theories to the digital age.
6. Translate theoretical principles into instructional application
Introduction
The course entitled “learning theories” encompasses two
important concepts that need to be illustrated even though
the word theory is expected as a content word to receive
much more focus and consideration in the current course
content.
Before engaging into the different theories that have had
much influence on education it seems wise to tackle the
concept of learning which is used in education and teaching
context as part of a routine without realizing what it exactly
refers to in people’s experience. It is also being used in
different education terminology such as learning context,
learners, learning environment, distant learning, adult
learners, learning outcomes etc. because researchers seem to
be rarely explicit about the meaning of the term. In the field
of education questions about learning are addressed and the
term learning is taken for granted as if unproblematic. This is
why it is worth defining.
According to Dewey (1938), Piaget (1964), Vigotsky (1986)
Learning is an active process of engaging and manipulating
objects, experiences, and conversations in order to build
mental models of the world. Learning results in building
knowledge while learners explore the world around them,
observe and interact with phenomena, converse with others,
and relate new ideas to past understanding.
Learning is also built on existing knowledge that serves to
support the construction of all future learning (Alexander,
1996). Prior knowledge can thus serve as a basis for building,
enriching, or changing existing understanding.
Similarly, Learning has a social aspect in that it does not
happen on an individual basis. Rather, it happens as a social
activity involving people, the things they use, the language
they speak in a given cultural context, and the activities they
take ( Bransford, et al., 2006).
Another important ingredient of learning is motivation and
cognitive engagement. Learners should place a value on what
they want to learn and consequently engage with mental
endeavour and cognitive arousal in order to learn new
concepts and complex ideas.
The aforementioned aspects of learning describe the different
dimensions a definition of learning can take, and explain how
learning can be an intricate process that has generated several
interpretations and theories of how to achieve it effectively
and efficiently.
However, Learning seems to be better described in the
following definition as “ a process that results in a change
in knowledge or behaviour as a result in experience.”
– From Learning in Encyclopedia of Educational Research,
Richard E.Mayer
This definition sounds reliable because it includes three
ingredients: the change is enduring and long lasting; the focus
of the change is the knowledge with its structure and content,
or the behaviour of the learner; the cause of the change in
knowledge and behaviour which is the experience resulting
from interaction with the environment. This definition clearly
demonstrates how learning can be an intricate process that
involves interactional features pertaining to the learner and
his environment.
Learning Theories: short historical background

Before defining learning theories, it is worth mentioning
that theories about learning are deeply rooted in the past
because the questions addressed by current researchers and
theorists about the source of knowledge don’t look much
different from those raised by philosophers in the far past.
Many centuries ago two Greek philosophers, Plato (428-
348B.C.) and his student Aristotle (384- 322B.C.) disagreed
about the way we acquire knowledge. Plato who was a
rationalist believed that the source of knowledge and truth is
reason and senses (Schunk, 1991), and it is only through
logical thinking that we can acquire knowledge. By contrast,
Aristotle who was an empiricist adopted a different view and
stated that knowledge could be obtained only through
empirical evidence based on meticulous observation and
experience (Schunk, 1991). These assumptions are obviously
at the heart of the current views of learning like
Behaviourism and Cognitivism.
Learning Theory defined

Learning theories are an organized set of principles which
explain how learners acquire, retain, and recall information.
They provide us with insights into how learning occurs and
consequently sustain us to make a better selection of the
appropriate instructional tools, techniques, and strategies for
achieving successful learning.
Because they are historically and currently salient, three
distinct theories are exposed to the student, Behaviourism,
Cognitivism, and Constructivism, each having its proper
instructional strategies to allow a better achievement of the
desired learning outcomes.
Test yourself
1. What aspects should we consider to provide an explicit
description of the term ‘learning’?
2. How did the Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle
approach learning?
3. How can the study of ‘learning theories’ be beneficial to
education.

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University of Oran2

Lecture : Learning Theories

Presentation of the course

Each section will be followed by a rubric ( Test yourself) in

The course of learning theories aims to achieve a number

Learning Theories: short historical background

Learning Theory defined

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