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Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features From an Educational Technology Perspective

Learning theories help educators to select instructional design strategies, to integrate selected instructional design into context of learning. Educational technologies make contribution to learning process of learners. Learning theories have affects to design educational technology materials that enable learners to learn by variety of experiences. In this regard, usage of educational technologies learned from Cet 360 course can be examined with the perspective of learning theories that are behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism.

Behaviorism defines learning with acquiring of desired response. Learning can occur by transfer of knowledge at the end of generalization process. Information about the usage of educational technology learned from Cet 360 course emphasizes the avoidance of behavioral perspectives with designing educational technology materials. Behavioral perspectives in designing educational technology have roots to 1954. B.F. Skinner designed the teaching machine to help learners. Skinner’s programmed machine skips another question when correct response is given. When false response is given, the programmed material provides the correct response. Thus, this programmed learning material helps learning with copying correct responses. In some extent, this learning material can be helpful to learners in the way that students who can’t learn the classroom environment. Negative impacts can also be listed. One of them is the machine directs learners acquiring knowledge by memorization. The learner is not in the active position in the way that assessing mind activities, because syntheses and evaluation of knowledge can’t happen in large scale. Behavioral perspectives that are used in educational technology limit the creativity and production. Another example can be given to explain the association between behavioral approach and educational technology. Learning Management Systems can be said to have behavioral approach in the way that it just serves materials and user completes the task. At the end feedback is provided. Therefore, stimulus-response association occurs. The user can’t make interference the content of online material. The audio visual materials that are used in education can also have behaviorist approach if the materials direct learners just getting desired responses. Interaction between instructional design and the user can’t be provided effectively by behavioral approaches.

Cognitivism defines learning with receiving, organizing, storing knowledge into mental structure. Learner transfers knowledge as a result of mental activities. Educational technologies can help process of learning in the way that computer programs can present applications which enables users triggering the cognitive strategies. Hierarchical organizations, relevant examples, advance organizers in applications can be associated with cognitivistic approach. For example, animations, simulations including instructional song with lyrics can help the storage of information. Animations can present hearth that can be resembled with pump. Feedbacks in computer based instructions can provide the setting mental scheme and also provide reorganizing mental scheme (accommodation).     

Constructivism defines learning with constructing knowledge by experiences on to existing knowledge. Constructivist approach effects the designing of educational contents. Cet 360 course emphasizes the positive effects of constructivist approach in the usage of educational technologies. Interactive applications used in programme support learners to build knowledge by experience.For instance, computer based instruction with interactive objects can help the interpretation of knowledge, thus learners get meaning from their own experience instead of transfer of knowledge. In this process, designing of instructional technology is important. Constructivist approach emphasizes that knowledge is context dependent, thus the reference point of applications should be contextual to ease the interpretation of knowledge. Application that designed to teach the simple machines might refer to real world examples of these machines. Simple machines application can also make contribution to breaking existing misconception by offering interactivity and feedbacks. Therefore, application of new knowledge to new situations can be facilitated with the usage of educational technology. The role of the educator is presenting the environment to learners who construct knowledge. Educator can present graphs, audio-visuals, slides, computer software to learners in the manner that learners can construct their own understanding.

To sum up, learning theories make contributions to instructional design. Assumptions of learning theories can be used in learning and teaching process by means of educational technology.  

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