Learning+Theorists

**Learning Theori****sts**  CED 505   by   Mary Railey Adult learning and computer training are of interest to me and I selected three theories and theorists which are applicable to those specific types of learning. John Carroll, Carl Rogers and Jean Lave turned out to be more similar in their studies than I anticipated. Although there were differences in the basis for the theories, there are similarities in the resulting impact when they are applied to education.

John Carroll did not think instructional designers made good use of the prior knowledge of adult learners when creating computer training. Carroll believed that most training materials wasted too much time on reading non essential information. His “Minimalist Theory” contends that giving a adult learner the bare minimum instruction needed to get him or her started, and providing meaningful projects is an effective method for training. The projects should have a framework which allows for exploration and learning from mistakes. The context of training materials and project should be linked to the setting the user will actually apply the information in. Instead of just performing tasks and gaining knowledge and skills, learners are encouraged to give thought to why the content is important and how it can be used.

Carl Rogers was an Experientialist who believed that effective education should involve physical, intellectual and emotional activity. He did not believe a cognitive approach to education was adequate. As a Psychotherapist, he believed the approaches to changing personally and learning were very closely related. He believed teachers and facilitators should establish relationships with learners. The three qualities he promoted were: Realness, Prizing the learner, and Empathetic Understanding. This meant being real with learners, respecting and accepting learners how and where they are, and understanding the learner were. Teachers should be facilitators and encouragers. They should set goals for learners and provide resources for them to achieve the goals. The best learning result would occur if the students were in a non judgmental environment. He also believed that content should be tied to life for learning to be relevant. Rote memorization and content without context did not lead to the best result.

Situated learning involves activity, context, and culture. Jean Lave believes that learning naturally occurs this way and that we should use this understanding to foster better learning experiences. Projects in authentic settings produce unintentional learning. The concept of “communities of practice” involves social interaction and collaboration. Being a part of a group which fosters a culture and set of desired skills or actions is a good way to learn. Eventually novices advance to expert through involvement and participation in tasks.

All three of the theorists subscribe to the philosophy of active learning. The Venn diagram below shows some of the similarities and differences among them.