Tales of the Undead Learning Theories: The Learning Pyramid

Tales of the Undead Learning Theories: The Learning Pyramid

Jones, Erik

ET

Archer, A. (2014). Tales of the undead learning theories: The learning pyramid. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from: http://acrlog.org/2014/01/13/tales-of-the-undead-learning-theories-the-learning-pyramid/

Summary
This particular blog focuses on a learning theory that simply won't go away no matter how much research is done to disprove its effectiveness and overall uselessness. Appearing in many incarnations since the early 1900s, educational theorists have often speculated that people learn/retain only a portion of the things that we read, hear, look at, or do. The primary flaw with this learning theory is the percentages that people supposedly retain/learn at each level of the pyramid. It doesn't take into account differing teaching styles that play a significant part in the learning process, not to mention the different learning styles that each students has. Some students are visual learning, while others learn by doing, and others learn better in a group environment. The designers of this pyramid fail to take these differences into account which is a huge issue.

Evaluation

I actually like this particular article as it's about time people highlight some of the debunked learning theories that are our there that keep students from receiving a proper education. The author of the blog is also a little upbeat and while I would consider this to be more of a rant than anything else, his opinion and research is sound and needed.