Educational Theory: The Big 3

Chambers, Julia

Ertmer, P.A. & Newby, T.J. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly 26(2), p. 43-71. DOI: 10.1002/piq.21143

This is an article update of a piece that was published in 1993 describing the three dominant learning theories at the time: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. The article offers excellent descriptions of each theory. Behaviorism is characterized by learning through repetition and the emphasis is on designing materials that provide practice for students at progressive levels. It relies on standards, assessments, and a system of rewards and punishments to mark achievements. Cognitivism is a theory that stresses complex thinking and promotes mental processing. The goal is to transfer knowledge from teacher to student to the extent that students can apply that knowledge to new situations. Practice is the key component of learning. Constructivism holds that learning is achieved through direct experiences and it’s the predominant theory educational theory today. Memorization is not emphasized; success is measured by how well students can apply past experiential knowledge to new situations. The authors also mention that Connectivism is an emerging theory in response to technology. In this theory, students learn primarily through interactions and conversation with others. The idea is that knowledge doesn’t need to be stored in the brain, but students must now know how to access, process, organize, and interpret information (stored in computers) as the needs arise.

Evaluation: I found this to be a solid article for background information on the main theories of education past and present in the U.S. The authors talk a bit about how educational theory can and should be used to influence instructional design. They conclude that all theories should continue to be used based on the students’ particular learning styles and the tasks they are to master.

ET-Constructivism and Behaviorism