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The Combination of Parts to Create a "Whole" Theory of Learning!
I must say that I feel that all too often, individuals ride the sidelines or maintain the "middle man" position
in regards to decision making. I was once told "you've got to stand for something or you will fall for anything."
In pursuit of a degree within adult education, one is presented with such a vast array of theoretical perspectives.
Before I began the Masters program, concentrating on Adult Learning, I couldn't help but wonder how some instructors
seemed empty and seem to practice a "general" style of teaching, while others were invigorated and consumed by their
students. Within this concept of "general", I felt that instructors put in the exact amount of effort needed to
get the students through the course and that is where it ended.
Upon learning some of the theoretical perspectives and philosophical foundations of Adult Education within this program,
I now feel as though this is due to the different perspectives on learning that are created by everything from internal and
external forces, personal beliefs and personal experience.
While taking the time to explore and compare different learning theories in detail, one can reach a point where they realize
that no one theory is ultimately right or wrong, but that each theory could have something to offer.
Therefore....
My Personal Learning Theory....
In psychology and education, a learning theory is an attempt to describe how people and animals learn, thereby helping us
understand the inherently complex process of learning (Wikipedia 2008).
While this provides somewhat of a definition, the idea is still left pretty vague. It is only after careful consideration
of some of the major theoretical antecedents that I have been able to draw variables that I can relate to my development from
childhood, pre-adult, adult, student and educator stages. Since my "whole" personal learning theory is a combination
of ideas or parts from these theoretical antecedents or learning theories, it is beneficial to first have an overview of these
influencing learning theories: Behaviorism, Social Cognitive Theory and Humanism.
The behaviorist perspective entails the continuous process of stimulus response behaviors. The classifications offered
under this perspective include classical and operant conditioning. One of the main tenants of this theory that I find myself
gravitating towards is the idea that all behavior is a result of conditioning by what we have learned from our experiences
and the environment. I agree with this because I feel if we did not have any prior experience, how would we relate one response
to another? Thus, the environment provides the initial elements that the person responds to. Merriam, S., Caffarella, R.,
& Baumgartner, L., (2007) found that behavioral objectives specify the conditions (or stimuli), the behavior to be performed,
and the criteria by which the behavior will be judged(p. 280).
Social cognitive theorists agree with some of the aspects of behaviorism that include that behavior is in fact learned
and that the environment does take part in influencing learning and development. The component that is integrated into this
is the cognitive ability. These theorists do place a great deal of importance on the power of the mind. This perspective
attributes experience, environmental input and cognitive ability to the response mechanisms in new situations. Contemporary
theorists believe that these components are actually dependant on one another. From this view of interdependence, one can
recognize that just as the environment influences our behavior, so too can our behavior change the environment (Ormrod &
Rice, 2003).
The humanist perspective takes a deeper plunge into the individual and personal potential for growth. While humanists
refuse to accept the position that behavior is predetermined by ones environment, they do provide the element of personal
choice that leads to the consequence of behavior. Cafferella (1993) found the focus of learning is on the individual and
self-development, with learners expected to assume primary responsibility for their own learning (p.26).
It is of my opinion based on my prior life experiences that learning is a combination of behavioral choices made of free
will and weighed by the all powerful mind. The outcome, whether positive or negative, may or may not affect future decisions
based on the level of reinforcement received. These three theories combined, provide a basis for my personal theory of learning.
All in all, adult education is a field of inspiration and integrity. While my personal learning theory is not exactly
one single learning theory, it is a fusion of selected ideas from a few theories. As my life as an educator slowly progresses,
I can guarantee that I will modify my theory as time progresses as well. I do realize now that as much as I can empathize
with others from different backgrounds from mine, I have not walked in their shoes, so I will be cognizant of maintaining
flexibility in my teaching methods.
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