Infographics
#1 - Theory Overview
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#2 - Instructional Design
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Learning Situation:
Behaviorism
Khan Academy: Physics (Online Learning)
Before starting each unit within the Physics course, the student takes a Unit Test to unlock a “personalized study plan.” This 30-minute test requires the student to answer questions from each topic within the unit, recording their accuracy and providing hints and links to helpful videos when students get stuck. Once the student has completed the test, the website provides a list of lessons recommended for the student’s study (and highlights the videos and articles within those lessons that are most-closely tied to the problems they missed). The website then lists the student’s Unit Test score (listed as a Mastery out of 100%) at the bottom of the lesson plan, challenging the student to earn complete mastery by re-taking the test and earning a 100% score.
When studying within a unit, content presentation takes on a somewhat standard formula. First, the student watches a video in which the fundamental terms and concepts are defined and demonstrated by an instructor using a digital blackboard. Second, the student reads one or two articles which provide further explanation while offering links to external sites for students to dig deeper and learn about particular elements. Third, the student watches a video in which an instructor explains conceptually how a particular topic is applied to solve a particular problem. Fourth, the student views one or many videos of the instructor completing sample problems of varying difficulty or circumstances. Fifth, the student is given seven (7) practice questions to apply the concept, with each question providing hints and links to relevant videos to help students achieve a 7/7 Practice Score.
On every page of every lesson (one for each video, article, and problem section), the student can scroll down and view two tabs of comments left on that page. Most of these comments are in the “Questions” tab, which sorts questions based on their “upvote” count from the community of other students. Anyone can respond to these questions (with the most helpful responses being shown first), but answers from website moderators are displayed first by default. As a special feature, any comment can include a timestamp (like 2:13) to point to a specific section of the video on that page.
Each time a student gets a question correct in a practice section or a Unit Test, a happy sound effect and star symbol congratulate the student, and the website adds points to their “Energy Score.” This score also accumulates as the result of watching the entirety of instructional videos, clicking on special links, and making helpful contributions in the comments section of any lesson page. As students earn points in particular courses or during particular challenge periods, they can earn “Badges” which mark their achievements and mastery of certain subjects.
Before starting each unit within the Physics course, the student takes a Unit Test to unlock a “personalized study plan.” This 30-minute test requires the student to answer questions from each topic within the unit, recording their accuracy and providing hints and links to helpful videos when students get stuck. Once the student has completed the test, the website provides a list of lessons recommended for the student’s study (and highlights the videos and articles within those lessons that are most-closely tied to the problems they missed). The website then lists the student’s Unit Test score (listed as a Mastery out of 100%) at the bottom of the lesson plan, challenging the student to earn complete mastery by re-taking the test and earning a 100% score.
When studying within a unit, content presentation takes on a somewhat standard formula. First, the student watches a video in which the fundamental terms and concepts are defined and demonstrated by an instructor using a digital blackboard. Second, the student reads one or two articles which provide further explanation while offering links to external sites for students to dig deeper and learn about particular elements. Third, the student watches a video in which an instructor explains conceptually how a particular topic is applied to solve a particular problem. Fourth, the student views one or many videos of the instructor completing sample problems of varying difficulty or circumstances. Fifth, the student is given seven (7) practice questions to apply the concept, with each question providing hints and links to relevant videos to help students achieve a 7/7 Practice Score.
On every page of every lesson (one for each video, article, and problem section), the student can scroll down and view two tabs of comments left on that page. Most of these comments are in the “Questions” tab, which sorts questions based on their “upvote” count from the community of other students. Anyone can respond to these questions (with the most helpful responses being shown first), but answers from website moderators are displayed first by default. As a special feature, any comment can include a timestamp (like 2:13) to point to a specific section of the video on that page.
Each time a student gets a question correct in a practice section or a Unit Test, a happy sound effect and star symbol congratulate the student, and the website adds points to their “Energy Score.” This score also accumulates as the result of watching the entirety of instructional videos, clicking on special links, and making helpful contributions in the comments section of any lesson page. As students earn points in particular courses or during particular challenge periods, they can earn “Badges” which mark their achievements and mastery of certain subjects.
Learning Situation:
Behaviorist Analysis
Reflection:
Behaviorism
As an avid proponent of behavioral economics, psychology, and the role of intrinsic motivation in instructional design, I suppose that I have always supported the fundamentally behaviorist idea that the environment and stimuli with which we frame education can have a dramatic impact on the motivation and efficacy of students in the learning process. Ever since I started thinking critically about learning environments, metacognition, and the role of teachers in an increasingly digital world, I became more and more convinced that most of the weaknesses with the American education system could be chalked up to the fact that students lack the meaningful feedback they need to connect their instruction with their own personal learning objectives.
I feel this needs explaining, so let me unpack that sentence: students lack the meaningful feedback they need to connect their instruction with their own personal learning objectives. In my opinion, this takes place as a direct result of several factors:
In my opinion, I think that personalized, iterative feedback with clear learning objectives is the solution to most of our education system's problems. This is something that behaviorists like Frederic Skinner have argued and demonstrated with their research, and it excites me to see practical learning models based off of these ideas and taking advantage of Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) to do this.
In particular, mastery learning is the most attractive of the educational models proposed from a behaviorist perspective. I have dreamed for a few years about the potential for universities to shift their educational models away from a "credits based system" (in which students simply attend required classes, pass those classes, and receive credits on their transcript) and towards a "competency based system," which asks students to complete a set number of assessments (be they exams, essays, projects, presentations, etc.) to earn their degree from the institution. By having students complete their assessments at whatever pace and in whatever order they wish (albeit with friendly guidance from their academic department), the student gains an appreciative and focused attitude towards taking classes or seeking out mentors that will help them pass their assessments and earn their degree. It flips the rhetoric of learning from "stay in your assigned classes for four years and don't fail" to "we have all of these resources for you to use - choose which will help you achieve mastery in this field so we can award you with your degree."
Class activities like the test trial of a "programmed instructional booklet" were very interesting at demonstrating in real-time what learning can look like with adequate preparation and a forward-thinking instructional architecture. It's unsurprising to me that it makes learning more engaging to students, but it also excites me that teachers can be trained to utilize these same techniques with relatively little technical experience or theoretical understanding - they just need to know what they want their students to be able to do.
I wouldn't say that any of my views on learning have changed other than the fact that I am now more enlightened as to the possibilities of behavior shaping using research-tested techniques in conditioning and behavioral psychology. At this point I would say that I have a strong preference for the behaviorist's perspective on learning because it seems like the theory which offers the highest hopes for self-paced learning and competency-based assessment. However, I am always open to learning more and look forward to seeing what the theories of cognitivism and social learning have to offer.
I feel this needs explaining, so let me unpack that sentence: students lack the meaningful feedback they need to connect their instruction with their own personal learning objectives. In my opinion, this takes place as a direct result of several factors:
- Industries and jobs are becoming increasingly dynamic and specific, making it harder for students to perceive the skills that they need to actually be prepared for or proficient in the roles that they wish to play
- Instructors fail to communicate learning objectives to students in a meaningful way, causing students to value the instruction less as it becomes less relevant to them. This is likely because instructors are forced to prepare students for high-stakes tests for a purpose that they themselves do not understand.
- Schools lack the resources to provide frequent or individualized feedback to students because they are overcrowded, underfunded, or professionally incompetent.
In my opinion, I think that personalized, iterative feedback with clear learning objectives is the solution to most of our education system's problems. This is something that behaviorists like Frederic Skinner have argued and demonstrated with their research, and it excites me to see practical learning models based off of these ideas and taking advantage of Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) to do this.
In particular, mastery learning is the most attractive of the educational models proposed from a behaviorist perspective. I have dreamed for a few years about the potential for universities to shift their educational models away from a "credits based system" (in which students simply attend required classes, pass those classes, and receive credits on their transcript) and towards a "competency based system," which asks students to complete a set number of assessments (be they exams, essays, projects, presentations, etc.) to earn their degree from the institution. By having students complete their assessments at whatever pace and in whatever order they wish (albeit with friendly guidance from their academic department), the student gains an appreciative and focused attitude towards taking classes or seeking out mentors that will help them pass their assessments and earn their degree. It flips the rhetoric of learning from "stay in your assigned classes for four years and don't fail" to "we have all of these resources for you to use - choose which will help you achieve mastery in this field so we can award you with your degree."
Class activities like the test trial of a "programmed instructional booklet" were very interesting at demonstrating in real-time what learning can look like with adequate preparation and a forward-thinking instructional architecture. It's unsurprising to me that it makes learning more engaging to students, but it also excites me that teachers can be trained to utilize these same techniques with relatively little technical experience or theoretical understanding - they just need to know what they want their students to be able to do.
I wouldn't say that any of my views on learning have changed other than the fact that I am now more enlightened as to the possibilities of behavior shaping using research-tested techniques in conditioning and behavioral psychology. At this point I would say that I have a strong preference for the behaviorist's perspective on learning because it seems like the theory which offers the highest hopes for self-paced learning and competency-based assessment. However, I am always open to learning more and look forward to seeing what the theories of cognitivism and social learning have to offer.
