Welcome to Advanced Ed. Psych.

1
Welcome to Advanced Ed. Psych.

• Introductions
• Syllabus
• Survey of your questions/needs
• CWC
• Overview of the Field

2
What is Educational Psychology?

• Learning?
• Instruction?
• Assessment?
• Motivation?

3
Looking at Models

• Ways of knowing about learning
• How do we know about learning?
• How theories vary
• Range and focus
• Nature v. Nurture
• Generality v. Specificity

4
Thought Questions

• What would you want a model of learning and
  instruction to explain?

5
Hmm

• What is it to be a learner?
• How does learning happen?
• How does transfer take place?
• What is motivation?

6
Basic Paradigms

• Learner as a social being
• Learner as a processor of information
• Learner as a constructor of knowledge
• Learner as a recipient of knowledge

7
Behavioral Model

• Learning is the accumulation of associations. 
• Learning involves external consequences as
  reinforcing or punishing.
• Learning and transfer Learning in a new
  situation depends on how many and which kinds of
  associations needed in new situation have already
  been acquired.
• MotivationRewards and punishers.
• Example Child gets an A The grade is a
  reinforcer that increases the likelihood that the
  child will study again.
• Name B. F. Skinner
•  

8
Cognitive Models

• Learning is the active process of constructing
  knowledge.
• Learners interact with the environment to
• learn, building schemas.
• Transfer Acquiring an abstract mental
  representation or schema that is invariant across
  situations.
• Motivation Intrinsic interest when learning or
  understanding concepts.
• Example Child is able to acquire counting skills
  by counting something meaningful like toys or
  playmates for a party.
• Name Piaget and Information Processing

9
Social Constructivist Model

• Learners learn within the context of communities,
  a social phenomena.
• Language is one of the main tools of learning, a
  shared system of community tools.
• Learners acquire skill in conjunction with
  others social partners.
• Transfer Coming to participate in a community of
  practice.
• Motivation Engaged participation in community
  and identity in community in which participates.
• Example Students work in small groups to share
  ideas and work toward a shared goal.
• Name Vygotsky

10
Questions

• Can you be a constructivist but use behavioral
  principles?
• Can you be a behaviorist and use constructivist
  principles?
• What is the best?

11
How do we know about learning?

• Observed changes in behavior.
• Neurological research.
• Phenomonological research.