Theories and Models of Learning and Instruction

• Teaching children how to behave and learn in cooperative groups in the classroom is a challenge that all teachers face at the beginning of the year.  Using B.F. Skinner's Behavioral Learning Theory to help the teacher model and reward the appropriate behaviors when the students exhibit them.  The teacher has to constantly reinforce the behavior they wish to see in the small groups and redirect the behavior that does not benefit the small group.  Cooperative groups are wonderful teaching strategy when they are implemented properly and effectively.  The Cognitive Information Processing Theory will also help advance the students learning in cooperative groups.  Getting feedback from an expert source during the learning process will help the student understand the information that is important to the lesson.

9 Events of Instructions                                                    Principals

Gaining Attention	State the Problem
Informing the Learner	Activation
Stimulation Recall of Prior learning	Activation
Presenting the Stimulus	Demonstration
Providing Learning Guidance	Demonstration
Eliciting Performance	Application
Providing Feed back	Application
Assessing Performance	Application
Enhancing retention and transfer	Integration

 

·         Informing the Learning is important to set your expectations for the students.  I would introduce the rules that are to be used while the students are in the cooperative groups.  I let them know what my expectations are for the groups and I also let them create rules for the group.  When the students are in groups they will be given an assignment or a project that they are to complete as a group.  I make sure they are clear about the goal they are to achieve.  Meeting with the groups every few days helps make sure that they are staying focused on their goal and working together as a group.  Constant feedback and corrections will help the students demonstrate the behavior and work that is expected of them.  Once the groups are working cooperatively and achieving the goals that have been set for them.

·         While I am teaching my student s the benefits of working in a cooperative group I also model the behavior I expect from them.  There are posters around the room with the steps to working in a successful cooperative group.  When I am redirecting undesirable behaviors I remind them of the posters and the appropriate behaviors for success.  When teaching children how to work in and the benefits of small groups a teacher has to scaffold to have cohesive and beneficial small groups.  You first have to set the routine and the expectations for the children upon entering the classroom.  This process can take several classes to complete and takes diligence and effort on the teacher’s part.  Once the expectations are set and the goals are clear students will learn and benefit from each other in a successful cooperative group.

·         Engaging in design research gives teacher a structure to follow when forming a lesson for their students.  Seeing how the learning process works in order to the basic learning, reteaching, and assessing will help the teachers form a cohesive dynamic lesson.  This will often get the kids in engaged and have an opportunity to learn from all angles.