Learning Theories

The definitions of instructional design bring to light the connection to principles of learning or learning theories. As the field of education has evolved over the last century, more theories of learning/instructions have gained prominence. Although the field includes a multitude of theories and theorists, there are three main schemas in which they can be grouped: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism.

• Behaviorism is based on the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning, and conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment. Behaviorists believe that our actions are shaped by environmental stimuli and only observable behavior should be studied, as internal mental states are far too subjective
• Cognitivism focuses on the idea that people process information they receive rather than just responding to a stimulus, as with behaviorism. There is still a behavior change evident, but this is in response to thinking and processing information
• Constructivism is based on the idea that people actively construct or make their own knowledge, and that reality is determined by your experiences as a learner. Basically, learners use their previous knowledge as a foundation and build on it with new things that they learn

In addition to the three widely-ackowledged schemas described above, more recent developments in the field of learning theories also include: humanism (individuals pursue self-actualization) and connectivism (people acquire and process information by forming connections).

For a robust list of theories used in instructional design, each accompanied by description, application, example, principles, and references, the InstructionalDesign site is a great place to begin.