This week, I learned about how the three major theories influence learning behavior. At the same time, I gained some more perspective on learning and motivation.
Before I explore the three major theories, I want to explore the relationship between people and learning. The relationship between people and learning is complex. When people learn, they are changing their perceptions of a thing or a subject. I’ve argued in the past that sometimes people are more passionate about a thing than the side effects of learning. For example, I had a classmate, Kaven, who was very passionate about anime. When he was studying computer graphics, he was in a different state than others. He was very focused and often shared his work and ideas with his classmates. After studying this week, I realized that he was able to be enthusiastic about the course because he was motivated by his interest in anime and the programming direction he was good at.

From The role of motivation in learning

I could not tell which one is better for the learners among the three major theories. Each theory helps different learners.
Behaviorist learners imitate the right behavior, becoming a habit for the learner. Behaviorism reminds me of when I was studying for my driver’s license in China. The driving school instructors were very strict to make sure that each student would learn to drive safely. If I didn’t follow the requirements I would be reprimanded or practice repeatedly. Behaviorism allows the learner to practice over and over again so that behavior becomes habitual.
Cognitivism assumes that the human brain is a basket of knowledge and that by putting a certain ability or knowledge into the learner’s head, the learner is equipped with a certain ability. But the truth is that many people do not understand how to use knowledge. Cognitivism can be applied to teaching in kindergarten, where a teacher tells a child not to litter. If a child’s trash falls on the floor, the teacher can ask the child to pick it up and throw it away.
Constructivism is student-centered and emphasizes the active exploration of knowledge by students. Kaven, the student mentioned above, is a good example. He chose computer graphics because of the connection to his interest in anime. Computer graphics itself has no connection to anime. He did some extra work on his own using graphics by learning in class. The instructor could only give the knowledge in the classroom, and Kaven combined his previous experience and knowledge to form his unique work.

From Learning Theories and Law: Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism

In the future, what Learning Designer will do is help students find the most appropriate way to learn so that they can take the initiative and learn easily.