620 - Introduction to Learning Theory

Looks like I am back to school again this term, with the remaining course to the PhD work (only project, internship, and dissertation credits will be left).

This last course is about Learning Theory which should help me as I read more of the psychology-based articles in the instructional psychology field. In order to help me better understand the course concepts, I will be posting my assignments here on the blog. If you are not interested in this topic, then just pass over any future posts with the 620 (the course number) prefix.

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Assignment 1

1. What is theory?

*This mess should be a table.

Definition Strengths Weaknesses
Abstract thought; speculation allows for evolving or not-yet-sure ideas very general
a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena allows for a set of connected or related ideas limited to defining a “provable” concept
a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation does not necessarily require empirical evidence; rather allows for application to psychological or metaphysical concepts limited to a temporary idea that should later be rejected or confirmed
the general or abstract principles of a body of fact, a science, or an art allows for a set of connected ideas that form a discipline or related way of thinking appears to describe a standardized (maybe even canonized) set of ideas
the body of rules, ideas, principles, and techniques that applies to a subject, especially when seen as distinct from actual practice allows for variation between practical matters and proposed rules about the practice may over-emphasize the distinction between practice and theory

2. What is learning?

*This mess should also be a table.

Definition Strengths Weaknesses
the acquisition of knowledge or skill Describe learning as a active gain of something acquisition is a vague term
a relatively permanent change in, or acquisition of, knowledge, understanding, or behavior Provides more than just acquisition, and allows for affective learning Relatively permanent is vague
the goal of education, and the product of experience Adds the idea of experience as part of learning Assumes that all experience is then learning; is this true?
development of memories and behaviors Allows for a broader meaning of learning to include observable and non-observable traits Again, does this mean that all memories and behaviors are learning? What about dreams?
memorization A basic, commonly held definition Not very useful, and may in fact not be the kind of learning that we can use
the gaining of experience Again, is allows for the idea of learning through experience Is that all that learning is, just experience?
modification through exposure Agains allows for the idea of learning as a form of change Are there other kinds of change that do not require exposure (and to what)?
wisdom acquired through instruction or study Places emphasis on learners and teachers; also defines wisdom (knowledge plus judgment and use) Limits learning to situations of instruction and study


3. Explanatory and Interpretive Theories
http://www.uvm.edu/~egeczi/dissertationblog/?p=34

This link is a blog post that discusses how interpretive and explanatory approaches relate.

http://www.hku.hk/philodep/ch/L&L1.htm

This link explains how interpretation and explanation relate to ancient Chinese philosophy.

http://www.iep.utm.edu/m/moraldev.htm

This link explains the difference between the two theory types as they relate to moral development and the work of moral philosophers.

http://www.mathcs.duq.edu/~packer/IR/IntMeth4.html

This link attempts to contrast and relate interpretive and explanatory theories using charts.

http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:C1iKYNkRgdIJ:www.uio.no/studier/emner/matnat/ifi/INF5220/h05/undervisningsmateriale/Slides/InterpretiveGrounded27102005.ppt+explanatory+interpretive+theory&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=21&gl=us

This pdf file is a series of ppt slides that introduce interpretative theory and briefly discusses how it differs from explanatory models.

4. Nomological-deductive theories is a way of explanation that relies on initial premises and universal laws to predict or hypothesize outcomes. For example, in order to predict the earth’s location in the future, physicists take its current location, gravitational and other physical laws, and then make theorize its future location. This can be helpful when attempting to understand future outcomes.

However, this kind of theory can have some problems. First, it ignores minor variations that are not central to the outcome, and, as such, the prediction is only approximate and not exact. Second, this mode of theorizing requires that the phenomena be something that acts under predictable, consistent laws. If the object of study is highly volatile or influenced by a number of factors cannot be predicted, controlled, or accounted for, then this mode of theorizing cannot reliably be used.

(reference: http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolphil/predict.html)


5. Das Verstehen means “the understanding” or “the deep appreciation” (Dilthey). It is used in social science, especially in phenomenology and hermeneutics, to explain how an outsider enters and then understands a foreign culture. Critics of this concept claim that no foreigner can truly understand an outside culture, and that attempts to do so invariably taint the subject culture with the norms or expectations of the foreigner’s culture. There was very little detailed information about this movement available through internet search engines, even when a variety of keyword searches were performed.
(reference: http://www.answers.com/topic/verstehen)

6.
Notion: an individual's conception or impression of something known, experienced, or imagined (from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)

Theory: an unproved assumption (from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)

Model: a description or analogy used to help visualize something that cannot be directly observed (from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)

Law: a statement of an order or relation of phenomena that so far as is known is invariable under the given conditions (from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)

7. Criteria for evaluating a theory
a. universally (or almost universally) applicable to its context
b. simple enough to be learned or taught
c. complex enough to account for its context
d. does not conflict with existing, well-grounded theories
e. extends and supports existing, well-grounded theories
f. leaves room for future revision and extension