Learning and its theories

As you know that learning is a key process in human behaviour. So we can define learning " Any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of practice and experience ".

There are some definitions of Learning given below:

• learning is a change in behavior - better or worse.
• It is a change that takes place through practice and experience.

All learning involves activities. These activities involve either physical or mental activities. They may be simple mental activities or complex, involving various muscles,bones,etc. There are different types of learning some of the important and common learnings are given below

Types of learning

• Motor learning

Most of our activities in our day to days life refer to motor activities. The individual has to learn them in order to maintain his regular life, for example walking, running, skating, driving, climbing etc.

• Verbal learning

This type of learning involves the language we speak, the communication devices we use, signs, pictures, symbols, words, figures, sounds etc.

• Concept Learning

It is the form of learning which requires higher order of mental processes like thinking, reasoning, intelligence etc. We learn different concepts from childhood. For example, when we see a dog and attach the term dog with a particular animal. Concept learning involves two processes abstraction and generalization. This learning is very useful in identifying things.

• Discrimination Learning

Learning to difference between stimuli and showing an appropriate response to these stimuli is called discrimination learning. Example Sound horns of different vehicles like bus, car, Ambulance etc.

• Problem Solving

This is a higher Order learning process. This learning requires the use of Cognitive abilities such as reasoning, thinking, observation, imagination, generalization etc.

• Attitude Learning

Attitude is a predisposition which determines and directs our behavior. We develop different attitudes from our childhood about the people, objects and everything we know. Our behavior may be positive or negative depending on our attitudes.
 

Now we will discuss some learning theories which are important for any teaching exams. 

Theories Of Learning

1. Trial and Error Learning Theory

Image Source : Internet 

This theory was developed by an American psychologist E. L Thorndike. He said that learning takes place through trial and error method. According to him learning is a gradual process where the individual will make many attempts to learn. He said that as the trial increases the errors decrease.

According to this theory when an individual is placed in new situation, he makes a number of random movements. Among them, those which are unsuccessful are eliminated and the successful ones are fixed. These movements takes time to eliminate.
Thorndike studies the character of trial and error learning in a number of experiments on cats-using a box which he called 'puzzle box'. In one of the experiments a hungry cat was placed in the box and the door was closed which be opened by pressing a Latch(कुंडी) . A fish was placed outside the box in a plate The cat could see fish. The cat was given 100 trials-ten in the morning and ten in each afternoon for five days. The cat was fed at the end of each experimental period and then was given nothing more to eat until after the next session. If, succeeded in opening the door in any trial by chance, he went to eat food (fish). A complete record was made of the cat's behaviour during each trial. In the beginning the cat made a number of random movements like biting, clawing(पंजा) , dashing, etc. gradually in subsequent trials the cat reduced the incorrect responses (errors), as it was in a position to manipulate the latch as soon as it was put in the box.

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