Week 4, Thurs 9/20/07

Thursday, 9/20/2007

800 Notes

This week we reviewed Behaviorism theory. As well as a lecture we reviewed a Powerpoint presentation that was included in I-learn curriculum, watched a dated video about BF Skinner (you can call him Fred). Our group activity was to combine homework assigment to come up with a best way for Fred to take frequent breaks from his computer. We also interacted with and briefly discussed an online geography quiz. Looking around the room it seems most of “failed third grade.”


Powerpoint Presentation:

In Behaviorism, learning occurs when there is a measurable change in behavior. The environment provides the cue. Learning acquisition is easy to measure and assess, however, it's not ideal for being an autonomous learner, developing problem solving skills and thinking outside the box, skills needed by the 21st century learner. Behaviorists are able to measure results by observation.


Teaching new behavior

Shaping – supportive showing of behavior

Chaining – Putting steps together

Fading- slowly taking away cue


Kim briefly mentioned ADDIE Model for Instruction Systems Design:
Analysis
Design
Development
Implementation
Evaluation

ADDIE Model is also explained in terms of Behaviorism in Chapter 2 of our text book.



The First Step: Get Goals

Second Step: Finding a reinforcer that works for the individual learner

Third Step: Setting up procedure (lesson planing.)

Fourth Step: Implement Plan

Fifth Step: Evaluation – assess the behavior and redesign reinforcement or schedule of reinforcement.



Punishment vs. Positive reinforcement

Punishment can produce effective, immediate short term results, however it's long term implications are severe.


Evolution of classical behaviorism to radical behaviorism.

Classical Conditioning Theory is an association of stimuli and environment, delete the stimulus response still occurs.

S (stimulus) -R (response) Paradigm


Radical Behaviorism introduced the concept of operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is...

S (stimulus) – R (response) – S (stimulus)

or A (antecedent) – B (behavior) – C (consequence) -consequence drives behavior



Also there are four types of reinforcement schedule for maintaining the desired behavior.

Fixed ratio

Fixed Interval

Variable ratio

Variable Interval



We watch very old video about B.F. Skinner.


Famous quote "it's not the rat, it's Skinner"- if rat/learner is not performing the task desired, then the reinforcement/environment is not designed right.



The World teaches you to manipulate the world


"We are what we do"


Skinner's studies were influenced by:

Darwin - origin of species, evolution as selection of characteristics.

Freud - psychoanalysis – we do not act freely but as a result of earlier experience

Ivan Pavlov – Behaviorism, Russian Physiologist – Conditioning of Behavior

(experiment with food, sound of metronome, dog drool – conditioned response



Skinner – selection process from Darwin also applies to behavior as behavior is predictable.

- how we think/feel can be studied and predicted by science

- why are some behaviors selected



Discriminative Stimulus – certain reinforcers available if provided in a certain way, leads to reinforcement, can be conditioned reinforcers themselves

Reinforcers must follow an action and must cause action to be repeated

Punishment only works temporarily and with negative side effects

Video also talked about Skinner Box and his controversial baby box, and animal testing.

Video used example of a pigeon and bell to demonstrate the shaping of response where pigeon received food as it got closer to the bell until it peaked the bell.


Break

We had small group activity where we discussed our assignment about John's case study.

We evaluated learning objective and usability of flash drag and drop interactivity about US geography.


Lastly, Kim explained next week's assignment which was to read chapter 3 and use “Inspiration” to summarize and create a flow chart or cluster map of Chapter 3.