Reading Response: Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism

Summary: The reading compared the characteristics of behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism as the three learning frameworks or strategies in tackling instructional challenges. 

Takeaway: I love that the reading says the best learning method to use is “it depends”. Just knowing what the learning methods are is not enough to properly employ them, it is just as important that the instructor must properly analyze the student’s level of professional knowledge.

Real World Example: Reading this article reminded me and my journey of using an advanced graphing calculator. After learning math and basic computational skills in the classroom through behaviorism methods, the graphing calculator employed a cognitivism learning method on myself. By trial and error in trying to find the different operations and seeing for myself what changing a variable does to a graph allowed me a better understanding of not only how a graphing calculator operates but a better understanding of mathematical concepts. 

Burning question: As proficiency in a given topic varies from student to student, should tangibles for education be designed to encompass all three learning theories?