Theories & Models of Learning & Instruction

According to Google, epistemology is the theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope. Epistemology is the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion. And Google defines instructional methods as the process by which instruction occurs, whether that might be lecture, class discussion, small group discussion, simulation, experience, or individual project.

Ok, if I understand my readings right epistemology is pretty concrete and can be proven.  It is not based on opinion but by fact.  Instructional methods are the methods (opinions) of how we learn.   Some differences in the two would be in how instruction is delivered. When I was in high school knowledge was just handed down, more by word of mouth and text book readings.  Today we as educators are expected to do more that just hand down knowledge.  We are expected to present the information in a way that intrigues our students and peaks their interest to learn the information presented.  We offer a great deal of tools to help students learn.  We have technology, we encourage students to lean on each other for help and support, and we allow more hands on opportunities.  In today’s classrooms we encourage curiosity where as back in the day, so to say we expected our students to sit down, shut up, and listen.

I would say that I take a positivists stance on learning.  I think we have to knowledge in and apply it to our own experiences to fully understand something.  We can apply something learned to a life experience then we tend to remember it.  I will use math instruction as an example of my own learning. I can go to a math class and do all that I am asked to do.  You can give me all the information and I retain it only long enough to take a test on it, but when you give me the same information and show me how it applies in my life and we remember it much longer than just on a test.  To this day I still struggle with algebra, mainly because I am not applying it to my life ever.  I think if math instruction was given to me in away that it applied to my life I might still be able to do some algebra with out having to have it explained to me all over again.

The differences in how problems are solved by behaviorist and constructivist are quite different.  The constructivist takes in the environment and surroundings.  They learn from everyday life, so learning isn’t as concrete, and each person learns from their own experiences. What this means is that each individual could perceive the knowledge differently. A behaviorist solves problems based on observable events and behaviors instead of self.  It is more concrete and can be proven. I think these two approaches can cause learners to bloom or rebel. I think it is important to allow students to learn from their own experiences instead of trying to force feed them facts.