Principles of Learning and Teaching
STUDENTS AS LEARNERS – 35%
THEORISTS
LEV VYGOTSKY http://facultyweb.cortland.edu/andersmd/VYG/ VYG.HTML

JEROME BRUNER http://tip.psychology.org/bruner.ht ml

JOHN DEWEY http://www.infed.org/thinkers/e t-dewey.htm

Importance of CULTURE humans use of tools and symbols to learn – culture dictates what we learn and how • Higher and Lower mental functions – elementary (or lower) functions gradually transform to HMF through culture • Central ROLE OF LANGUAGE: Language is made possible because of our culture (tools and symbols). The learning of language (or signs) is brought about by social processes, and language or signs ultimately make thought possible. Three stages in the development of speech a. Social speech – speech to control the behavior of others b. Egocentric speech – three to seven year olds – talking to themselves to learn c. Inner speech – soundless speech – thinking in our head • ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT: The discrepancy between a child's mental age [indicated by the static test] and the level he reaches in solving problems with assistance is the zone of his proximal development. _________________________________ ABRAHAM MASLOW http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/m aslow.html HEIRARCY OF NEEDS • Physiological needs • Safety needs • Belonging needs • Esteem needs • Self-actualization •

Principles: learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current/past knowledge – DISCOVERY and INQUIRY LEARNING • Instruction must be concerned with the experiences and contexts that make the student willing and able to learn (readiness). • Instruction must be structured so that it can be easily grasped by the student (spiral organization). • Instruction should be designed to facilitate extrapolation and or fill in the gaps (going beyond the information given).

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