1. Israel Butler

2. Behaviorist Learning
Cognitive Learning
Constructivism Learning

3. When Behaviorism is Beneficial for
Learners
 Accomplished when proper response is demonstrated
following presentation of specific environmental
stimuli. (Example: Flash Cards)
 Teacher determines which cues can elicit desired
response
 Practice is arranged in which target stimuli is
prompted to elicit responses in a “natural” setting
 Environmental conditions are arranged so students
can make correct responses in presence of target
stimuli and reinforcement

4. When Cognitivism is Beneficial for
Learners
 Focus on conceptualization of learning processes &
address how info is received, organized, stored, and
retrieved by the mind
 Teachers understand individuals bring various
learning experiences that impact learning outcomes
 Most effective manner is determined to organize and
structure new information to build on prior
knowledge
 Practice with feedback is arranged so new info can be
accommodated within the learner’s mind

5. When Constructivism is Beneficial
for Learners
 Equates learning with creating meaning from
experience (Example: Internship)
 Teacher instructs student on how to construct
meaning; effectively monitor, evaluate, & update those
constructions
 Experiences are designed for the learner to experience
authentic and relevant contexts

Student is placed in an “apprenticeship” role

6. PBS NewsHour – What is Newsworthy?

7. Constructivist Theory –
PBS NewsHour Lesson Plan
 The lesson plan “What’s News Worthy” by PBS NewsHour was
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designed in a constructivist format
Learners are to review mock news events that tap into popular
culture, local events, and national issues to determine
newsworthiness
The instructor is meant to deliver the activity in a way that
simulates a newsroom
The instructor will also act as a news director to question
students on why they believe their topic of choice is newsworthy
Students will determine newsworthiness in accordance to
broadcast structure
 Timeliness, Proximity, Conflict & Controversy, Human Interest, &
relevance

9. Behaviorist Theory – What’s
Newsworthy?
 In contrast from the Constructivist lesson plan, the
Behaviorist version would place learners in the natural
setting of the classroom rather than a simulated
newsroom
 The instructor would explain why each news example
is applicable to the five factors implemented in
throughout news media
 Learners will be able to use prior knowledge and
experiences with local and worldwide news to better
understand how certain stories make the news

11. Constructivist vs. Behaviorist –
What’s Newsworthy?
 The lesson plan’s original constructivist approach is more
beneficial to the learner because of its “apprenticeship”
style activity
 By creating a mock newsroom learning environment,
learners are encouraged to think like reporters and
producers while identifying newsworthy events in
accordance to the five broadcasting factors (Timeliness,
Proximity, Conflict & Controversy, Human Interest, &
Relevance)
 The instructor is included in the assignment by acting as a
news director who questions each student on how their
topic of choice coincides with the five factors listed above

13. Theories of Design in the
Classroom
 Theories of Design help produce effective instruction by
identifying the skills and knowledge learners must possess,
objectives are outlined, instructional media is chosen, and
assessment tools are developed in order to bring about
desired results among learners. Different design methods
go about this process in backwards or various stages.
 Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction:
 Teachers are provided with a 9-step set of guidelines to
construct a learning environment that promotes
memorization, feedback, assessments, etc.

14. Strengths and Limitations: Wiggins; Gagne;
Teaching for Understand (The Harvard model)

15. Strengths of Wiggins Theory
 Wiggins Theory of Backwards Design focuses on
overall goal of instruction
 After goal has been established, the second stage
requires instructors to decide how students will
demonstrate knowledge of understanding
 Teacher design learning experiences to help students
develop understanding

16. Limitations of Wiggins
 Focusing on the end result of instruction could prove
time consuming
 Backwards Design model focuses heavily on results
rather than the instructional process
 After instructional process is construction, the design
may still need to be modified and added to

17. Strengths of Gagne’s Events
 Gagne’s Nine Events focus on several target stimuli
that engage learners
 Learning types such as intellectual skills, cognitive
strategies, verbal information, motor skills, and
attitudes
 Prerequisite skills are identified among learners in
order to provide learning material that will reinforce
and add on to that prior knowledge

18. Limitations of Gagne’s Events
 Gagne’s design does not allow for steps for planning
 Nine steps of events can prove to be long and tedious
 Repetition of learning material may inhibit certain
types of learners
 Some of the events of instruction can be easily
identified while the learning outcomes may be unclear

19. Strengths of Teaching for Understanding
 Harvard’s Teaching for
Understanding
incorporates student
participation in creating
results as needed by the
student.
 Instructional designers
analyze and test long-term
goals with frequent
feedback
http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/teaching/TC3-1.html

20. Weaknesses of Teaching for Understanding
 Desired outcomes may not be achieved due HTfU’s
design for short-term instruction
 Frequent one-on-one feedback to ensure student’s
comprehension can be very time consuming

22. Gagne’s Nine Events – What’s
Newsworthy?
 Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction would be the most
suitable for the PBS NewsHour lesson plan. Since both
broadcast and print journalism are very visual and
often times deal with familiar people and places, it is
important to incorporate the necessary stimuli in
order to engage the learner, assess their knowledge of
news value in relation to their chosen topic, and place
them in a mock newsroom scenario in which the
instructor plays the role of news director to provide
feedback.

23. Works Cited
 Ertmer, P. and Newby, T. (1993). Behaviorism,
cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical
features from an instructional design perspective.
Performance Improvement Quarterly, 6 (4), 50-72.
 Perkins, D., & Blythe, T. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/teaching/TC31.html
 Roblyer, M.D., Edwards, J. & Havriluk, M.A. (1996).
Learning theories and integration models (Chapter 3).
In Roblyer, Edwards & Havriluk, Integrating
educational technology into teaching. Prentice Hall.