Behaviorism places emphasis on the stimulus-response associations made by a learner (Orey, 2001). Traditionally in education, a system of consequences in the form of reward and punishment were utilized by those in support of behaviorist theory. Amongst the rewards a behaviorist supports lies positive reinforcement (Orey, 2001).
Positive reinforcement can take place in many forms. One particular way is to positively reinforce the effort of a student. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) believe that not only do students fail to fully realize the importance of their effort, but students can learn the importance of effort even if they did not realize its importance in the first place. Recommendations to assist students in learning the value of effort often reflect attempts to have students realize outcomes. One way is to have students keep track of their effort using a spreadsheet software or rubric. Another is to demonstrate the effects of effort via data collection tools or a community website bulletin board where students can track performance. Both reassure students that they can succeed by witnessing their individual progress in a more concrete, black-and-white medium (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).Behaviorists, however, believe in more than just consequences. Behaviorists such as James Hartley also believe that frequent practice helps learning and that learning is accelerated when objectives are clear (Smith, 1999).
Mastering a skill requires a great deal of practice (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). When designing practice, teachers are urged to not only set aside time for students to hone their skills but teachers must structure such assessments that focus on speed, accuracy, and retain skill specificity (Pitler, 2007). By using such tools such as educational multimedia software, teachers can narrow down the types of skills they desire of students and actively engage students. These web resources not only allow students to practice concepts, but they enable students to practice from remote locations.With respect to homework, Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn and Malenoski (2007) suggest that the purpose of homework should be identified and well-articulated. By designing assignments that clearly communicate purpose, students will be certain to produce work that a teacher expects. When quality work is submitted, positive reinforcement can help bolster student achievement. Additionally, teachers could use rubrics and web resources as exemplars of high caliber work. By using exemplars, teachers assist those students who need more concrete examples about how to fully complete an assignment.
While I am sure that there are many more resources available for teachers to use to reach their students, I hope this has helped to enlighten the reader about behaviorism with respect to instructional strategies. Remember although one strategy does not work in all situations, knowing a few more can only further assist our students succeed. I know of no other greater purpose of our profession.Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Smith, K. (1999). The behaviorist orientation to learning. In The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved from http://www.infed.org/biblio/learning-behavourist.htm
I think it is very important to clearly articulate the purpose of the homework to the students. When the learners have a clear and concise purpose on how the homework can and will benefit them, that will hopefully increase student participation. Students have asked me many times, “Why do we have to do this?”, or “How will this help me in the future?” Having a good response to these questions will hopefully help them to realize the importance of practicing the skills we are trying to teach. I also think it is very important for us to get the students to the point where they do work for the sake of doing better, and not just to get some reward. I have used positive reinforcement in the class before, promising some class reward if everyone returned their homework on time. Doing this however, usually sets you up for disappointment and it emphasizes the wrong reason for doing the work. The students need to be excited about learning and they need to participate for the sake of their own education.
ReplyDeleteJoe,
ReplyDeleteWe as teachers know that students need to practice in order to master a skill. Some teachers continually use the phrase "Practice makes perfect." then we assign homework, and students don't fully understand why we give them homework so often. Homework should not be seen as a punishment. You're right, teachers need to make their expectations very clear to the students as to the purpose of the homework, what they can expect to practice, how much, etc. There needs to be follow-up by the teachers as well. How are students and teachers to know if the the skill was even practiced correctly while completing the homework assignment? Students also respond well to positive reinforcement. By doing so, students will want to pay attention during the lesson. They will want to try problems themselves. They will want to practice correctly and ask questions while the teacher provides feedback. That desire to learn is the ultimate goal.