Week #: 2 Team Name: 1

Recorder: Deanne Dominguez (Castillo) Coordinator: Cassandra Humphrey

Elaborator: Maren Sibai Explorer: Sayed Nazari

Title: Moving Beyond Behaviorism

Periodical Name: Chronicle of Higher Education
Objective:
Although behaviorism has had a lasting influence in Instructional Design, this article
discusses how a cognitive serves as a replacement as its focus presents a more effective
approach to understanding and improving learning in an individualistic society.

Behaviorism in Instructional Design
As a general approach to Psychology, behavioral psychology claims that Psychology is
defined as the study of behavior (Graham, 2000). According to behaviorism, learning is
acquired when the appropriate response is given after being presented with a stimulus.
Learning is further cultivated after given positive reinforcement for correct answers (Ertmer,
1993, p. 7).
In the 19th-20th centuries, there was a heavy focus on the preservation of secularity and
Behaviorism was the leading psychological theory for the basis of designed instruction (Tuba ,
Eret, & Kiraz, 2010, p. 298). B.F. Skinner was a primary advocate in Behaviorism, and believed
that learning can be understood, explained and predicted entirely on the basis of observable
events, namely, the behavior of the learner along with its environmental antecedents and
consequences. Antecedents refer to the cues occurring in the environment that signal the
appropriateness of a given behavior. Its like how a stop sign signals to the driver that the
appropriate behavior is to apply the brakes (Reiser & Dempsey, 2017, p. 52).
Behavioral approaches were employed in early technology programs, and an
abundance of studies on its effectiveness were conducted but not without scrutiny. Golub
(Cooper, 1993, p. 13)claims behaviorally based instruction seems most useful for clearly
delineated content where the branching ins constrained and learner responses are categorized
as right or wrong. Moreover, as the 21st century began to develop progressive ideals, and the
need for instructional technology that concentrated on individualized instruction began to
advance, the behavioral approach framework began to implode under it (Cooper, 1993, p. 14).
Cognitivism
The limitations associated with Behavioralist theories in instructional design presented a
launching pad for cognitive approaches. Cognitivism measures learning by distinct changes in
states of knowledge as opposed to the chance of response. It focuses on the idea that learning
is studied and measured by how knowledge is received, organized, stored, and retrieved by
the mind making learning strategies unique to each person further supporting the individualistic
centered learning (Silber, 1998, p. 59). Here are some other key points why Cognitivism is a
more effective approach to learning: 1.Cognitive theory is more comprehensive and pays
attention to individual experiences and learning styles. It looks into more facets of learning than
behaviorism (ex. how our memories are stored, how we learn things) 2. The cognitive approach
breaks things down into different types of information to learn and tries to tailor instruction
accordingly (Tennyson & Breuer, 2013, p. 115).3.People who try to focus strictly on behaviorist
approaches end up using some cognitive strategies without even knowing anyway. (Silber,
1998).

Summary
In conclusion, with an ever increasing individualistic approach to learning, Behaviorism
does not have the complexity to support instructional designers and learners in their approach
to advancing in learning. Cognitivism in its multi-faceted approach not serves as a proper
replacement for the former leading model, its theories become a vital tool for education in the
current individual society, and generations to follow.


 References

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cognitivism to constructivism.Paradigm shifts in designed instruction: From

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Ertmer, P. A. (1993). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features

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http://www.csiss.org/SPACE/workshops/2007/UCSB/docs/ertmer_newby1993.

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Graham, G. (2000, May 26). Behaviorism. Retrieved September 04, 2017, from Stanford

Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/behaviorism/

Reiser, R. a., & Dempsey, J. V. (2017). Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and

Technology (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.

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https://ilearn.csumb.edu/pluginfile.php/609066/mod_page/content/41/Silber.pdf

Tennyson, R. D., & Breuer, K. (2013). Psychological Foundations for Instructional Design

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