Learning Theory

The disagreement between directive and constructivist approach has been controversial. These approaches differ when they define learning and the conditions required to make learning happen along with the problems that interfere with learning. Both are based on the work of Learning Theorist where they attempt to identify Robert Gagne’s conditions of learning. Robert Gagne is a leader in building upon both behavioral and cognitive theories. He played a key role in “instructional systems” design.

 Directed approach believes that knowledge has a separate real existence of its own outside the human mind where learning happen when this knowledge is transmitted to the learner. Constructivists believe that humans construct all knowledge in their minds, so that learning happens when a learner constructs both mechanisms for learning and his or her own unique version of knowledge. . In other words, Learning is generated knowledge.

Constructivist learning models tend to focus on learning through posing problems, exploring possible answers, and developing products and presentations, problem solving and

Research skills, stress more group work than individualized work, and emphasize alternative learning and assessment methods.

 The idea of advance organizers was introduced by David Ausubel, who suggested that guides provide learners with scaffolds as ideas are organized by the learner (Gredler, 2005). He suggested that when presented before instruction, guides would help learners link the presented information with concepts and ideas they had organized in their schema.