Behaviorism in Practice

This week I learned about behaviorism and its application in the classroom.  Behaviorism seeks to encourage certain responses and/or behaviors through positive reinforcement, while discouraging others through negative reinforcement.  According to James Hartley (1998) as cited in Smith (1999, para. 4), behaviorism claims that it is important that the learner be active (rather than passive), that there is frequent practice, that there are clear objectives for the activity, and that there is reinforcement used as a motivator.  The book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works  (Pitler, Bubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007), gives suggestions for reinforcing student effort and providing students with opportunities to practice what they've learned, which both are part of the behaviorist view .

One of the pillars of behaviorism is reinforcement of desirable behaviors.  The chapter in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works titled, "Reinforcing Effort," describes ways that teachers, and schools, can reinforce students' belief that effort pays a major role in their academic success (Pitler et al., 2007, pp.155-164).  Through the use of spreadsheet software, teachers can help students track the correlation between their effort and grades, providing visual reinforcement of the positive effects of effort (pp. 156-161).  The authors also also provide examples of how effort can be reinforced through the use of surveys, bulletin boards, and web-based methods to reinforce the effort of students.

Another important part of behaviorism is providing opportunities for students to practice what they have learned.  B.F. Skinner, one of the biggest names in behaviorism, designed an instructional strategy called "programmed instruction," that was very similar to an online tutorial that tells you if your answer is correct or incorrect.  The chapter, "Homework and Practice" in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, lists several resources that are similar to Skinner's "programmed instruction" (Pitler et al., 2007, pp. 196-199).  One example is the Starfall Web site, www.starfall.com, where one game asks students to add the consonant to the start of a word to match a picture.  If the correct letter is added, the student is rewarded with the pronunciation of the word, but if they are incorrect, then the game honks at them.  This type of game can engage students, while providing automated reinforcement to encourage them when the get correct answers.

The book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (Pitler et al., 2007), provides good examples of effective application of the behaviorist model of education.  While many aspects of behaviorism are unpopular in education today, reinforcement of behavior, and practice, are two aspects that can be very effective, and they are still frequently used today.

Resources:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011a). Program four: Behaviorist learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com &Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Pitler, H., Bubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007).  Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Smith, K. (1999). The behaviourist orientation to learning. In The encyclopedia of informal education.  Retrieved from http://www.infed.org/biblio/learning-behavourist.htm