Learning Theory Online Resources

There is much written about the learning process. The following online resources attempt to provide an overview and additional resources on specific topics relating to learning theories.

The University of Kentucky Teaching and Academic Support Center provides a very concise and simple page to start your research into learning theories and gives practical information that can be used immediately in the classroom. The following is an excerpt from the UKTASC web page which is a clear and concise definition of the information processing theory.

Information processing theory states that to learn something new, learners:

1. Focus attention on the new material,
2. Compare it to old material already in long term memory, and
3. Either add the new material to the old material or create new mental categories for new material that does not fit in any established mental category.

The next excerpt from UKTASC is a practical guide to how to help your students move new information from working memory to long term memory.

You can help your students to improve their ability to process information.

1. Identify the key features to be learned. Define important concepts in their most essential terms.
2. Focus students’ attention on important concepts – highlight the main ideas. Be selective about the ideas you offer. Giving too much material will make the situation worse by overloading working memory.
3. Help your students attach new information to what they already know. Organize your information into categories. Fill in details that elaborate on the concepts. Give examples. Ask students to suggest connections among new and old material.
4. Give students practice in using new information. This needs to happen during a lecture as well as in homework. After defining, highlighting, and elaborating on a concept, ask the students to do something with it, like solve a short problem, write a sentence, draw a picture. Giving them two or three different kinds of tasks that use the same information is even better.

http://www.uky.edu/TASC/ED/cognitivetheory.php

http://www.asa3.org/ASA/education/think/methods.htm

This thorough web page by the American Scientific Affiliation briefly discusses problem solving, creative and critical thinking, multiple intelligences and learning styles, and teaching problem solving skills. It also provides numerous links to resources covering each of these topics. The following insightful excerpt was found on this web page.

In design, a problem is any situation where you have an opportunity to make a difference, to make things better. Whenever you are thinking creatively and critically about ways to increase the quality of life (or to avoid a decrease in quality), you are actively involved in problem solving. Although the term "design" is used most often in art (for graphic design) and engineering, the process of design occurs in all fields and in everyday life.