Learning? What Role Does Behavior Play in Essay

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learning? What role does behavior play in learning?

Learning is the acquisition of skills through behaviors. Behaviors help an individual learn through experiences, both favorable and unfavorable. Learning is a life long endeavor which is garnered in the beliefs and behaviors of the individual. The overall process takes time, as beliefs are often broken down, eliminated, and reborn through experience. Behaviors directly impact learning as they are correlated to experiences. Experiences therefore follow behaviors. For example, if an individual behaves in an inappropriate manner regarding his spending, he or she will experience debt. Through this experience the individual will "learn" to manage his or her money in a more appropriate manner.

What are two different types of learning? Describe each one in your response.

The two primary learning styles are that of hands on (kinesthetic) learning and visual learning. A hands on experiments allows the individual to develop in a manner that is both unique and adaptive. By providing an activity that has both a physical and cognitive component, the individual is better able to enhance their cognitive development (Kamii, 1985). Individuals should be able to see and touch the project at hand. A good example of this is a project that teaches density. Individuals will be given a glass of water and an egg. They will have to predict if the egg will float or not in order to determine which is denser.

Hands on Learning

By physically acting the experiment out, instead of just reading about it in a book, individuals will understand and process the information so that they retain it and learn from it. Individual already have knowledge of water and what happens to it when something is placed inside it. It is this prior knowledge that they will use to hypothesize for their new experiment. Teachers need to address their classes with old information first, and then the new. Once the information is relayed to them, they need to assign a group project for the individuals in order to get them involved. Teachers' instructional delivery needs to be creative and lively with little lecture and involving kinesthetic approaches.

Social Learning

Another approach to learning is social in nature. Another experiment that is social in nature would rely on partnering individuals up and learning about to work in a collaborative group. In this assignment each individual would be given a creative task in which to draw a particular part of a much larger picture. Each individual would have a particular aspect on the entire group drawing. Therefore the need to communicate with each other is paramount the completion of the overall project. The nature of this kind of activity demonstrates the sharing of information, which can be a key component of learning. In addition, the individuals would need to collaborate with each other to determine what strengths they have relative to their peers. For example, a group may separate duties with one member drawing while the others do the graphic design. In another group, one may design half the required work while the other designs the other half. In yet another group, one may be designated as the one who relays the information about the large group picture while the other individual designs or delegates. Each scenario develops cognitive development in the individual.

What is the relationship between learning and cognition? Provide a specific example.

There is a very profound relationship between learning and cognition. In many instances, learning and cognition are very similar in that they both comprise a symbiotic relationship. Each concept provides the foundation for the other. The relationship between learning and cognition can best be summarized using Jean Piagets life span development theory. In this instance, the theory provides insights into both learning and cognition. The theory also provides insights into how both are related in regards to society and civilization in general. Through this theory of cognition, Piaget provides ample real world examples of the application of his concepts.

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To begin, the theory of learning and cognition pertains mainly to the gradual acquisition of knowledge from conception to birth. Cognition is the essence of any organism. In addition, reality is a dynamic system of continuous change. Life is constantly changing. Individuals enter high school, get their first job, date the opposite sex, and marry one another. Each experience is dynamic in that it increases cognition in each respective step. However, in many instances, these experiences are unique to the individual. Specifically, reality involves transformations and states of mind and body. Transformations refer to all manners of changes that a thing or person can undergo. This definition is broad and incorporates the varying dynamics of life. No two occurrences are completely unique in regards to cognition. This is where the learning aspect is unique. In many instances, the same stimuli can result in the individual learning differing concepts. States refer to the conditions or the appearances in which things or persons can be found between transformations. For example, humans change in their characteristics as they grow older. Older individuals become more injury prone in many respects. They are also more susceptible to disease. Thus, Piaget argued, that if human intelligence is to be adaptive, it must have functions to represent both the transformational and the static aspects of reality.

In many instances, humans perceive and adapt to numerous pieces of information. Assimilation occurs when humans are faced with new or unfamiliar information and refer to previously learned information in order to make sense of it. This occurs extensively in many contentious issues prevailing in society. The financial crisis of 2008 was a prime example of this occurrence. Even though unfamiliar information was received, many individuals relied on previously learned information to make sense of it. Economic models, past events, and past regulation, were all used to make sense of the unfamiliar financial crisis. Accommodation, unlike assimilation is the process of taking one's environment and new information, and altering one's pre-existing schemas in order to fit in the new information. Accommodation is of particular importance as it allows individuals to grow, develop, and learn other schemas in which to use in overall cognition. This is vitally important as we enter the technological age. This theory is particular important as we continue through the technological revolution and overall globalization (Santock, 2012).

Examples of Cognition and Learning

As society enters unfamiliar territory in regards to the technological revolution, they are using previously learned information to make sense of it. This assimilation is causing unrest, particularly within the job market of American civilization. Individuals are using previously learned skills, which are antiquated, and attempting to apply them to new technological jobs. What should be occurring however is accommodation, in which individuals are growing, and developing other schemas that can be used in the now technological world. This helps development as individuals have schemas in which to apply new information that will undoubtedly occur in the technological world. For instance technological advances are providing means for individuals to learn in a more effective manner at an earlier age. Technology allows different mediums to be used that ultimately allow learning to be conducted in a more seamless manner. As such, individuals can learn more at any age. Through the exposure of unique and differentiated schema, individuals are better able to learn. However, individuals must first learn to accommodate the new technological advances of science into their newly developed schema. Otherwise, these individuals would be assimilating by using old schemas to process new and otherwise helpful information. By using the old schema individuals may not learn about the new developments of education as it relates to their overall learning habits. The concept very helpful in regards to the theory of cognitive development as it relates to learning (Demetrious, 1998).

Younger individuals are now using assimilation rather than….....

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