I am currently taking EDUC 6711: Bridging Learning Theory,
Instruction and Technology as a part of my Master’s degree. This week, we have
taken a look at the behaviorist theory and instructional strategies that relate
to its beliefs. The basic premise of the behaviorist theory is that reinforcing
desired behavior will increase the likelihood of it happening and that ignoring
or punishing undesirable behavior will decrease its chances of happening (Smith,
1999). I would venture to say that all teachers use the behaviorist theory in
their classroom to some degree. One of the most basic methods of classroom
management is to reward wanted behavior and to punish unwanted behavior. Even
though the behaviorist theory is not in the forefront in education today, many
of its principles can be incorporated into the classroom through the use of
various technology based instructional strategies with very positive results.
In Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that
Works, numerous examples of
beneficial technology based instructional strategies are provided that relate
to the behaviorist theory. One example is the use of spreadsheets and surveys
to help students realize the importance of the effort they put forth in the
classroom. Many students see no correlation between their effort and the
results they have in their classes but rather “attribute their success or
failure to external factors” (Smith, 1999, p.58). Creating a spreadsheet or
survey that allows students to self-reflect and really take a look at their
behavior and effort allows them to make this correlation. Through this
instructional strategy, the teacher can reinforce behavior that is aiding
student success and help students to identify behaviors that may hinder their achievement.
Another effective behaviorist theory based strategy is to provide recognition
by posting exemplary work online. Doing so provides students the opportunity to
be recognized by a greater audience in comparison to the standard procedure of
putting schoolwork on the fridge at home (Smith, 1999). This recognition will
hopefully result in greater motivation to strive for excellence. A third
strategy discussed is to use interactive instructional software programs that
can be utilized to provide students with extra practice on important concepts
and learning objectives. As discussed by Dr. Orey in the webcast Behaviorist
Learning Theory, these programs are often based upon the behaviorist learning
theory and provide numerous skill check-ins and positive reinforcement when
students are successful (Laureate Education Inc., 2010). This type of
interactive software program can be found for almost any subject and are a
great resource for teachers.
There are also many
other programs and strategies that are available for teachers that correlate to
the behaviorist learning theory. I have been teaching for five years. One of
those years was at the elementary level. During that time, I was introduced to
a positive behavior reinforcement program that can be used on i-phones and
i-Pads called ClassDojo. With this app, teachers can provide feedback during
class regarding student behavior. Each student has an avatar that can be seen
on a computer, i-Pad, or projector. When a student is behaving appropriately,
is on task, or is creative, he/she receives points that are shown next to
his/her avatar. Students will lose points for off task behavior. A report can
be pulled up for each student to see the percentage of positive behavior versus
off task behavior. Parents can also access this data. It is a simple classroom
management strategy that was highly effective at the elementary level. I do not
believe it would be as successful at the high school level though.
All in all, it is
easy to see that the behaviorist learning theory still has a place in the
classroom today. There are numerous strategies that incorporate the behaviorist
principles that can help improve and maintain student achievement in the
classroom. Finding ways to include these strategies can be beneficial for all
teachers.
Resources
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Behaviorist learning theory [Video
webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2819318_1%26url%3D
Amy,
ReplyDeleteI am pleased to see you mentioned class Dojo. I work with another teacher who swears by it! I have yet to try it because I like the behavior system that I already use, but it seems like a great technology piece to have in my back pocket, should the need arise. In your opinion is it hard to maintain? The only draw back that I can see is trying to catch all the different behaviors (time 23 students) and take the time to mark them down while teaching. Maybe it is easier than it looks. I was just looking for some insight in case I decide to try it.
As far as behaviorism, I agree with you in many of the things you said in your post. I think that while behaviorism is not at the forefront of education today, it has roots in so many things that we do every day with our students as well as in many of the newer theories and strategies. Behavior management is one of the most important parts of teaching a successful classroom. I believe the behaviorism and behavior management go hand-in-hand.
~Heather
I am an English Language Learners teacher. I often have much smaller class sizes than grade level or subject teachers. When I used ClassDojo, I did so with groups of five to ten. It was not hard to provide feedback on various behaviors with this class size. It may be more difficult with a bigger class, but I do think it would still be possible. I do like ClassDojo for the elementary level, but I do not use it now at the high school level. I do not believe high school students would be as impressed or motivated by the avatars and point system.
DeleteHi Amy
ReplyDeleteI was very interested in the positive behavior reinforcement program resource that you mentioned that rewards positive behavior called the ClassDojo. I really am impressed with how this program either rewards the student or takes points away from the student depending on whether or not the student is on task. Something like this would be an ideal program to use in my classroom if it were for high school students. Currently, we are using a program called LanSchool that enables the teacher to monitor each student's screen from her desktop. When the student ventures off into another site that he or she should not be using, the teacher is able to use her own computer to send the student a written reminder to encourage the student to get back on task. If the student does not respond, the teacher is able to shut down that student's computer or restrict internet use. The latter action usually does not yield good results, because the student becomes agitated and typically does not respond well to the redirection. This may work in a school where the main population is not considered "At Risk."
The other draw back to this program, is that it regulates the teacher to her desk, and if there is no student aid or TA available, there is no one to walk around and integrate with the students.
On the other hand, this program would allow teachers to monitor student's achievement and reward good behavior by using the desk top to send out positive responses to those who are remaining on task. As you stated, it would allow teachers to provide positive feedback to the students on the spot. Teachers could also use Edmodo to send badges to the students.
Ultimately, programs such as IXL which reward the students' efforts when mastering math concepts and Edmodo are significant resources that teachers are able to use to promote good classroom management and are great examples of beneficial technology-based instructional strategies that are directly related to the behaviorist theory.
Hi Amy,
ReplyDeleteI would agree with you that the behaviorist theory is very mush used in the class today and I believe technology only enhances it. After reading your post and comments I want to add that Class Dojo is being used at the Middle school level with 25-30 students with some degree of success. I assume it is because students are still impressed by the avatars and teachers set it up where their class periods compete against each other. The teacher normally rewards the class as a whole with extra points for students who do some out of the ordinary on a particular day. This really motivates them and they also hold each other accountable for their behavior. A good example of reinforcing student practice with skills, is that the math teachers at my sons' middle school, to ensure students know their multiplication facts, give timed tests everyday for bell work. Once the whole class has finished all 12 times tables the class earns a pizza party.
-Akilah