PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING THEORIES

INTRODUCTION

In this Performance Assessment you will explore the basic theories of “What is learning?” in relation to human development. You will also focus on how knowledge is acquired and the application of evidence-based strategies and principles that support learner acquisition, retention and transfer of knowledge. The outcome is for you to: 1) apply evidence-based theories for knowledge information processing to solve problems and promote knowledge acquisition, and 2) apply both Mezirow and Kolb’s frameworks for adult learning theories to assess how they construct meaning through reflection of lived-experiences.

REQUIREMENTS

Your submission must represent your original work and understanding of the course material. Most performance assessment submissions are automatically scanned through the WGU similarity checker. Students are strongly encouraged to wait for the similarity report to generate after uploading their work and then review it to ensure Academic Authenticity guidelines are met before submitting the file for evaluation. See Understanding Similarity Reports for more information.

Grammarly Note:
Professional Communication will be automatically assessed through Grammarly for Education in most performance assessments before a student submits work for evaluation. Students are strongly encouraged to review the Grammarly for Education feedback prior to submitting work for evaluation, as the overall submission will not pass without this aspect passing. See Use Grammarly for Education Effectively for more information.

Microsoft Files Note:
Write your paper in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) unless another Microsoft product, or pdf, is specified in the task directions. Tasks may not be submitted as cloud links, such as links to Google Docs, Google Slides, OneDrive, etc.  All supporting documentation, such as screenshots and proof of experience, should be collected in a pdf file and submitted separately from the main file. For more information, please see Computer System and Technology Requirements.

You must use the rubric to direct the creation of your submission because it provides detailed criteria that will be used to evaluate your work. Each requirement below may be evaluated by more than one rubric aspect. The rubric aspect titles may contain hyperlinks to relevant portions of the course.

For each learning theory below, you will write about an example that describes a learned behavior. After describing the behavior, you will explain how your example demonstrates the theory.
A. Describe a learned behavior that is an example of classical conditioning, including how classical conditioning is demonstrated in your example.

B. Describe a learned behavior that is an example of operant conditioning as it would be experienced, including how operant conditioning is demonstrated in your example.
1. Explain how reinforcement or punishment is used in your example.

C. Describe a learned behavior that is an example of observational learning, including how observational learning is demonstrated in your example.

D. Explain how an individual could use a strategy to encode information for later retrieval, including how this strategy demonstrates the Information Processing model of memory.

E. Describe an example of Kolb’s theory of experiential learning or Mezirow’s theory of transformational learning.
1. Explain how the theory includes reflection to help understand how to overcome barriers or transform perceptions.

F. Acknowledge sources, using in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.

G. Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission.