Lesson Description

Identify the learning theory (behaviorism, information processing, social learning theory, modern constructivism) that most heavily influenced your lesson. Use and underline vocabulary from the theory to describe how you implemented it in your lesson, providing specific examples for each term used.

The learning theory that most influenced the lesson I gave was Information Processing because I tried to use a lot of different senses to try and get the information to be converted to long-term memory instead of just being forgotten from short-term memory after a couple days. The lesson I gave was about making and using dichotomous keys. So, I first explained to students what dichotomous keys are, how scientists use them in the field, and then showed them a textbook sized dichotomous key I had used in one of my classes earlier this year. So, by explaining it, I gave them aural stimulus hoping to activate their echoic memory. And then by showing them a visual stimulus, I hoped to activate their iconic memory. Then, I had some students volunteer to come up and we made a dichotomous key based on their T-shirts. Again, this used both visual and aural stimulus. Once we had made the dichotomous key, I had the students go through the key with me a few times to rehearse what we had done, so they would have a better chance of remembering how to do it. Then, I divided the students into groups and handed each group a baggie of different candies, and had them make a dichotomous key to differentiate the candies from each other. This was a rehearsal of what we had just done as a class, and added touch and haptic memory to the aural and visual stimulus. When they had made their key, they had to get it checked off with either myself, the TA, or the teacher, and then trade keys with another group to practice their keying skills (more rehearsal). When everyone had had turns practicing and were sure they knew how to do it, they were allowed to eat their candy. Technically, they might have been getting an olfactory memory from the smell, but all the candies were in wrappers, and since I’m sure most of the students were already exposed to those candies in other contexts, I doubt they made a long-term memory from the smell of the candies.

When I did the lesson, I wasn’t actively thinking “I need to use the Information Processing Theory to teach this lesson”, I just wanted to use as many senses as possible because I knew that would increase understanding, and hit as many different learning styles as possible. But upon further inspection, it's really cool how nicely it fits into the Information Processing Theory. I'm betting most lessons fall nicely into the different theories, and we just don't realize how they are being influenced. It is cool to know the theories though so we could intentionally apply them and get better results, more motivation, more student involvement, etc in our different lessons.