Standard Area: Learning

Standard Area: Learning
CONTENT STANDARDS After concluding this unit, students understand:
1. Characteristics of learning
2. Principles of classical conditioning
3. Principles of operant conditioning
4. Components of cognitive learning
5. Roles of biology and culture in determining learning

Content Standards With Performance Standards and Suggested Performance Indicators
CONTENT STANDARD 1: Characteristics of learning
Students are able to (performance standards):
1.1 Discuss learning from a psychological viewpoint. Students may indicate this by (performance indicators):
• Listing the important historical figures in learning
• Defining learning as relatively permanent changes of behavior resulting from experience
• Distinguishing learning from performance
• Demonstrating the use of theories of learning in applied examples

1.2 Recognize learning as a vehicle to promote adaptation through experience.
Students may indicate this by (performance indicators):
• Articulating how changes in adaptation can result from genetic factors or learned experiences
• Comparing how cultures differ in promoting learned behavior

CONTENT STANDARD 2: Principles of classical conditioning
Students are able to (performance standards):
2.1 Describe the classical conditioning paradigm. Students may indicate this by (performance indicators):
• Explaining how, according to Pavlov’s theory, a neutral stimulus becomes capable of evoking a response through pairing with an unconditioned stimulus
• Labeling elements in classical conditioning examples
• Designing procedures to produce classically conditioned responses

CONTENT STANDARD 3: Principles of operant conditioning Students are able to (performance standards):
3.1 Describe the operant conditioning paradigm. Students may indicate this by (performance indicators):
• Describing how consequences influence behavior, such as reinforcement strengthening a behavior’s occurrence
• Identifying consequences of punishment in controlling behavior
• Predicting future strength of behavior by applying operant conditioning principles
• Designing procedures to produce operant responses
• Applying operant conditioning to correcting behavior, such as using shaping, chaining, and self-control techniques
• Discussing Skinner’s contributions to popularizing behaviorism
• Translating emotional responses related to stereotyping,rejudice, and discrimination in operant terminology

CONTENT STANDARD 4: Components of cognitive learning Students are able to (performance standards):
4.1 Explain how observational learning works. Students may indicate this by (performance indicators):
• Describing examples of learning by observation, such as Bandura’s bobo doll study
• Identifying everyday examples of observational learning
• Discussing impact of role models

4.2 Describe cognitive learning approaches.
Students may indicate this by (performance indicators):
• Comparing learned behavior across cultures
• Exploring the role of expectation in promoting learning
• Differentiating insight learning from other forms of learning
• Describing how cognitive approaches differ from classical and operant conditioning

CONTENT STANDARD 5: Roles of biology and culture in determining learning
Students are able to (performance standards):
5.1 Identify biological contributions to learning. Students may indicate this by (performance indicators):
• Describing biological constraints on learning
• Discussing adaptive value of one-trial learning, such as Garcia’s taste-aversion studies

5.2 Speculate on the role of culture in determining what behaviors will be learned.
Students may indicate this by (performance indicators):
• Comparing learned behavior across cultures
• Describing environmental constraints on learning opportunities

5.3 Explore how biological and cultural factors interact to impede or enhance learning.
Students may indicate this by (performance indicators):
• Examining factors affecting academic performance that may differ for males and females (e.g., "chilly climate" effect on female students)
• Predicting how teacher expectancy can influence differential achievement for members of ethnic groups
• Debating whether sociocultural factors can reliably predict individual success
• Contrasting academic supports available for people who have learning disabilities with those who are gifted learners

5.4 Describe the collaborative nature of some forms of learning within Cultures.
Students may indicate this by (performance indicators):
• Giving examples of group learning in different cultures
• Contrasting Vygotsky’s approach to collaborative learning with individualistic theories