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Albert Bandura Biography
In 2014, Canadian psychologist Albert Bandura was ranked number one atop a list of the Top 100 Eminent Psychologists of... Read More
Psychological Behaviorism (Staats)
Summary: Psychological behaviorism (PB) holds that a person’s psychology can be explained through observable behavior. Originators and Key Contributors: Watson... Read More
Game Reward Systems
Summary: The phrase game reward systems describes the structure of rewards and incentives in a game that inspire intrinsic motivation... Read More
Classical and Operant Conditioning (Skinner)
A behaviorist theory based on the fundamental idea that behaviors that are reinforced will tend to continue, while behaviors that... Read More
GOMS Model (Card, Moran, and Newell)
Summary: The GOMS Model is a human information processing model that predicts what skilled users will do in seemingly unpredictable... Read More
View All 6 Articles
Albert Bandura Biography
In 2014, Canadian psychologist Albert Bandura was ranked number one atop a list of the Top 100 Eminent Psychologists of... Read More
Erik Erikson biography
Once described by a colleague as “Freud in sonnet form”, [5] psychological giant Erik Erikson blurred the line between science... Read More
View All 2 Articles
SWOT Analysis Tool
Summary: SWOT is an acronym that stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis is a tool or... Read More
Social Proof
Summary: Social proof describes a psychological phenomenon in which people mirror the actions and opinions of others. In other words,... Read More
Network Effects
Summary: Network Effects describes the phenomenon how the value of a good or service increases as more people start to... Read More
View All 3 Articles
Montessori Method (Montessori)
Summary: The Montessori Method is an approach to learning which emphasizes active learning, independence, cooperation, and learning in harmony with... Read More
Attachment Theory (Bowlby)
Summary: Attachment theory emphasizes the importance of a secure and trusting mother-infant bond on development and well-being. Originator and key... Read More
Cognitive Tools Theory (Egan)
Summary: There exist five kinds of understanding (or cognitive tools) that individuals usually master in a particular order during the... Read More
Separation-Individuation Theory of Child Development (Mahler)
Summary: Mahler describes a series of stages occurring within the first three years of life aimed at the developmental goal... Read More
Object Relations Theory (Melanie Klein)
Object Relations Theory (Melanie Klein) Summary: A model of human psyche, transitioning from a paranoid-schizoid to a depressive position, while emphasizing... Read More
View All 7 Articles
Recency Bias (Tversky & Kahneman)
Summary: Recency bias is type of cognitive bias that gives emphasis or greater importance for events that happened recently over ones... Read More
Dunning-Krueger Effect
The Dunning-Krueger Effect is a cognitive bias that provides people with limited competence the illusion that they are better than... Read More
Confirmation Bias (Wason)
Summary: Confirmation bias is a cognitive error that people make when they are only willing to accept new information when... Read More
View All 3 Articles
Recency Bias (Tversky & Kahneman)
Summary: Recency bias is type of cognitive bias that gives emphasis or greater importance for events that happened recently over ones... Read More
Dunning-Krueger Effect
The Dunning-Krueger Effect is a cognitive bias that provides people with limited competence the illusion that they are better than... Read More
Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (Mayer)
Summary: A cognitive theory of multimedia learning based on three main assumptions: there are two separate channels (auditory and visual)... Read More
Metacognition (Flavell)
Metacognition is defined in simplest terms as “thinking about your own thinking.” The root “meta” means “beyond,” so the term... Read More
Situated Cognition (Brown, Collins, & Duguid)
Summary: Situated cognition is the theory that people’s knowledge is embedded in the activity, context, and culture in which it... Read More
View All 18 Articles
Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model of Development (Bronfenbrenner)
Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model is a theory of educational psychology that studies human development over time. Urie Bronfenbrenner was a Russian-American... Read More
Discovery Learning (Bruner)
Discovery Learning is a method of inquiry-based instruction, discovery learning believes that it is best for learners to discover facts... Read More
Educational Robotics and Constructionism (Papert)
Summary: Constructionism as a learning theory emphasizes student-centered discovery learning, and educators are currently expanding its reach to the field... Read More
Online Collaborative Learning Theory (Harasim)
Summary: Online collaborative learning theory, or OCL, is a form of constructivist teaching that takes the form of instructor-led group... Read More
Learner-centered design
Summary: Learner centered design focuses on creating software for heterogeneous groups of learners who need scaffolding as they learn while... Read More
View All 11 Articles
Distributed Cognition (DCog)
Summary: Distributed cognition is a branch of cognitive science that proposes cognition and knowledge are not confined to an individual;... Read More
Social Network Analysis (Scott, Prell)
Summary: Social Network Analysis looks at how people within social networks (for example: families, clubs, Facebook groups) relate to each... Read More
Flow (Csíkszentmihályi)
Summary: Flow is an optimal psychological state that people experience when engaged in an activity that is both appropriately challenging... Read More
Actor-Network Theory (ANT)
Summary: Actor-Network Theory is a framework and systematic way to consider the infrastructure surrounding technological achievements. Assigns agency to both... Read More
Activity Theory
Summary: Activity Theory is a framework or descriptive tool for a system. People are socio-culturally embedded actors (not processors or... Read More
View All 5 Articles
Multimodality (Kress)
Summary: Multimodality is a theory which looks at how people communicate and interact with each other, not just through writing... Read More
SWOT Analysis Tool
Summary: SWOT is an acronym that stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis is a tool or... Read More
Backward Design
Summary: Backward Design is a model for designing instructional materials where the instructor or designer begins the design process with a... Read More
Gamification in Education
Summary: Gamification describes the process of applying game-related principles -- particularly those relating to user experience and engagement -- to... Read More
Learner-centered design
Summary: Learner centered design focuses on creating software for heterogeneous groups of learners who need scaffolding as they learn while... Read More
View All 8 Articles
Deontology – Duty-Based Ethics (Kant)
  One of the most influential ethical frameworks,  deontology is  focused on binding rules, obligation and duty (to family, country, church, etc.),... Read More
Utilitarianism (Consequence-based Ethics)
One of the most influential ethical frameworks, utilitarianism is focused on consequences and results; the sole basis of morality is determined by its... Read More
View All 2 Articles
What is Plagiarism? A Guide
Plagiarism is a serious problem in education. The good news is that it is easy to detect and avoid. Read... Read More
Icebreakers for the School Year
As an educator, sometimes you need a good icebreaker for the beginning of the semester to help improve classroom dynamics.... Read More
Fun Online Activities to Try at Home While Social Distancing
Dear Learning Theories Family, We hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy during this very challenging time. ... Read More
Flipped Classrooms
Flipped classrooms are a method of instruction and form of blended learning. This model gets its name from the way... Read More
Using Mind Maps (Concept Maps) in the Classroom
  A concept map (or mind map) is a visual tool to help a learner organize and represent what he or... Read More
View All 5 Articles
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (often represented as a pyramid with five levels of needs) is a motivational theory in psychology... Read More
Humanism
Humanism is a paradigm / philosophy / pedagogical approach that believes learning is viewed as a personal act to fulfill... Read More
Experiential Learning (Kolb)
A four-stage cyclical theory of learning, Kolb’s experiential learning theory is a holistic perspective that combines experience, perception, cognition, and... Read More
View All 3 Articles
Transformative Learning Theory (Mezirow)
Summary: Transformative learning is a theory of adult learning that utilizes disorienting dilemmas to challenge students' thinking. Students are then... Read More
Erik Erikson biography
Once described by a colleague as “Freud in sonnet form”, [5] psychological giant Erik Erikson blurred the line between science... Read More
Self-Perception Theory (Bem)
Summary: Self-perception theory describes the process in which people, lacking initial attitudes or emotional responses, develop them by observing their... Read More
Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, Turner)
Summary: Social identity theory proposes that a person’s sense of who they are depends on the groups to which they... Read More
Mindset Theory – Fixed vs. Growth Mindset (Dweck)
Mindset Theory Your intelligence and other characteristics – where do they come from?  Can they change? People vary in the... Read More
View All 8 Articles
Dunning-Krueger Effect
The Dunning-Krueger Effect is a cognitive bias that provides people with limited competence the illusion that they are better than... Read More
Confirmation Bias (Wason)
Summary: Confirmation bias is a cognitive error that people make when they are only willing to accept new information when... Read More
Situated Learning Theory (Lave)
Summary: Situated Learning Theory posits that learning is unintentional and situated within authentic activity, context and culture. Originator: Jean Lave[1]... Read More
Stereotype Threat (Steele, Aronson)
Summary: Stereotype threat is a phenomenon that occurs when people are at risk for living up to a negative stereotype... Read More
Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (Mayer)
Summary: A cognitive theory of multimedia learning based on three main assumptions: there are two separate channels (auditory and visual)... Read More
View All 62 Articles
Intrinsically motivating instruction (Malone)
Summary: Intrinsically motivating instruction takes place in computer gaming software when it provides players with choice around three key categories:... Read More
Digital citizenship
Summary: Digital citizenship is the state of having access to the Internet and communication technologies that help promote equal opportunity,... Read More
SWOT Analysis Tool
Summary: SWOT is an acronym that stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis is a tool or... Read More
Network Effects
Summary: Network Effects describes the phenomenon how the value of a good or service increases as more people start to... Read More
Flipgrid: Video Discussion Tool for Fostering a Community of Learners
A common criticism of educational theory is that it is often separated from practice. Educational technology tools are a strategic... Read More
View All 17 Articles
Confirmation Bias (Wason)
Summary: Confirmation bias is a cognitive error that people make when they are only willing to accept new information when... Read More
Stereotype Threat (Steele, Aronson)
Summary: Stereotype threat is a phenomenon that occurs when people are at risk for living up to a negative stereotype... Read More
Transformative Learning Theory (Mezirow)
Summary: Transformative learning is a theory of adult learning that utilizes disorienting dilemmas to challenge students' thinking. Students are then... Read More
Chaos Theory
Summary: Chaos theory is a mathematical theory that can be used to explain complex systems such as weather, astronomy, politics,... Read More
Social Proof
Summary: Social proof describes a psychological phenomenon in which people mirror the actions and opinions of others. In other words,... Read More
View All 16 Articles
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (often represented as a pyramid with five levels of needs) is a motivational theory in psychology... Read More
Intrinsically motivating instruction (Malone)
Summary: Intrinsically motivating instruction takes place in computer gaming software when it provides players with choice around three key categories:... Read More
Positive Psychology / PERMA Theory (Seligman)
Summary: Positive psychology is the study of happiness, flourishing, and what makes life worth living.  Seligman points to five factors... Read More
Andragogy – Adult Learning Theory (Knowles)
Summary: Andragogy refers to a theory of adult learning that details some of the ways in which adults learn differently than... Read More
Dopamine, Games, and Motivation
Summary: Dopamine plays a role in motivation, and this role is important to understand in the context of game design.... Read More
View All 12 Articles
Humanism
Humanism is a paradigm / philosophy / pedagogical approach that believes learning is viewed as a personal act to fulfill... Read More
21st Century Skills (P21 and others)
Summary: Skills necessary for students to master in order for them to experience school and life success in an increasingly... Read More
Constructivism
Constructivism as a paradigm or worldview posits that learning is an active, constructive process. The learner is an information constructor.... Read More
Cognitivism
The cognitivist paradigm essentially argues that the “black box” of the mind should be opened and understood. The learner is... Read More
Behaviorism
Behaviorism is a worldview that operates on a principle of "stimulus-response." All behavior caused by external stimuli (operant conditioning). All... Read More
View All 6 Articles
Robot Turtles Review: Coding Game for Kids
Robot Turtles: The Board Game for Little Programmers has taken the kid coding world over by storm. It’s the highest... Read More
View All 1 Articles
Situated Learning Theory (Lave)
Summary: Situated Learning Theory posits that learning is unintentional and situated within authentic activity, context and culture. Originator: Jean Lave[1]... Read More
Stereotype Threat (Steele, Aronson)
Summary: Stereotype threat is a phenomenon that occurs when people are at risk for living up to a negative stereotype... Read More
Albert Bandura
In 2014, a list of the Top 100 Eminent Psychologists of the Modern Era was published in the Archives of... Read More
Erik Erikson
Once described by a colleague as “Freud in sonnet form”, [5] psychological giant Erik Erikson blurred the line between science... Read More
Problem-Based Learning (PBL)
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional method of hands-on, active learning centered on the investigation and resolution of messy, real-world... Read More
View All 27 Articles
EcoChains: A Food Web Game to Teach Climate Change
Social science research shows that teaching climate change in way that emphasizes "doom and gloom" and scary facts does not... Read More
SWOT Analysis Tool
Summary: SWOT is an acronym that stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis is a tool or... Read More
Flipgrid: Video Discussion Tool for Fostering a Community of Learners
A common criticism of educational theory is that it is often separated from practice. Educational technology tools are a strategic... Read More
Padlet: Collaborative Canvas Tool
  Padlet: An Easy to Use Online Collaboration Tool for Multimedia Sharing Padlet is a very user-friendly canvas or digital... Read More
ExploreLearning: Active Experimentation
  Science and math concepts are often some of the most challenging for students to grasp. It is not enough... Read More
View All 7 Articles
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    • Learning Theories in Plain English Vol. 1 of 2
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    • Great Group Games! Activity Guide
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