Learning type

Definition

The autor(s) of this article believe that pedagogical strategies must be adapted to learning types.

Firstly, Types of knowledge and learning are very different. Conversely, one also may claim that various learning theories are strongly influenced by what kinds of learning was studied ...

Second, one can distinguish between different levels of learning.

Kinds of learning

One way to categorize kinds learning are these broad categories, somewhat inspired from [TIP]

1. Attitudes
   • Disposition or tendency to respond positively or negatively ....
2. Factual Information (Memorization):
   • Processing of factual information and remembering .....
3. Concept Learning (Discrimination):
   • ... how to discriminate and categorize things. It is not related to simple recall and must be constructed.
4. Reasoning (Inference, Deduction):
   • thinking activities that involve making or testing inferences
5. Procedure Learning:
   • .... being able to solve a certain task by applying a procedure.
6. Problem solving:
   • identification of subgoals, use of methods to satisfy subgoals.
7. Learning Strategies:
   • can hardly be taught and only be learned and to some extent only !

As an alternative, you may consider Gagne's Domains of learning taxonomy. These learning outcomes categorize the capabilities of the learner following instruction:

• Verbal information, recall things from memory
  • Labels and facts
  • Bodies of knowledge (paraphrasing)
• Intellectual skills
  • are demonstrated by being able to classify and label things. There are 5 subcategories. They are ordered in increasing complexity:
  1. discrimination, recognize that classes of things differ
  2. concrete concepts, being able to classify a thing according to its physical features
  3. defined concepts, also use abstract features to classify
  4. rules, apply simple procedures to solve a problem
  5. higher-order rules, apply complexe procedures, e.g. select from simple procedures
• cognitive strategy, invent or select process to solve a task/problem.
• attitude, change behavior according to a new value or belief
• motor skill, perform a physical task

Levels of learning

In education, Blooms taxonomy of educational objectives is still the reference regarding detailed competencies that can be achieved through learning, i.e. that can be related to demonstrated skills (outcome-illustrating verbs). Firstly he distinguished among 3 broad categories:

1. the Cognitive Domain
2. the Affective Domain
3. the Psychomotor Domain

Within the Cognitive Domain, Bloom defines 6 levels of intellectual behavior that are important for learning.

1. Knowledge:
   • Recall data or information
   • Verbs: describe, identify, recall, arrange, define, duplicate, label, list, memorize, name, order, recognize, reproduce state.
2. Comprehension:
   • Understand the meaning of a problem, be able to translate into own words.
   • Verbs: comprehend, give example, classify, describe, discuss, explain, express, identify, indicate, locate, recognize, report, restate, review, select, translate,
3. Application:
   • Use a concept in a new situation
   • Verbs: apply, change, construct, compute, choose, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, practice, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write.
4. Analysis:
   • Can split concepts into parts and understands the structure
   • Verbs: analyze, break down, relate, appraise, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test.
5. Synthesis:
   • Produce something from different elements (e.g a report).
   • Verbs: summarize, arrange, combine, categorize, assemble, collect, compose, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, manage, organize, plan, prepare, propose, set up, write.
6. Evaluation:
   • Make judgements, justify a solution, etc.
   • Verbs: appraise, interpret, argue, assess, attach, compare, defend, estimate, judge, predict, rate, core, select, support, value, evaluate.

Gag� (1965 ?) also postulated a hierarchy of eight different learning types:

1. signal learning
   • learn how to respond to a signal, like Pavolv's dog
2. stimulus-response learning
   • learn precise responses to precise signals
3. chaining
   • lean to to follow procedures
   • able to chain 2 or more stimulus-response
4. verbal association
   • use terminology in verbal chains
5. discrimination learning
   • learn how to distinguis between similar stimuli
6. concept learning
   • singular response to an entire class of stimuli
7. principle learning
   • learn to apply rules
8. problem solving

Examples in use

1. Bloom's Taxonomy for Corrosion Training]
   • This page shows how to apply Bloom's taxonomy to training levels in an engineering program.

Links

• [Kearsley's TIP] Explorations in Learning & Instruction: The Theory Into Practice Database
  • This is one of the best sources on Learning Theory.
• Bloom's Taxonomy
• Learning Domains or Bloom's Taxonomy
• Major Categories in the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (Bloom 1956)
• Robert Gagne
• Applying Learning Theories to Online Instructional Design

References

• Bloom Benjamin S. and David R. Krathwohl. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals, by a committee of college and university examiners. Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. New York, Longmans, Green, 1956. ISBN 0582280109

• Driscoll, M.(1991) Psychology of Learning for Instruction: Allyn and Bacon.

• Gagne, Robert M. (1975). Essentials of Learning for Instruction. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

• Gagne, Robert M. (1985). The Conditions of Learning and Theory of Instruction, Harcourt, ISBN 0030636884

• Gagne, Robert M., Briggs, Leslie, J., Wager, Walter, F. (1985). Principles of Instructional Design, Wadsworth, ISBN 0030347572