After reading the article by Ertmer and Newby (2018), I learned a great deal. It also made me reflect on my past learning experiences with different professors, where I encountered various approaches such as cognitivism and behaviorism. I agree that learners do not simply transfer knowledge from the external world into memory; instead, they construct personal interpretations of the world based on their individual experiences and interactions. I would like to share two of my own learning experiences to illustrate this.
Behaviorism
My story
Flashback to my last‑semester ECON 313 tutorial at UVic. I remember my professor opened every class with a five to ten minute speed quiz on the material we had learned in the previous class. The quiz displayed the scores on our laptops. If we scored above 80 percent on the quiz, we would earn a bonus mark toward the final grade. After we submitted each question, the professor would go over it with us and revisit the concepts we had learned in the previous class.
I think this learning experience demonstrates a behaviorist approach because you can check your responses as soon as you submit your answers. Even when you make mistakes, you can see the correct answers and understand why you made those errors. The quiz also gives us a chance to apply the knowledge we have learned. This provides positive reinforcement of the concepts you learned in class.
Constructivism
I personally believe that constructivism is the best way for me to learn. I worked at BC Cancer in 2024, and my co‑op work term was the perfect example of constructivist learning. I took several courses and reached out to others whenever I had questions about work processes. After three months, my manager resigned, which meant I had to face challenges on my own. I still contacted her occasionally for her opinion on various matters. I used the knowledge I had learned when facing challenges, and when I made mistakes, I learned from the experience. This co‑op proved the value of learning through real‑world experience, and I applied the knowledge I gained throughout the entire year‑long co‑op in 2024.
Re – Best Learning Experience (frankiekerr)
https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/frankiekerr/
I have a similar idea to Frankie Kerr’s Blog 1. He illustrates the combination of cognitivist and constructivist perspectives through his story with Vicky. I think Vicky’s teaching style is suitable for children, because children usually learn more easily by experiencing rather than just listening to knowledge from the teacher in the classroom. Children can learn more effectively by experiencing and thinking more actively during the experience. I think the survival unit is a very valuable learning experience, and I definitely agree that you learned a lot from this unit, because you can still remember the details even though the lesson took place more than ten years ago. Thank you for sharing!
An Introduction to Me!
My name is Christian Chu. I am an international student at UVic, currently studying Economics with a minor in Business. I enjoy playing sports and have worked several jobs in the past. I also love spending time with friends and family. I’m definitely an outdoor person—I love exploring the world, which helps open my eyes to new experiences. I especially enjoy the summer; the weather is amazing during that season.
Last year, I worked in the healthcare sector at BC Cancer. During that work term, I gained many practical skills that I could not have learned from textbooks or in school. I had to explore the unknown and continuously push myself to improve. That experience motivated me to take this course as an elective to explore a different field. I’m looking forward to this course and expanding my knowledge beyond my current area of study.
Blog Post 1: Learning, Motivation, and Theory
Hi Christian, I agree with the example of behaviorism you shared because I had a similar experience in my marketing class. The professor will give us multiple-choice questions after explaining several concepts. If we answer correctly, we can get bonus points. If we answer wrongly, we won’t be punished. Moreover, we can see the correct answer immediately. I think this is a great example of behaviorist teaching. Through immediate feedback and positive reinforcement, I think that it can help us better understand and remember the new concept.
Re- Blog Post 1 Learning, Motivation, and Theory
Hi Christian,
It’s great to hear about your experiences with behaviorism and constructivism.
For the behaviorism, I think this method of it’s application is a right way of going about it because it is a quick way to review content before a lesson. The bonus mark incentive encourages further engagement with the activity, and the lack of punishment for scoring below 80% fits well because this activity only seems like a review and not an assessment.
For the constructivism, I think work experience provides the context that a learner misses in university to the real world application of their studies. I’m glad to hear you had such a positive co-op experience at BC Cancer.
Thanks for sharing!