14003 Theories of Learning and Instruction

Credits: 4 graduate credits in Education: Technologies and Learning Systems or in Educational Administration, Policy and Leadership

Prerequisite: Admission to the graduate program in Education: Technologies and Learning Systems or in Educational Administration, Policy and Leadership

The course is based on a reader edited by Eran Chajut, Sidney Strauss and Shiri Nussbaum.

Objectives: To introduce students to a broad range of learning theories in various schools of thought, their unique characteristics and basic assumptions; To discuss the cognitive processes and structures that underlie learning; To examine the pedagogical applications of these theories in various learning environments.

The course focuses primarily on learning theories that developed during the 20th century and had considerable influence on research and on the accepted methods employed in education systems in Israel and throughout the world. The learning theories discussed include behavioral theory, Piaget’s developmental theory, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, Bruner’s constructivist theory and Bandura’s social learning theory.

Topics: Learning and instruction – two sides of the same coin; Conscious structures and processes at the basis of learning; Learning theories – the philosophical basis and methods of evaluation; Contemporary learning theories; The pedagogy deriving from the various theories.