Behaviorism In Practice

This week I am reading about the usefulness of the behaviorist learning theory in the classroom, specifically when used to reinforce effort or for homework and practice. Teachers have used the behaviorist learning theory for years; some of them without even knowing that they were using it (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). Early in their careers, good teachers learn that it is most effective to praise the behaviors they want in the classroom and to overlook the less desirable behaviors. This is what behaviorism is all about.

Effort is the only contribution to success that an individual can control (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 155). Behaviorism is simply reinforcing desirable behaviors. Effort is a desirable behavior.  So, how can we reinforce effort?  First, we have to understand these two generalizations: “Not all students realize the importance of believing in effort” and “Students can learn to operate from a belief that effort pays off even if they do not initially have this belief” (Pitler, et al., 2007, p. 155). Then, we must teach students that effort is important and give them a way to compare their effort to their achievement (Pitler, et al., 2007, p. 156).

The text suggests that effort and achievement can be tracked very effectively with technology (Pitler, et al., 2007). The authors suggest using a spreadsheet to help students see the correlation between effort and achievement by recording the hours they spend studying and the grades they earn on a weekly basis (Pitler, et al., 2007, p. 156). This is a good idea, because it places the responsibility on the students.  If they can see a connection between their effort and their grades, perhaps they would be motivated to increase the effort that they expend on class work. A spreadsheet gives concrete evidence and immediate feedback. When trying to change a student’s belief about effort, having immediate evidence is a plus.

Homework and practice are easily addressed with direct instruction, a product of behaviorism.  Direct instruction includes “…breaking these tasks into smaller component tasks, designing training activities for mastery, and arranging the learning events into sequences that promote transfer and achievement of prerequisite learning before moving to more advance learning” (Magliaro, Lockee, & Burton, 2005). Students need to practice skills in order to master them. There are not enough hours in the school day to master skills. Teachers need to incorporate homework and practice into their lessons if students are to be proficient.

“Technology facilitates homework and practice by providing a wealth of resources for learning outside the classroom, making it easy for students to work on collaborative homework assignments and providing ‘drill and practice’ resources that help students refine their skills” (Pitler, et al., 2007, p. 189). I have found wikis and blogs to be good venues for assigning homework and practice. They hold the students’ interest and allow me to address many different learning styles at once.

I would be interested in hearing about other teachers’ experiences with behaviorism. How is it used in your classroom? Do you think behaviorism is the most effective way to increase effort? How do you feel about drill and practice? Do you use direct instruction? I invite you to add your comments and thoughts on these subjects.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Behaviorist Learning Theory. Baltimore: Author.

Magliaro, S. G., Lockee, B. B., & Burton, J. K. (2005). Direct instruction revisited: A key model for instructional technology. ETR&D, 53(4), 41–54.

Pitler H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.