Psychology of Learning

                                    The Department of Agricultural Education  
                                                    The University of Arizona

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BASIC TECHNIQUES OF GOOD TEACHING

A.  Detailed planning
B.  Well defined objectives
C.  Instruction based upon student needs
D.  Motivation of learners
E.  Involvement of learners
F.  Effective questioning/problem solving
G.  Use of Realia and References
H.  Student Centered Instruction
I.  Summarize and practical application

TEACHING-LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR THE APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING

Principle:  We learn more and better when there is interest.

Activities:
1.  Relate instruction to students' supervised experience programs.
2.  Encourage students to compete for FFA proficiency awards.
3.  Teach skills which have direct application to occupational objective of the student.
4.  Make assignments which have utility and can be applied.
5.  Utilize real-life examples when introducing a lesson.
6.  Give recognition and approval for work well done.
7.  Encourage competition in FFA activities (provided positive experiences can be gained.
8.  Delegate responsibility.
9.  Encourage students to be creative.
10.  Use ownership projects.
11.  Develop good teacher-student relations.
12.  Teachers should generate enthusiasm in their own teaching and related activities.
13.  Utilize student "teacher" assistants.
14.  have a well-organized lesson plan.
15.  Review previous day's lesson.
16.  Build upon previously learned knowledge and skills.

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Principle:  We learn more and better when needs are being satisfied.

Activities:
1.  Students accomplishments (efforts) are recognized and rewarded.
2.  Active participation in FFA activities.
3.  Emphasize the development and carry out of supervised experience programs.
4.  Provide FFA officer development program.
5.  Build usable projects for the home.
6.  Encourage home improvement projects.
7.  Teach supplementary agricultural skills.
8.  Participation in judging contests.
9.  Establish mentor program:  senior students serving as counselors for freshmen.
10.  Utilize FFA Program of Activities.

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Principle:  We learn more and better when thinking is stimulated.

Activities:
1.  Use meaningful problems in teaching.
2.  Relate to past experiences.
3.  Utilize managerial lessons.
4.  Effective use of oral questions.
5.  Introduce new or unusual problems for class discussion.
6.  Review previous lessons.
7.  Draw conclusions during lesson summary.
8.  Identify basic concepts/principles evolving out of instruction.
9.  Involve students in group activities.
10.  Use supervised study.
11.  Incorporate reading assignments.
12.  Establish and maintain a reference library.

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Principle:  We learn more and better when we participate actively.

Activities:
1.  Develop agricultural mechanics skills.
2.  Construct agricultural mechanic projects.
3.  Class discussion, including oral questioning.
4.  Participation in contests.
5.  Carry out supervised experience programs.
6.  Participation in FFA meetings, community service and recreational activities.
7.  Field trips and educational tours.
8.  Participate in fairs.
9.  Conduct and observe demonstrations.
10.  Keep student notebook.
11.  Keep records of supervised experience programs.
12.  Use a variety of dynamic techniques.

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PRINCIPLE: We learn more and better when two or more senses are used.

Activities:
1. Use of all types of realia. 

2. Judge livestock, crops, plants, etc. 
3. Identify tools, weeds, seeds, plants, etc. 
4. Field trips. 
5. Demonstrations. 
6. Guest speakers. 
7. Performance of agricultural mechanics skills. 
8. Occupational experience programs. 

9. Application of approved practices. 

10. Participation in FFA contests and programs. 
11. Home improvement projects. 
12. Utilize student notebooks. 

13. Building fair booths and displays.

 PRINCIPLE: We learn more and better when a favorable climate of  success is maintained. 

Activities:

1.  Have a positive teacher-student relationship within the classroom.
2. Provide comfortable room conditions, i.e., temperature,
lighting, etc. 
3. Change room arrangement periodically. 
4. Use a relaxed atmosphere in discussions. 
5. Provide recesses or breaks during long classes. 
6. Use a variety of teaching methods or approaches. 
7. Have group discussions or problem solving periodically. 
8. Change bulletin boards, displays, etc. I periodically. 
9. Keep room clean and orderly. 
10. Refrain from distractions within the room. 
11. Have adequate planning and objectives. 

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TYPES OF LEARNING 

1. Sensations -first and most simple of all learning process.      b. Individuals vary in the degree in which their sense organs receive                   stimuli, therefore individuals vary in their ability to receive sensations.                              
        c. Sense organs can be developed thru training. 
        d. Sense organs work together, important and different sets can             substitute (up to a point) for each other in the process of adjustment.         e. Without any of our sense organs we would be completely unable             to adjust, for we would be cut off from any knowledge of ourselves             and the world around us. 
2. Perception, a sensation with meaning.
        a. Sensations are associated with one another, and thus meanings             are attached to these sensations to become perceptions. 
        b. Mental development is concerned with the experiencing of nerve             percepts and the utilization of percepts already learned. 
        c. As percept is added to percept meaning is enlarged.

THINGS AFFECTING PERCEPT

1. Present and past experience (previous training) 
2. Attitude of learner 
3. Interest 
4. Degree of attention 
5. Amount and kind of stimulation influences 
6. Interpretation that is given to the perception

Accuracy of perception increases as the learner adds to his experience and as his sense organs are developed to their maximum capacity.

For correct and adequate perception to be learned, first hand experience and many learning examples must be used.

Learners have to be helped to know what to look for.

Inspectors of quality must be trained in the use of their sense organs, feel, sight, hear, taste, smell so that the correct perception is formed.

Most "On the Job Training" is concerned with Perceptual Training.

One of the purposes of perceptual training is to create a rich world in which to live.

The remaining types of learning are not "in order or degree of importance. Some psychologists combine, others emphasize various types of learning. Other have broken the types into small sub-headings.

3. Motor skills; motor learning means acquiring a skill or habit. 
        a. Depends entirely upon sensations and perceptions. 
                1. Accurate perception and sensation results in greater             proficiency of motor skills. 
        b. Muscular activity of any kind consists of responses to external or internal stimuli. 

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How to develop correct motor learning.

1.  Correct instruction to prevent need of correcting errors. 
2. The practice of proven techniques. (certain motor co ordinations need to be established) 
3. Avoid adverse criticism. 
4. Accuracy and speed for efficiency. (The skilled operator has full control of his mental as well as motor response). 
5. Need of consistent practice.

Factors that my affect practice.

1.  Nature of skill to be learned. 
2. Age and special interest of the learner. 
3. Condition under which the practice is conducted. 
4. Amount of time available for practice. 
5. Spacing of practice period. 
6. Degree of proficiency desired.

c. Learner must know goal towards which he is aiming. 

d. Interest must be kept up.

As soon as a learner is satisfied with his degree of achievement, further progress is likely to cease.

The limit of achievement will vary according to an individual learner's ability to achieve.

Rote learning---a mental form of skill learning.

a. A form of practice which will fuse previously acquired skills into new and unified patterns. 
b. It makes our mental and motor skills more automatic. 
c. Learning things 'by heart" is rote learning.

Rote learning is only the beginning of wisdom. It must be supplemented by other forms of growth.

4. Association

        a. Connections between ideas and perceptions and between ideas and other ideas. 
        b. Any experience or training that is undergone at the present is influenced and interpreted in terms of active experience in the past. 
        c. Processes of comparing, contracting, and intermingling of concepts, ideas, and thoughts is known as associations and is the bases of all learning including memory, reasoning, habits and other phases of learning. 
        d. Every reaction you make is conditioned by former reactions and affected by the present situation.

Associations are based upon:

1. Recency--the latest idea associated with a given perception. 
2. Frequency--most frequently aroused. 
3. Vividness- if aroused by circumstance 
4. Frame of mind one is in. 
5. Contrast- opposite characteristic (black-white) 
6. Similarity- one suggests another. 
7. Spacing of frequency -depending on job. 
8. Overlearning- continuous study and practice. 
9. Thorough understanding by the learner. (words with meaning can be committed to memory, better than nonsense syllables)

Ideas and skills are remembered only because their meanings are understood.

5. Trial and error learning.

a. Most living creatures will respond to a new situation by making more intense movements or more different types of movements than are actually necessary to meet the situation. 
b. Is excited most often by very complex situations. 
c. Do not know what is required of us. 

All learning situations should be organized in as meaningful a way as possible.

Where there is a rich meaning there will be less trail-and-error wastage of time.

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Questions or problems regarding this web site should be directed to billye@ag.arizona.edu. Copyright © 2000 Department of Agricultural Education. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, 23 August 2005

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Arizona