Many students in the higher learning institutions are currently getting experience with both face to face and online classes. Many scholars and researchers in the education field have begun to examine the technological features of online learning which could make online classes similar to the face to face learning regarding their pedagogical effectiveness. The introduction of different learning styles including online learning has changed the traditional learning environment which involved brick and mortar classroom to the cyberspace learning. Together with the need to lessen the burden of learning and make teaching efficient, the change in the learning environment has made researchers and educators examine more intensively at how students’ best experience learning in the twenty-first century. Various learning theories from the psychological schools of thought have been used by educators to understand what influence learning. One of such significant theories of learning is behaviorism theory by B.F. Skinner. The theorist studied how learning is influenced by the variation in the environment, aiming to prove that behavior could be controlled or even predicted.
According to Skinner in his behaviorism theory, learning can be affected by the environmental changes as well as behavior change. He based his reasoning on the operant conditioning which he believed was the best way to study the complexity witnessed in the human behavior. Skinner held that understanding human behavior is based on looking at the causes of an action and its consequences. He described operant conditioning as the intentional actions which could affect the surrounding of an individual (Skinner 2014). He introduced a term into the law of effect, the reinforcement. On his mission to understand how learning occurs, he said that behaviors which are reinforced are more likely to be repeated whereas those who are not reinforced tend to get weakened ( Skinner 2014).
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Skinner experiment aimed at helping him understand operant conditioning. His extensive research was done using small animals majorly rats and pigeons, which he placed in the Skinner box. In the Skinner box, the rat learned to press a lever to receive food. Each time the rat pressed the lever, it obtained food, an action which reinforced the behavior. The consequence the rats received when they pressed the lever made sure that they repeated the action so that they continue getting food ( Edgar, 2013 ). He called this a positive reinforcement, which strengthens the behavior by producing a rewarding consequence. This reference can be linked to children’s behavior. Children always learn from a consequence of their actions or behavior. For example, when a teacher congratulates or rewards a pupil because of good performance, the reward which acts as a positive reinforcement, will make the pupil work harder so that he performs well every time. He, however, mentioned that negative reinforcements could weaken the behavior of an individual. For example, whenever a pupil gets punishment for not finishing the homework, the pupil will next time finish the homework to avoid the punishment. Here, the pupil learns that doing homework is important.
According to Goddard (2014), psychologists came up with behaviorism as a basis for theoretical explanations, testing, and predictions. Skinner was not interested in what might occur in human mind but rather on the behavioral responses. By putting the focus on the behavior, they were able to provide a better understanding of how learning of human being is a factor of behavior change and the surrounding environment using more statistical experimental results.
Behaviorism in education technology can be evaluated using a teaching machine constructed by Skinner. The teaching machine was a rote-and – a drill where the instructions from individuals could be presented in a book form, and the machine could program the instructions. The teaching machine is comparable to the current technology in learning. The machine has similarity to the many educational software programs such as the computer software designed to assist in reinforcing students’ behavior. His early work and research can be applied in the modern computer programs as it provides a connection between today’s digital learning and behaviorism.
Skinner’s theory of behaviorism has informed the current educational practices in many ways. His argument that learning is a result of a repeated action, and its consequence is used by educators worldwide. For example, the curriculum is broken into smaller sections where each section is taught at a time. This repetitive coverage of syllabus in bits increases the learning attitude in students. Skinner’s learning machine can also be linked to the new technology introduced in learning. Many learning institutions have implemented computer software programs to help students learn. This software program is similar to the learning machine invented by Skinner.
His theory of behaviorism has made certain major contributions to the education sector as a theory of learning. On his view on the segmented instructions, Skinner made an observation that large quantities of learning materials are presented to the learners by the teachers with an expectation that students will make large behavior changes at once. His position is that learners be presented with small bits of instructions at a time, which have been adopted in the online learning today. In his learning machine, he could give small pieces of information such as the word spelling test with some missing letter. The student’s role was to spell the word correctly before moving to the next step. In today’s education system, learning materials are chunked into small bits that students can handle.
His contribution can also be observed in the social efficacy. For example, the U.S military trained a large number of people in a short period. However, behaviorism saw the need to introduce a programmed instruction, machines for teaching and behavioral objectives aimed at making easy the teaching process and lessening the teaching burden. Today, most schools are under constant and rising pressure to be more socially and financially efficient. Due to the efficiency of training, social efficacy has significantly contributed to the current education system. Many educators still use the principles of behaviorism of social efficacy including the use of teaching machines which depend on instructions that are programmed to deliver education to the more significant increasing a large number of students while at the same time emphasizing the behavioral goals to evaluate course outcomes.
Skinner’s operant conditioning and reinforcement also made a significant contribution to the education system. The most current reinforcement is in education grades. Reinforcement is a consequence that strengthens behavior. Students change their behavior so that they can score grade A on the exams. They will wake up early to study, do homework and other class work practices so that they can score A. They can stay late into the night studying and writing due to the positive reinforcement they expect. Operant conditioning is important in understanding the reinforcement principles and designing the new curriculum for the learners.
He further added on the need to get rapid feedback from learning. In his opinion, Skinner believed that if feedback is not timely, the materials being learned may be incorrectly be understood by the learner. In his learning machine, the programmed instructions were to move to the next item until the word was correctly spelled. It helped the students to spell the word correctly while at the same time immediately make any possible correction. It is applicable when students are asked to rate their professors on a scale of the prompt of their feedback. The feedback obtained is useful in evaluating the professor as well as the course framework and content.
In own perspective, Skinner’s view that learning is a function of behavior was well researched and proved. The way students learn and master what they have learned is heavily dependent on the surrounding environmental impact on their behavior. If the action seems to give positive reinforcement to the learner, it will encourage the repeat of the action so that the reward is repeated. This is true for young children as they learn. When a young child is given a reward by the parent for doing some action, the child is more likely to repeat the same action with an expectation of the reward next time. Skinner’s view that learning should take place in bits is also true and can be proved. Teaching students too much course content will make them understand very little of the content. However, teaching in bits of the topic by topic makes the learner master the content of every bit taught. I also support Skinner’s idea that the feedback of the learners should be evaluated immediately or else they might incorrectly learn the materials. However, I disagree with Skinner’s view that the mind does not have an impact on one’s learning process. A learner who is mentally disturbed due to either stress or any other situation might be affected negatively during learning. Given that whatever is learned is stored in the brain, the state of mind, despite being fiction as he describes it, still, play a significant role in learning.
In my view and perspective, Skinner’s theory of learning has made major contributions to the current educational practices. The formation of the curriculum is based on his theory of the need for learning to take part in bits. The curriculum is made and divided into bits. We have different subjects taught in schools. These subjects are taught differently at different times, and each subject has topics and subtopics which are covered in bits throughout the year. This was inherited from Skinner’s theory that learning and behavior change takes place in bits. Also, his opinion that rapid feedback is necessary for learning and behavior change is used in most learning institutions. Some instructors prefer giving students continuous assessment tests after every topic to evaluate if they have understood the topic. This is a contribution of B.F. Skinner. Immediate feedback eliminates the possibility of any incorrect learning or misinterpretation of some contents. Quick feedback evaluation enables the learner to correct any inaccurate content. Another way in which Skinner contributed significantly to the current education is through his theory of operant conditioning and reinforcement. Most learners work hard to score better grades if they expect some positive reinforcement. For example, rewarding students who score grade A can make them develop behavior change and work extra hard to achieve the grade so that they get the reward. Behaviorism also contributes to the field of online education where instruction based program software is used to deliver knowledge to students.
In conclusion, B.F Skinner believed that behavior is influenced by surrounding environment. The environment plays a significant role in shaping one’s behavior change and learning process. His theory has contributed significantly in the current educational practice through the introduction of online classes, rapid feedback, and positive reinforcements for better grades as well as ensuring social efficacy. The introduction of instructional program learning has lessened the burden of education as people can attend classes online from wherever they are. B.F. Skinner, therefore, remains an important contributor to the current education system due to the role his theory has played in making learning easy and efficient.
References
Edgar, D. W. (2013). Learning theories and historical events affecting instructional design in education: Recitation literacy toward extraction literacy practices.
Goddard, M. J. (2014). Critical psychiatry, critical psychology, and the behaviorism of BF Skinner. Review of General Psychology , 18 (3), 208.
Skinner, B. F. (2014). Contingencies of reinforcement: A theoretical analysis (Vol. 3). BF Skinner Foundation.
