CRITERIA COGNITIVISM
PRINCIPLE Learning happens inside the human’s brain Learning is a life-long, network forming process,
while information is processed in the working
memory, prepared to be passed into the long-
term memory. The ability to learn is limited by
the cognitive load.
The memorizing of know-what and know-how
is very important.
STIMULI/RESPONSE The focus lays on the cognitive processes
within the brain between stimulus and
response. Stimuli are objective and not
influenced by personal schemata.
VIEWPOINT OF Knowledge is seen as external to the learner
KNOWLEDGE and the learning process as the act of
internalizing knowledge. Formal education is
still a big part of learning.
LEARNER AND The learner is mostly passive, but regarding
ACTIVITY LEVEL Bruner are mental process shaped by past
experiences and the ability of active knowledge
transfer. The best motive for learning is the
interest in the subject.
Also, Bandura thinks, that humans are active
information processors and fully aware of the
relationship between their behavior and its
consequences.
TEACHER Teacher controls and plans learning as a
process of increasing complexity.
SOCIAL INTERACTION Learning is a social, interpersonal process.
Humans learn by observing and imitating
other’s behavior or even by identifying with
another person. The people around will
respond to the imitated behavior with either
reinforcement or punishment.
CONNECTIVISM
founded on the principles of diversity, autonomy,
interactivity and openness.
Especially cognitive information processing can
be offloaded to or supported by technology.
The understanding of where to find knowledge
(know-where) is supplementing the know-how
and know-what.
The focus lays on the value of what is being
learned and the challenges of organizational
knowledge management. New tools, based on
modern technology, define and shape our way of
thinking. Learning takes place in a constantly
changing, uncontrollable environment.
Knowledge is seen as internal and external from
and to the learner and the learning process as
extension of the personal network. Formal
education is only a small part of learning and is
replaced by informal learning through
communities of practice, personal networks and
the completion of work-related tasks.
The learner is a node in his or her self-
constructed network. He or she needs to
nurture and maintain connections to facilitate
continual learning.
The learner needs to acquire continually new
information, but also to evaluate knowledge if
it is worth it to be explored before learning
itself begins.
The ability to learn what we need for tomorrow
is more important than what we know today.
Teachers will become a sort of learning curator,
who instead of dealing out knowledge, creates
spaces in which knowledge can be created,
explored and connected. Furthermore, classroom
learning will be replaced by the concept of
naturally formed networks to engage in collective
learning. Also, the opportunities for open access
to educational material will increase rapidly.
Every Learner is connected with each other in a
digital learning environment. Social media
platforms and plenty of open education sources
become sense making spaces in an era of content
sharing and co-creation.
Knowledge management, which explains the link
between both, is getting more necessary.
Especially how knowledge needs to be connected
with the right people in the right context in order
to be classified as learning (information flow).