Republic of the Philippines

ILOILO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

Burgos St. La Paz, Iloilo City
Trunkline (033)320-7190 - Telefax(033)329-4274
Website: www.wvst.edu.ph - FB Fanpage WVCST Infocus

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

ED 1- Gestalt; Bruner (Discovery Learning); Hull’s Theory

Keywords:

 Holistic
 Mechanical Response
 Phenomenology
 Isomorphism
 Factor of Closure
 Factor of Proximity
 Trace Theory
 Factor of Similarity
 Figure Ground Effect

Topic: Gestalt Theory (Von ehrenfels)

The Gestalt theory of learning originated in Germany.Three German theorist who

inspired by the works and ideas of the man who gavethe learning theory.
 Max Wertheimer
 Kurt Koffka
 Wolfgang Kohler

Gaf Christian von Ehrenfels was a learning theorist who took the holistic approach to
learning by putting forth the idea that meaning takes place as students were able to
comprehend a concept in its entirety, rather than broken up into parts.

The term “Gestalt” comes from a German word that roughly means pattern or form.
The main tenet of the Gestalt theory is that the whole is greater that sum of its parts;
learning is more than just invoking mechanical responses from invoking mechanical
responses from learners.

 Phenomenology which is the study of how people organize learning by

looking at their lived experience and consciousness.
 The human brain has the ability to make life experiences this process of
mapping is called “isomorphism”.

Gestalt Laws of Perceptual Organization

 Whenever brain see only part of a picture the brain automatically attempt to
create a complete picture. This is the first organizational law called “factor of
closure”.
  The human brain maps elements of learning that are presented close to each
other as whole instead of separate parts. This organization law is called the
“factor of proximity”.
 “Factor of similarity” which states that learning is facilitated when groups that
are alike are limited together and contrasted with groups that present
differing ideas.
 When observing things around us it is normal for the eye to ignore space or
holes and to see instead whole objects. This organizational law is called the
”figure – ground effect”.
 As new thoughts and ideas are learned the brain tends to make connections
or “traces” that are representative of the links that occur between
conceptions and ideas as well as images. This organizational law is called
“trace theory”.

TheGestalt theory of learning purpose the importance of presenting information or

images that contain gaps and elements that don’t exactly fit into the picture. This type
of learning requires the learner to use critical thinking and problem solving skills. Rather
than putting out answer by rote memory the learner must examine and deliberate in
order to find the answer they are individual is a whole person and the instructional
strategies used to teach them will help to discover if there is anything that is mentally
blocking them from learning certain new information. Teaching strategies are used to
present problems as whole and to attempt to remove any mental block from the learner
so that new information can be stored.