What is my current instruction or teaching style? I wish it were so easy to just say or “be” one. My current occupation is set up with a behaviouralist structure, the activities I have been taught to create or teach others intertwine cognitivism and constructivism, while I feel as though I personally gravitate more towards constructivism. Allow me to elaborate.
In one of my current jobs, I work as a Behavioural Interventionist. That is to say that I work with children, ages 7-17, who have an autism and/or ADHD diagnosis to help them develop tools in order to navigate anything from life skills to emotional regulation. In this position, I work on programs designed for the individual by a Behavioural Analyst. I really do love this job however, it uses positive reinforcement to develop desired habits in the learners. Within its behaviourist structure, the environment is the first thing we look at: Is there too much stimuli for the individual (visual and audio)?, What kind of reinforcers did we bring into that space to motivate them?, etc. Additionally, under this structure, we take observable data during the programming which includes timed intervals, correct responses, amount of tries to get the correct response, and more. Within this structure, my internal struggle with using positive reinforcement lies with what Jon Dron discussed in a keynote about “How Distance Changes Everything”. In it, he discusses the more extrinsic the motivation (using rewards and positive reinforcement) the less intrinsic motivation there is (self-satisfaction and joy in the activity itself). That the reward, or in some cases punishment, becomes the only reason to do something and the activity itself becomes unimportant to the learner. Additionally, once extrinsic motivation becomes the main reason to learn or do something, it is extremely difficult to unlearn and become an intrinsically motivated learner later on. Which is why, I apply what I can of the cognitivist and constructivist theories in my work and have seen a significant difference in how the individuals view the programs such as increased self-awareness and personal interest in learning to manage emotional regulations.
This brings me to what I have primarily been taught in UVic’s education program: pedological practices that include both cognitivism and constructivism (depending on the instructor). And quite honestly, I love it. I wish I had been taught with these theories in mind over behaviouralism. In every class, we are given examples, readings, and assignments that place the learner as an active participant in their own learning journey while providing an authentic learning experience. We use techniques such as scaffolding which simplifies and standardizes complex concepts, ideas, and skills in order to support student development and effective knowledge transfer in the learner. These courses have additionally stressed the importance of experiential learning, how previous experiences influence learning, supporting metacognitive development and problem-solving skills.
This program has heavily influenced my view as to how I hope to instruct any future students. I have had the privilege to discuss, experience and study the effectiveness of cognitivism and constructivism in an elementary school classroom. I thoroughly enjoy how they consider not only the learner but their environment. However, I feel that I have a special place in my heart for constructivism. The points that Ertmer & Newby made about how “constructivists do not deny the existence of the real world but contend that what we know of the world stems from our own interpretations of our experiences” and that “humans create meaning as opposed to acquiring it”, really resonated with me and my experiences as both a teacher and learner.
So in conclusion, I feel as though I do not fit into a signal category but have pieces of all three. I still use behavourialist approaches in my work but apply cognitivist and constructivist methodology to my teaching practice, all while feeling more deeply connected to constructivism within my own personal philosophy.
