The roots of behaviorism and its role in elearning
Before all the learning applications and platforms that exactly know what we want to finish a successful training module, there was Pavlov and Skinner. These are two scientists who understood how humans learn from rehearsal, rewards and answers. It is the root of behaviorism, and it is also widely used in elearning.
Let's start with Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist whose famous dog experience in the early 1900s began “Classic packaging“Theory. He sounded each time he feeds his dogs. In the end, dogs started to salivate just to the sound of the bell, even when no food was there. What Pavlov has shown is that you can form a subject to associate a neutral stimulus with a natural response simply by repeating it.Operating conditioning.“While Pavlov focused on involuntary responses, Skinner examined voluntary actions and how they can be shaped by strengthening. He introduced the concepts of positive strengthening, which rewards behavior to encourage it; negative strengthening, which means deleting something unpleasant when good behavior occurs and a sanction.
Basically, behavioralism focuses on the idea that when learners feel rewarded for doing something, they are more likely to start again. And that is why behaviorism is so popular in elearning. However, for reinforcement to really make a difference, it must be immediate and coherent. If an learner ends a quiz and gets instant comments, he is more likely to feel motivated and to continue. Fortunately, Elearning platforms are built around these principles. They offer instant reactions, such as sounds or animations, after each action, helping learners to keep information over time. Let's explore more how behavioralism works in Elearning and where it is better applied for maximum results.
How behavioralism is used in online learning
Gamification
Gamification is probably the most behavioral approach to elearning. It follows our natural desire for achievement and progress, which are at the heart of behavioralism. For example, Duolingo. You win gems, unlock levels and earn rewards if you have lessons every day. This is built on principles of positive strengthening. And that's exactly what Elearning Gamified concerns: motivation through the awards. These can be points that learners collect for correct answers or finished tasks; The levels and bars that help learners follow their progress; Badges and achievements that make learners feel seen and more accomplished; And rankings that can stimulate commitment through friendly competition between peers.
Repetition
According to behaviorism, repetition creates the stimulus-response relationship. You present a stimulus, like a question, the learner answers and immediate feedback reinforces the right answer. The quizs are the most common way to do so. However, you want to make them short, targeted and repeated. This is why microlearning modules often include several short assessment cycles, such as multiple or true / false questions, correspondence exercises or drag and drop-down activities. Whenever learners see similar content presented differently, they strengthen their confidence and their memory. If they are wrong, the system offers comments on site, helping learners to adjust their behavior in real time.
Awards
In behavioralism, the awards strengthen behavior. When implementing behavioralism in Elearning, you can offer badges and micro-credits that act as proof of everything your learners have achieved. This feeling of progress motivates them and makes the learning objectives possible. Why do the awards and micro-credited work, however? Well, they offer a feeling of achievement and a chance for learners to see their milestones. In addition, they are engaging because once they have won a badge, they will want more. Finally, they support the establishment of objectives because learners can see what they have done and what is the next step. Digital badges are particularly effective in the training of companies, where employees may not always be excited. Certain platforms even allow learners to have access to more content only after winning specific badges, which adds a layer of gamification to the learning process.
Back
In traditional classrooms, comments are not always there; When this is the case, it is often delayed. On the other hand, in Elearning, it's instantaneous. You answer a question and know if it was good or bad. You can even get an explanation or encouragement. When you apply behavioralism in Elearning, you want to offer comments in certain ways. First of all, through visual benchmarks such as green control brands for correct answers, X Red for bad or animations. Then, audio signals as sound effects for rewards and errors, or encourage voices. Finally, written comments should include instant explanations or prompts to try again. This consistency helps learners to correct their own mistakes, gain confidence and remain committed. This also relieves them from the anxiety of waiting days to find out if they understood something.
Types of elearning where behaviorism works best
Compliance training
When designing a training course in compliance, you must remember that it is compulsory for learners. This means that they do not need to think or debate, but just need to know the rules, to remember them and to follow them. This is why behaviorism works better. In the training in compliance, you are often dealing with scenarios such as what to do in the event of an incident, how to point out something or how to recognize the forms of harassment. These situations require complete knowledge, therefore the use of a behavioral strategy such as quizs or badges for finished modules guarantees that everyone knows exactly what is expected of them.
Language learning
Language learning is one of the best examples of how behavioralism in elearning can help learners get closer to repetition, strengthening and comments. Applications like Duolingo or Babbel use these behavioral principles. They reward you for correct answers, repeat those with which you have trouble until you get them properly and give you encouraging comments. This approach is particularly effective for language learners because it focuses on automatic recall. When you learn a language, you want quick answers and a good pronunciation, which all come with practice and repetition.
Mathematics
Mathematics are built on practice, models and precision. When you learn mathematics, you are asked to solve a problem, get comments and try again. No matter what you learn, whether algebra or equations, repetition and strengthening often lead to the right answers you are looking for. In Elearning environments, applications like Khan Academy or Prodigy use quiz, progression bars and rewards to guide learners through increasingly difficult problems. The comments are immediate and the learners know exactly what they did well or badly. This real -time response helps them better understand the correct answers and correct their mistakes on site.
Technical training
If you train someone to use new software, to help out or follow a step -by -step process, the goal is for him to do things quickly. Behavioral strategies such as rehearsal, instant comments and rewards make this possible. For example, you design an Elearning module to integrate new hires into a new system. You can create a simulation where learners click and try to do their job in this new software. If they do it correctly, they get immediate comments. Otherwise, a quick correction appears, guiding them to try again. Basically, behavioralism helps learners to transform their practice into a habit, which is particularly useful for treating programs and systems.
Conclusion
If your objective as a educator or educational designer is to strengthen specific actions, create habits or help learners to memorize important information, you must opt for behavioralism in elearning. Use quiz, rewards and feedback tools, but don't forget that behavioralism is not for each learning objective. So, the next time you build a course, think about what you want to strengthen and choose the best pedagogy.
