6 Behaviorism in Practice

In the text, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, the authors discuss two topics: “reinforcing effort” and “homework and practice” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007). In both of these chapters, technology is embedded in the instructional strategies, and the behaviorist learning theory is reinforced.

In the chapter “Reinforcing Effort”, the authors discuss how it is important for students to realize that their success is directly related to the amount of effort they put into each assignment. They suggest that teachers reinforce this idea until students recognize it as a norm and automatically put effort into their work. This is a prime example of Behaviorism, repeating an activity until you get the desire result. The chapter on “Homework and Practice” again reinforces the theory of behaviorism, in that students should continue to strengthen their abilities through repeated practice (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007).

However, the book does not simply leave students with boring practice as an option. They include numerous techniques that involve technology to achieve the goal. Students can monitor their effort through spreadsheets and graphs made with computer software. They will visually see the results of their efforts and how it correlates with their success in the classroom. Also, students can participate in online games as a form of remediation. They may be practicing the same math skills over and over, but are using a different medium to obtain their goal. So although the students are repeating certain skills until they are embedded in their minds (Behaviorism), they are doing it in creative ways that should keep their interest.


Resources:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.