IDE 621
Principles of Instruction and Learning
Course Description: This course introduced the foundational theories that drive effective educational experiences, distinguishing between learning theories (how individuals acquire knowledge) and instructional design theories (how to strategically structure the learning process). To ensure a deep, practical understanding of these broad concepts, the curriculum moved beyond surface-level study by requiring the active construction of conceptual models. Throughout the course, I developed and refined a comprehensive "knowledge base" (KB), a framework of conceptual models mapping out core principles, their interconnections, and how they directly inform the thoughtful selection and application of instructional strategies.
Grade A
Behaviorism focuses on observable behaviors in humans and animals that are shaped by conditioning and experience. Although psychologists who study this perspective are often called behaviorists, it is their collective learning theories that form the foundation of behaviorism.
Cognitivism is a learning theory that views learning as a relatively lasting change in internal mental structures caused by experience. It emphasizes how learners sense, process, store, manage, and retrieve information through mental information-processing activities
Social learning refers to the process of developing behaviors that learners understand to be acceptable in certain situations and unacceptable in others. Because humans are naturally social, they learn not only by observing the actions of others but also by paying attention to the consequences that follow those actions.
Thought Paper
Self Reflection
