Learning Theories

Good Afternoon All

Welcome to the second week of class and boy was it interesting.

Information literacy is important skills one should have.

There are various learning theories that helps us understand how knowledge is absorbed, processed and retained during learning.

There are four theories that helps us understand how the brain works.

The first theory is Behaviorism Theory. This theory is based on a stimulus response. The learner is seen as an empty vessel  waiting to get knowledge. In the behaviorism theory, it is believed that in order to get a response or participation from the student/ participant you have to reward them in order to do it.

The second theory is cognitivism theory. This is how the participant processes information by applying what was taught, utilizing the brain to construct and analyze information properly.  This is a teacher-centered base where the students are interested in what the teacher has to say and to make sense about what is happening in the world. 

In terms of the cognitive theory, there is also Bloom's hierarchy which explains to us how the participant's mind works and which level they start applying the information.  Participants always needs to process the information of what was said and then understand it. It is said that undergraduate students are usually taught the first three levels which is to remember the information, understand it and then apply it. In schools this theory can also be incorporated. For postgraduate, Masters and PHD students it is important for students to use all six levels of cognitive theory in order to achieve the outcome.  

The third theory is Social theory, this theory is based on what we observe and experience with others. We share what we know in order to increase our knowledge. Self-efficacy plays an important role in learning. When individuals believe they are capable of performing learned behaviours successfully, they are more likely to engage in those behaviours. 

The final theory is constructivism. Constructivism views knowledge as interpretive rather than objective. It is based on observation and scientific study -about how people learn. It says that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences.

All these theories plays a role in how students start from the bottom to reach to the top. It is in stages which one needs to get the knowledge, experience it and share it with other to come up with better ideas and solutions. 

1. What is the difference between Bibliographic Instruction and Information Literacy?.

Bibliographic Instruction is also know as Library Instruction. Instructional programs designed to teach library users how to locate the information they need quickly and effectively. BI usually covers the library's system of organizing materials, the structure of the literature of the field, research methodologies appropriate to the discipline, and specific resources and finding tools (catalogs, indexing and abstracting services, bibliographic databases, etc.).

http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~kjr/bikatheewebpage.html. The Library instruction helps users to find information and to access it easier. Information literacy is similar to what Library instruction entails but they not the same.

Information literacy can be seen as the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand.

Information literacy and Bibliographic instruction has a relationship that links together, the librarians needs to have structure within the library for users to locate the information. Librarians need to teach students the skills to find proper information and how to evaluate it.

It is important to have information skills in order to find proper information and being able to evaluate it. Library instruction is evolving to adapt to the changing concepts of information use and understanding

2. What key factors have led to the evolution of the teacher librarian's role over the decades?

Traditionally, a librarian is associated with collections of books,  as demonstrated by the etymology of the word "librarian. Librarians have always been described as someone that wears classes and sits in front of a desk whole, informing users to "keep quiet this is a library". When information was required they would immediately think of going to the library and asking the librarian. Librarians was seen as the people that would provide the information in order to complete their task that their teacher gave. During the evolving of technology, information was made  accessible through the internet and students began to believe that all the answers can be found on Google. Academic institutions have made their information accessible through academic platforms which allows students to not even go to libraries. Librarians needed to enhance their research skills in order to assist users with the changes and make it easier for them to understand. Thus library orientation and teacher-centered is important for users to obtain the information literacy skills to the Information,Communication and Technology platforms.   

Learners are  developing their skills and knowledge at each step. 

Information is power and it allows us to achieve our  dreams. 

I hope that this was  help and interesting for you as it was for me.

Until next time. 😊