How to Choose Materials for a Social Learning Theories Classroom

Social learning is a relatively modern psychological theory developed largely by Bandura in the 1970s and 1980s. The fundamental notion is that people learn through watching other people and copying behaviors and actions, including emotions and attitudes. Cognition becomes important in social learning because attention, observation, retention, motivation and motor-sensory development all play key roles in the learning process. To prepare students to understand social learning, materials should include articles on cognitive-affective psychology, attention, awareness, human behavior, sensation and perception.

Instructions

    • 1

      Contact professors and colleagues who teach psychology for ideas on materials most useful for teaching social learning theory. Keep in mind that each professor will have her own biases, so consider suggestions, but eventually make the selection your own. Teachers are more effective when they teach a subject they are passionate about.

    • 2

      Develop a draft curriculum based on introducing the essentials of sensation, perception, and attention psychology -- all needed for observation of other people. Next, introduce concepts of cognition, memory retention, emotion, Neuro-Psychology (brain - body relationship) and behavior. Finally, the curriculum can address social learning theories.

    • 3

      Look through research about social learning theory. See if any of the studies you find can be replicated in the class in a manner that allows active learning for the students. Participating in activities and experiencing social learning improves understanding and, according to the theory, should improve retention of the information of the material.

    • 4

      Finalize the draft of the curriculum. Develop a midterm and final exam as part of the curriculum. You may choose to do an assessment using multiple-choice for the midterm, and perhaps a final paper on social learning theory as the final exam.

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