Drill and Kill or Positive Reinforcement: Behaviorism in Modern Education

          When an educator mentions behaviorism as a theory of learning today, he may be met with the same “Blech!” that he is met with when assigning homework to a class of unmotivated high school students.  The reality is that both have their place in the modern classroom.  Reinforcing effort, providing recognition, and providing practice to increase learning are tied to the ideas of the behaviorist learning theory and can have a positive effect on modern classrooms.

            Behaviorism is “primarily concerned with observable and measurable behaviors” (Orey, 2001).  Observable behavior may be student behavior in the classroom and fall under the realm of classroom management, but it may also be student participation in classwork or homework.  While a score may represent a student’s learning, whether or not he did the work may represent more of a behavior.  Teachers can use behaviorist theory by modeling, shaping and cueing as well as by modifying a desirable or undesirable behavior in class. 

            Reinforcing effort and providing recognition are practices that teacher should use regularly to build lifelong learners.  Success is the result of many factors, but research shows that self-efficacy plays a strong role in motivation for learning and achievement (Pittler, Hubbell, & Huhn, 2012, p. 57).  Helping students build that intrinsic motivation is what teachers can do to build a solid foundation for future success.  Teaching students about the relationship between effort and achievement, providing guidance as to how to show strong effort, and having students track their effort better engages students in their own learning processes (Pittler, Hubbell, & Huhn, 2012, p. 58). Using charts (or better yet electronic spreadsheets that older students create), rubrics for self-evaluation, and websites such as SurveyMonkey are all ways that teachers can make classrooms more student-centered as they monitor the correlation between their effort and success.  Making sure to reinforce the behavior or task that is achieved is significant; praising the person or his ability may have a negative effect on intrinsic motivation (Pittler, Hubbell, & Huhn, 2012, p. 62).  As teachers reinforce positive behavior (reinforce effort) and provide meaningful recognition, a pleasant environment emerges.  Behaviorist B. F. Skinner stated, “Things we call pleasant have an energizing and strengthening effect on our behavior” (Orey, 2001). 

            Is homework and extra practice energizing for most students?  As teachers, it is our job to try to make it so.  Assigning meaningful assignments that have a clear purpose and are short, focused, and distributed over time as well as providing feedback on the practice sessions are all good practices when it comes to the practice teachers assign (Pittler, Hubbell, & Huhn, 2012, p. 169). Setting students up for success helps to build their intrinsic motivation to do well and exhibit hard work and effort.  A modern way of adding interest and using technology is to try a “flipped” classroom where a teacher uses multimedia to present the teacher-centered lecture component of the lesson at home and then serves as a “learning coach” at school (Pittler, Hubbell, & Huhn, 2012, p. 172). Online tutorials at home or at school are other ways that students can receive that essential immediate feedback during their practice. Online drills such as this reinforce the behaviorist theory by demonstrating programmed instruction that B. F. Skinner advocated (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).

            “Blech!”  Hopefully this exclamation is not a part of the modern classroom when ideas such as behaviorism and homework are mentioned.  Reinforcing behaviors that will lead to learning and intrinsic motivation is what we need to be doing as educators.  Using technology in a way that allows us to reinforce and recognize that positive behavior as meaningful practice takes place is a way to update a theory that many consider to be outdated and dead.

            Below are two links I thought were of interest; the first, to a blog about making homework meaningful and the second, an interactive website students can use in class or at home to practice grammar concepts from the classroom.      

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/making-homework-meaningful-dominick-recckio

http://chompchomp.com/

           

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program four: Behaviorist learning theory [Video

            webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from

            http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.e  

          college.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that

          works (2^nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved

            from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page