Behaviorist Theory in the Classroom

Do you reward your students for positive behavior? Do you have your students practice certain skills by using paper and pencil or using a tutorial type of strategy? Do you use any forms of behavior management in your classroom like a clip chart? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are using some of the behaviorist theory in your classroom.

I believe that the behaviorist theory is still used in many classrooms today even when we do not think about it. When used correctly, it can have a positive effect and can be beneficial for students, but the teacher needs to decide how it should be used to best meet students’ needs.

I read about some different types of technology that can be used in the classroom through the text, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works written by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenowski. Some of these programs discussed complemented the behaviorist theory.

I first read about different types of technology that can help to increase effort in the classroom. The authors discussed how using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet can help students keep track of their effort and achievement. I believe that this piece of technology relates to the behaviorist learning theory because as the new information is put into the spreadsheet, students can use the tables and graphs to see their progress. After looking this information, the students may decide to put forth more effort to improve their achievement. Teachers can help to “guide” students by using this type of program which gives reinforcement by offering immediate feedback.

The second section that I read about was related to homework and practice. There were many examples of programs on the computer that can be used in the classroom for extra practice. “Online educational games have an inherent appeal and generate immediate feedback that allows a student, parent, and teacher to monitor progress toward mastery” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, &Malenoski, 2007, p. 195). I have used a few of these in my own classroom. For example, BrainPopJR is a great Internet site with videos, games and short quizzes to check student understanding of the content. I think that all of my students can benefit from watching these videos. As children work through the quiz, they are shown either a correct or incorrect picture. The program guides children through and helps them to understand the correct answer through a drill and practice type of program.

I also tried to think about what other technology I use in my classroom that relates to the behaviorist learning theory. There is a website: Links Learning for Kids where there are short videos students can watch. Then, students can take a short quiz to check for understanding. The program reinforces correct answers by using a smiley face, but helps students to understand the correct answer if they chose the incorrect answer. I have used this in my classroom before and I feel that it has worked well for practice of a certain skill.

I believe that these types of tutorial programs can be used in the classroom, but need to be used correctly. I do not believe that these programs should only be used for some of the students for a remedial purpose. I believe that all students can benefit from these drill type programs when they are geared to the needs of each student. Also, I do not believe these programs should be used all of the time. Other learning theories need to be taken into account in order to balance the type of instruction being used in the classroom. Each teacher should decide when to use these types of programs in his/her classroom.

Are there any other pieces of technology that you use in your classrooms that relate to the behaviorism theory that have worked well for you? What are your thoughts on these types of programs? I would love to hear your ideas!

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