K - Learning Theories

Design collaborative or individual learning experiences based on learning principles and theories.

Introduction and Explication

Libraries, archives, museums, and all other information centers provide their constituent communities with intellectual access to trustworthy information resources and, as such, these institutions are essential to ensuring a just, equitable, and socially democratic society. Therefore, information professionals have an ethical obligation to advocate for our stakeholder communities’ legal rights, with particular emphasis on their right to intellectual freedom (American Library Association, 2019). Directed by the ethical principles, values, and best practices upheld by our professional associations, information professionals have a special duty to provide the resources and instruction necessary for our stakeholders to effectively fulfill their information needs. We facilitate this by applying the tenets of evidence-based learning theories to the creation, implementation, and iterative assessment of user-centered educational strategies and tools that inform and empower individuals and communities to make good decisions in support of their knowledge acquisition while also protecting their human rights. 

In addition to providing educational and training opportunities for our patrons, effective information professionals seek out continuing education and professional development opportunities with the goal of updating our own knowledge and skills in areas relevant to library and information science (LIS), including but not limited to theory-based instructional strategies. In particular, we have a duty to advocate for the digital literacy of our stakeholders, and to take proactive leadership roles in informing and training them about the risks and benefits of our “dynamic and increasingly global digital information environment” (American Library Association, 2007). Meeting this instructional imperative contributes to equitable access and use of resources, supports the ethical principles of the profession, and is essential to achieving excellence within our information organizations (American Library Association, 2007).  

Learning Theories 

Information professionals generally reference three learning theories when developing instructional strategies and tools. These include Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism  (Ertmer & Newby, 2013). The following section briefly describes each of these theories and the goals and strategies suggested to support and meet learner needs.  

Behaviorism 

Behaviorism purports that learning changes manifest as observable learner performance in response to a specific environmental stimulus, and focuses on "how the association between stimulus and response is made, strengthened, and maintained" by a particular student (Ertmer & Newby, 2013). Memory plays little role and transfer is considered a result of the generalization of a behavior. Strategies reinforce stimulus-response associations especially for learning involving lower-level skills and processing depth such as discrimination, generalization, and chaining. Examples of theoretical application include computer-assisted instruction and mastery learning. The goal of instruction is to link stimulus-response pairs via cues and reinforcement (Ertmer & Newby, 2013). 

Cognitivism

Focused on thinking, concept formation, information processing, language, and problem solving, Cognitivism relies on the learning theories/models of the cognitive sciences and deemphasizes the role of behavior in learning (Ertmer & Newby, 2013). Instruction centers on knowledge acquisition by  directing learners' mental processing in which memory is a prominent component. The learner actively participates in the process and learning is measured by changes in what learners know and how they know it. Experiential learning is critical. Examples of instructional tools include demonstrations, illustrative examples, and instructor feedback which facilitate transfer. Transfer occurs when the learner knows how to apply newly-acquired knowledge in different situations. The mind is a reference tool (Ertmer & Newby, 2013).

Constructivism

According to Ertmer & Newby (2013), Constructivism questions the objectivistic assumption of Behaviorism and Cognitivism. Rather than acquiring knowledge, learners create unique meanings from their individual experiences. Therefore, constructivists examine the contexts of each learner's experiences to understand their knowledge acquisition with emphasis on the interaction of learner and environment. Behavior is determined situationally with real-world contexts playing a crucial role. Instructors focus on how learners interpret information and create situation-specific understandings from "flexible pre-existing knowledge" (Ertmer & Newby, 2013). ID embeds content knowledge into meaningful and relevant activities from which knowledge transfer occurs. Memory construction is an ongoing, context-based process. Learners construct interpretations which they validate through social negotiation. Multiple perspectives must always be presented and instruction is viewed as an active process for all participants.

Evidence

Evidence 1:   But what if Klosterman is Wrong? Links to an external site.

But what if Klosterman is Wrong? is a context book review and reflective essay I wrote for an assignment in Information Communities (INFO 200, F21). The assignment required that I read a book from a predetermined list and articulate its relevance to my chosen information community by assessing the author’s perspective on current information behaviors, global issues, emerging technologies, and stakeholder educational needs and strategies. I approach my argument from a primarily Constructivist orientation and include the central concepts from Radical Change Theory.

Radical Change Theory suggests that many of the changes in information resources and human behavior in the Digital Information Age can be explained through the concepts of connectivity, interactivity, and access (Dresang & Koh, 2009). In this model, connectivity is “the sense of community or construction of social worlds that emerge from changing perspectives and expanded associations” (Dresang & Koh, 2009). Interactitivy is learning and information behavior that is dynamic and nonsequential, and access refers to the removal of information barriers that historically prevented access to “a wide diversity of formerly largely inaccessible opinion” (Dresang & Koh, 2009). 

 Radical Change Theory indicates that access and use of information-supportive technologies facilitates agency, a sense of empowerment, and new knowledge acquisition in Digital Information Age youth and adults (Koh, 2015). It posits that technology and related skills can no longer be considered as mere distractions from real life; rather, “behaviors that were previously interpreted as a lack of skills or failure might be understood as new types of thinking and learning, which reflect properties of the digital society” (Koh, 2015). In essence, digital literacy is an essential skill set for information seekers who want to participate in today’s emerging socio-technical environments. 

From an LIS point of view, I challenge information organizations to reduce their reliance on pre-Digital Information Age thinking and learning methods by advocating for user-directed digital literacy services that empower stakeholders’ to seek out opportunities to acquire new knowledge in support of their intellectual freedom and active participation in the global information community. Therefore, this report provides evidence for my mastery of Competency K by expressing my ability to apply and integrate learning theory-based approaches and techniques that support information professionals’ intentional engagement with, and response to, the learning needs of their Digital Information Age clients. As an information professional, I respond to those needs with effective, evidence-based instructional opportunities (Behaviorism), I empower learners to participate in intellectual problem-solving, engage in experiential learning, and actively acquire new knowledge in specific situations (Cognitivism) which can be referenced, applied to new situations, and extrapolated into a generalized mental construct (Constructivism). 

Evidence 2:  Archives, AI, and Information Privacy Links to an external site.

Archives, AI, and Information Privacy  is a multimedia presentation and instructional tool crafted for my seminar in AI, Data, and Ethics (INFO 287, F23). The purpose of the presentation is to inform and instruct archivists on the risks to information privacy posed by the creation, deployment, and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in archival environments. The presentation begins by stating the general problem and the interdisciplinary call to confront it from a human-centered, legally-compliant orientation, and proceeds through a tutorial about how to  situate AI design, deployment, use, and evaluation into a framework of general ethical norms, professional ethics and values, and the principles outlined by The Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence Links to an external site., an executive order issued in 2023 by U.S. President Biden. Learners are presented with a structured overview of the common risks posed by AI; definitions of relevant terms using situation-specific examples; situation-specific use cases, and recounting of the practical benefits archives and archival staff may reap by complying with the requirements for Trustworthy AI. The entire tutorial is encapsulated within the ethical principles and best practices of archival practice, the ethical principles for AI as identified by the European Union’s high level expert group on artificial intelligence (AI HLEG), and those identified by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

As evidence of my mastery of Competency K, this tutorial applies the tenets of Cognitivism and Constructivism, as defined by Ertmer & Newby (2013), by approaching archivists’ acquisition of new knowledge about emerging socio-technical issues, benefit, and risks, and strategically encouraging them to expand and deepen their thinking, concept formation, information processing, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, it encourages learners to develop and employ their capacities for context-based interpretation and creation of new meaning by drawing upon their “flexible pre-existing knowledge” of their professional ethics and best practices (Ertmer & Newby, 2013). 

Conclusion

Evidence-based learning principles and theories align with and elucidate the principles and best practices of the field of LIS, at the center of which lies intellectual freedom (American Library Association, 2019). Librarians, archivists and all other information professionals have an ethical and professional duty to encourage and support the learning and knowledge acquisition of their information communities. This is achieved through user-centered, human-rights focused programs and services including proactive, inclusive, and innovative instructional strategies that meet user information needs, empower them to expand their information and digital literacies, and participate actively and safely in Digital Information Age society. As I move forward into my professional career, I will center my work on this duty of care and continue to grow my knowledge and skills so I may be an effective educator and advocate for an informed and technically savvy democratic society. 

References

American Library Association. (2007, April 19). Key action areas. About ALA. https://www.ala.org/aboutala/missionpriorities/keyactionareas Links to an external site.

American Library Association. (2019, January 29). Library bill of rights. American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill Links to an external site.

Dresang, E., & Koh, K. (2009). Radical Change Theory, Youth information behavior, and school libraries. Library Trends, 58(1), 26–50. https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.0.0070 Links to an external site.

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 43–71. https://doi.org/10.1002/piq.21143 Links to an external site.

Koh, K. (2015). Radical Change Theory: Framework for empowering digital youth. Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults, 5. https://www.yalsa.ala.org/jrlya/2015/01/radical-change-theory-framework-for-empowering-digital-youth/ Links to an external site.