Whatislearning? Learningiscommonlydefinedasaprocessthatbringstogethercognitive, emotional, andenvironmentalinfluencesandexperiencesforacquiring, enhancing, ormakingchangesinonesknowledge, skills, values, andworldviews . Learningasaprocessfocusesonwhathappenswhenthelearningtakesplace. Explanationsofwhathappensconstitutelearningtheories. Alearningtheoryisanattempttodescribehowpeopleandanimalslearn, therebyhelpingusunderstandtheinherentlycomplexprocessoflearning. LearningtheorieshavetwochiefvaluesaccordingtoHill . Oneisinprovidinguswithvocabularyandaconceptualframeworkforinterpretingtheexamplesoflearningthatweobserve. Theotherisinsuggestingwheretolookforsolutionstopracticalproblems. Thetheoriesdonotgiveussolutions, buttheydodirectourattentiontothosevariablesthatarecrucialinfindingsolutions.
Therearethreemaincategoriesorphilosophicalframeworksunderwhichlearningtheoriesfall: behaviorism, cognitivism, andconstructivism. Behaviorismfocusesonlyontheobjectivelyobservableaspectsoflearning. Cognitivetheorieslookbeyondbehaviortoexplainbrain-basedlearning. Andconstructivismviewslearningasaprocessinwhichthelearneractivelyconstructsorbuildsnewideasorconcepts.