Distance Learning Theories & Models

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Theories & Models

SMARTER EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY with Noelle Smart

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LEARNING THEORY #1

Behaviorism BEST FOR SYNCHRONOUS LEARNING

Behaviorism is the absorption of knowledge through the observation of others. External stimuli cause all behavior and the mind is a "blank slate" to be built upon. Emphasizes repetition, reinforcement, and immediate feedback.

DIRECT INSTRUCTION MODEL (Engelmann and Becker)

Behaviorism is ideal for live instruction.

Teachers can model skills and reinforce correct responses.

Teachers are available to connect with and give helpful, timesensitive feedback on student work.

DIGITAL RESOURCES:

Kahoot!: Provides instant feedback and motivation through gamification.

Wayground: Gamified formative assessments to check for learning and provides reteaching opportunities through data.

Pros:

Immediate correction so students can improve their work, high level of engagement through gamified experiences, and a structured learning model with teacher as instructor.

Cons:

Less emphasis on higher-order thinking and student creativity. Elementary and middle school students often respond well to rewards and frequent feedback, while older students may benefit from more complex questioning.

LEARNING THEORY #2

Cognitivism BEST FOR ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING

Cognitivism focuses on the inner workings of the brain during learning as new content is processed, broken down, and organized in the mind.

Asynchronous environments allow students to work through content at their own pace.

DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE (DOK) FRAMEWORK (WEBB)

DOK aligns with Cognitivism because it focuses on increasingly complex thinking processes.

Students move beyond recall to strategic thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving.

Students show their learning through organization.

DIGITAL RESOURCES:

LucidSpark: Students can organize ideas using concept maps.

Google Keep: Can be used for note-taking, listmaking, and organizing projects to complete all tasks required.

Pros:

Encourages time for reflection, organization, and deeper processing. Students can work through content on their own schedule, allowing for flexibility in the learning process.

Cons:

Students need self-regulation and time-management skills.

Younger learners may require more teacher guidance, while secondary students can work more independently.

LEARNING THEORY #3

Constructivism BEST FOR SYNCHRONOUS LEARNING

LEARNING CIRCLE MODEL

Constructivism states that learning happens when it is built upon existing knowledge. This places the student in the role of an active participant through their learning through collaboration and discussion.

The Learning Circle Model emphasizes collaboration, communication, and shared problem-solving.

Students construct understanding through interaction with peers and authentic learning tasks.

Pros:

Cons:

DIGITAL RESOURCES:

(RIEL AND POLIN)

Google Workspace: Allows collaborative creation in realtime.

Canva: Supports visual demonstrations of understanding.

Students can share files and create during live sessions.

High engagement tools that lend to seamless collaboration opportunities. Low barrier to creativity and design skill building.

Requires active participation and reliable technology. Some students may choose to let others take over the assignment and not speak up. Older students often thrive with openended inquiry, but younger students may need more scaffolding.

LEARNING THEORY #4

Constructionism BLENDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Student-centered learning through discovery. Relies heavily on ProjectBased Learning to work with tangible objects in real-world scenarios. Live group sessions can transition to individual student roles for research and development portions of the group project.

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING METHOD (DEWEY)

Project-Based Learning encourages students to solve real-world problems through personal meaning. PBL allows students to design, revise, and present projects over time using both live collaboration and independent work.

DIGITAL RESOURCES:

Tinkercad: Supports Design Thinking, a tenet of PBL. Students build together.

Adobe Express: Allows students to create multimedia presentations and digital products collaboratively in real-time.

Pros:

Opportunities for authentic learning, development of empathy for real-world problems, creativity, and student ownership.

Cons:

Requires significant planning, feedback, and time management skills. Secondary students often manage longterm projects independently, while elementary students benefit from shorter, highly structured projects.

LEARNING THEORY #5

Community of Inquiry (CoI) BLENDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING (VYGOTSKY)

DIGITAL RESOURCES:

Emphasizes three interconnected elements: social presence, teaching presence, and cognitive presence.

Designed specifically for online learning environments where students build knowledge through interaction with peers and instructors.

Collaborative learning strategies encourage meaningful discussion, reflection, and problem-solving across both live and self-paced activities.

Padlet: Supports asynchronous brainstorming, discussions, and multimodal peer feedback.

Pros:

Cons:

Minecraft Edu: Students work collaboratively to solve problems and create shared virtual learning experiences during live sessions or independent work.

Promotes student engagement, collaboration, critical thinking, and a strong sense of classroom community.

Requires intentional teacher facilitation and active student participation. Elementary students may need structured prompts and teacher guidance, while middle and high school students can engage in more complex discussions and collaborative projects independantly.

REFERENCES Bai, H. (2019, September). Pedagogical practices of mobile learning in K-12 and higher education settings. https://research-ebscocom.lopes.idm.oclc.org/c/sbba2s/search/details/rwdd7dstxn?requestcontext=plink&db=ehh Buck Institute for Education. (2019, August 21). Supporting PBL with a Design Thinking Framework. https://www.pblworks.org/blog/supporting-pbl-designthinking-framework Buck Institute for Education. (2026). What is PBL? https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl EAIE. (2024, January 21). Collaborative Learning: Let’s not reinvent the wheel. https://www.eaie.org/resource/collaborative-learning.html Grand Canyon University. (2022). Theories, models, frameworks, and strategies. https://www.gcumedia.com/lms-resources/student-success-centercontent/documents/coe/theories-models-framework-strategies.pdf Learning Theories. (n.d. a). Behaviorism. https://learningtheories.com/behaviorism.html Learning Theories. (n.d. b). Educational robotics and Constructionism. https://learning-theories.com/educational-robotics-and-constructionism.html National University. (2022, October 25). Learning theories: Five theories of learning in education. https://www.nu.edu/blog/theories-of-learning/ Picciano, A. G. (2017). Theories and frameworks for online education: Seeking an integrated model. Online Learning, 21(3), 166-190. doi: 10.24059/olj.v21i3.1225