Theories Collide

Although each theory takes a distinct approach to explain how humans learn, all of them attempt to help direct the selection of information and activities to help students learn. Though they may seem to disagree about the nature of learning on the surface, these theories are tied together by a few fundamental values.

All instructors can see that creating an environment that reinforces and actively engages with students is conducive to learning as the behavioralist perspective promotes. No one would disagree with the information processing perspective that organized information is one of the most important aspects of creating a solid foundation for learning. Finally, having students collaborate to solve real-life, challenging situations, as the constructivist theory suggests, is a strong foundation on which to build any successful classroom.