Equine Handling, Husbandry & Instruction

Weekend 2- April 2012Weekend 2- April 2012

Equine Handling, Husbandry & Instruction

Learning HistoryGreek Philosophers-Learning was about

finding ‘truth’

Socrates Plato Aristotle

(469-399BC) (427-347BC) (384-322BC)

Dialectism Rationalism EmpiricismDiscovering truth Discovering Discovering through truth through about theconversation self-reflection world around

by using senses

Learning HistoryRoman Philosophers-Learning was about developing skill

Roman Catholic Church (500-1500AD)

• Memorisation

• Recitation

Transmission based Learning

Learning HistoryRenaissance Philosophers- (1400-1500AD)

Learning was about:

• Exploration• Freedom of thought (Humanism)• Thinking and understand ideas

Influential figures at this time:• Copernicus (1473-1543)• Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Learning HistoryRenaissance Philosophers- (1500-

1700AD)

Influential figures at this time and their ideas:• Descartes (1596-1650): Revival of Plato’s ideas of

innate knowledge, defined reflex action (early nature approach)

• Locke (1632-1704): Revived ideas of Aristotle that the mind is a blank canvas to be shaped by environment (nurture approach)

• Rousseau (1712-1778): Presented ideas of shaping that occurs through experience of things around (nurture)

• Kant (1724-1804): Extended Plato’s rationalist theory to include a ‘prior’ knowledge which can be built on with experience (interactionalist)

Learning HistoryPsychology based learning- (1800-1900AD)Scientific approachesThorndike Pavlov Skinner

(1874-1949) (1849-1936) (1904-1990)

Stimulus Response Learning by Trial and Error

Association association. Outcomes and

with trial and error Natural responses consequences

(an impulse reaction) and learnt responses

Learning HistorySkinner and beyond:

• Skinner: “there are certain questions that have to be answered in turning to the study of any new organism. What behaviour is to be set up? What reinforcers are at hand? What responses are available in embarking on a program of progressive approximation that will lead to the final form of behaviour? How can reinforcers be most effectively scheduled to maintain the behaviour in strength?”

• Piaget (1896-1980): “learning is a developmental cognitive process, that students create knowledge rather than receive knowledge from the teacher. Students construct knowledge based on their experiences and how they do so is related to their biological, physical and mental stage of development”

• Vygotsky (1896-1934): “learning also occurs in a cultural context and involves social interactions. Culture and language play an important role in developing new ideas and skills”. Put forth idea of Zone Proximal Development (ZPD) meaning students learn best just beyond there range of existing experience with assistance form teacher or peer to bridge of what they know or can do independently to what thye have yet to learn or need assistance with.

These led to Progressive (Current) Learning Theory

• Classical Conditioning:Learning by association; linking non relevant stimulus to relevant stimulus to cause the same behavioural response. (I. Pavlov)

• Operant Conditioning:Learning that behaviours have consequences,both positive and negative and can increase or decrease the likelihood of a

behaviour occurring again. Trial and error learning.(B.F Skinner)

• Latent Learning: exploratory learning with consolidation and without immediate

performance • Habituation: learning not to respond

• Social Learning: Copying the performance of another

• Insight: mental trail and error (humans only)

Main Learning Types