Thorndikes Laws of Learning

Many years ago while developing Air Force training courses for U.S. Space Command, I
became fascinated with the use of computers in learning. Also while working in the training
area, I became a believer in the principles of Thorndikes Laws of Learning. I have tried to
incorporate the essence of those laws of learning and to incorporate computer technology as I
have dealt with my childs learning:
The Law of Readiness: This law asserts that before a student can learn, he or she has to be
ready to learn. That means making sure the student is fed, free from too much worry,
comfortable, and well aware of the importance of what is to be learned. In other words, the
student must be prepared to learn. One exercise I have done with my child is researching the
admissions criteria for different schools. We have also compared the costs of different
institutions. We have even gone as far as to look at scholarship requirements. We have been
doing this since the sixth grade. By understanding the requirements now, hopefully, we wont
be running around in the junior and senior years trying to get things in order. It is awfully
difficult to bring up that grade point average in a couple of semesters, especially if the young
person is stressed by time constraints.
The Law of Exercise: It makes perfect sense to me that with all other things being equal,
those things most repeated are most often remembered. So, we make sure that practice is
part of the study routine especially when dealing with essential facts and rules. The
Internet and various software can be very useful in providing repetition in a not-so-routine
manner.
The Law of Effect: This law deals with ensuring the learning experience is a positive one. I
remember clearly when I began to dislike math a subject I had loved until I had the wrong
teacher. I remember my worst days in school. I remember my best days. I remember the
teachers who were creative and inspiring and know that the best skills I possess today are in
the areas they taught. That is the law of effect at work.
The Law of Primacy: Goodness, have you ever tried to unlearn something you learned how to
do wrong? This is the Law of Primacy, which states that what is learned first is learned best.
You really have to make sure that the resources that your child uses are good resources.
Every textbook is not a good textbook; every website is not a good website; and every
teacher is not a good teacher. And assuming that these tools are good simply because they
exist or because the school system uses them can cause your child a world of harm. A parent
really has to do more than have these tools available. If you sit in on a teacher and you
cannot follow the instruction, then there is a very good chance your child is not following that
instruction. And the same rule applies with other resources as well.
The Law of Intensity: This law deals with the vividness of the learning experience. If I take my
child to the zoo to learn about animals, he or she will learn more than if I just explain the
animals. However, there are so many places out there that I neither have the time nor the
money to take my child. The Internet has been especially useful in getting my child to those
places. And lets not forget the library. Before computers the library is how my parents took
me to far away places. It still works and every library that we have visited recently also has
wonderful computer resources as well. So, if you dont have a computer at home, that is
certainly no excuse for not spending some time with your child using this wonderful
technology. And I still buy books for presents wonderful, exciting, colorful books.
The Law of Recency: What is learned most recently is remembered best. And that is why
those reviews right before the test are so very important. We have also found the hundreds of
little quizzes on the Internet to be helpful in this area.

We have heard it time and time again whether we believe it or not. There is just not
enough time in the school day for your child to learn all the things he or she needs to learn. I
have found to be equally the case that there is also little time after school for me to dedicate
to my childs learning. It seems after career, housework and the business of running a
household, the time I want to spend with my child is not teaching time but chill out time.
But be that as it may, I have tried hard to make time for teaching as well. And the resources
on the Internet have definitely helped. While Im doing some of those household duties, I can
park my child right in front of that computer at a website that I have reviewed. And then we
can get together afterward and talk about the site as well as the rest of our day. These sites
have also helped with the budget because free resources are definitely cheaper than a lot of
the software out there although I have definitely invested in that for Christmas and
birthdays.
If you think that I have developed a computer geek, you are wholly wrong although I dont
think this would necessarily be a bad thing. This a child who is a member of the school
basketball team, several clubs and organizations, a team leader for the Odyssey of the Mind
competition, the first runner-up for her school pageant and a social butterfly.
I truly believe that the resources of the Internet have helped my daughter to tap into all of her
talents.

Laws of Learning

INTRODUCTION:
Anyone who intends to guide and direct the learning activities of others requires a detailed
understanding of the nature and processes of learning. Instructors are masters of many skills.
What they teach demands a high degree of competence in presenting subject matter.
Nevertheless, HOW they teach depends largely on their understanding of the learning process
and the ability to apply this understanding.
DEFINITION OF LEARNING
What is "learning?" Learning takes place when there is a change in a student's behavior. It
may not be directly observable. Learning is based on observation of behavior changes that
result from a person's interaction with their environment. An individual's learning may involve
changes in any of three areas:
Manner of perceiving and thinking.
Physical behavior (motor skills).
Emotional reactions or attitudes.
Learning refers to any of these changes when they occur as a result of an experience. Thus,
learning cannot be literally described but the conditions under which it occurs can be
identified. The instructor should understand these conditions and apply them when teaching.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LEARNING PROCESS
Purposeful Process. Most people have definite ideas about what they want to achieve. They
have goals or clear objectives. Effective instructors seek ways to create new learning
situations to meet the trainees' goals. Motivation, the force that impels a person toward a
goal, is the instructor's most effective tool to encourage learning. This can be either weak or
strong motivation depending on the situation.
Internal Experience. The instructor cannot learn for the trainee, nor can he or she pour
predigested learning into the trainee's head. The trainee can learn only from his or her own
experiences. A person's knowledge is a result of their experiences and manner of perceiving
them and reacting to them. No two people have exactly the same experiences. All learning
stems from experience. For example, by repeated drill, a trainee can learn to repeat a list of

words or to recite the principles of leadership. However, trainees can make the list an actual
part of their lives only if they understand them well enough to apply the ideas that they
represent correctly in real situations.
Active Process. Since learning comes only through experience, the trainee must be actively
involved in the experience. This activity can take many forms. Learning is more than simply
exposing a trainee to an idea or a skill. Likewise, one cannot safely assume that trainees can
apply what they know just because they correctly quote a paragraph from a textbook. The
trainee must become actively involved in the learning situation, but just any kind of involving
activity will not suffice. The trainee must engage in the appropriate activity. Obviously,
learning a physical skill requires experience in performing that skill. The instructor should
understand, however, that mental habits are always learned through practice. Even attitudes
are developed or modified as an individual reacts emotionally to a stimulus.

Multidimensional. Learning is multidimensional. Multidimensional develops new concept. In

other words, it is possible to learn other things while concentrating on or practicing the main
subject. While practicing drill, the trainees learn teamwork and cooperation. While learning
dormitory arrangement, they learn attention to details and following explicit instructions.
Individual Process. All trainees do not learn at the same rate. New instructors are likely to be
discouraged when they discover that a well-planned lesson does not enable them to teach all
the trainees with equal effectiveness. They soon recognize this as a natural and predictable
problem because trainees seldom learn at the same rate. Differences in rates of learning are
based on differences in intelligence, background, experience, interests, desire to learn, and
countless other psychological, emotional and physical factors. Instructors must recognize
these differences in determining the amount of subject matter to teach, the rate of which
they will cover the material, and the appropriate time to teach it. Once the slower trainees
are identified, it is up to the instructor to bring them up to the level of the rest of the flight.
You must identify their weak areas, bring the areas to their attention, and show them how to
correct them. You may be fortunate and have some trainees who excel. These trainees may
be used to help others during their practice. This serves a twofold purpose. The fast learning
trainees are relieved from boredom and the slow learning trainees receive the benefit of the
peers' expertise.

Laws of Learning

Edward L. Thorndike in the early 1900's postulated several "Laws of Learning," that seemed
generally applicable to the learning process. Since that time, other educational psychologists
have found that the learning process is indeed more complex than the "laws" identified.
However, the "laws" do provide the instructor with insight into the learning process that will
assist in providing a rewarding experience to the trainee.
The laws that follow are not necessarily stated as Professor Thorndike first stated them. Over
the years, they have been restated and supplemented, but, in essence, they may be
attributed to him. The first three are the basic laws: the law of readiness, the law of exercise,
and the most famous and still generally accepted, the law of effect. The other three laws were
added later as a result of experimental studies: the law of primacy, the law of intensity, and
the law of recency.
As with anything else relative to the instruction and learning process, nothing that we do is a
singular item; a combination of activities occurs at the same time to make the experience
complete.

Law of Readiness
The Law of Readiness means a person can learn when physically and mentally adjusted
(ready) to receive stimuli. Individuals learn best when they are ready to learn, and they will
not learn much if they see no reason for learning. If trainees have a strong purpose, a clear
objective and a sound reason for learning, they usually make more progress than trainees
who lack motivation. When trainees are ready to learn, they are more willing to participate in
the learning process, and this simplifies the instructor's job. If outside responsibilities or
worries weigh heavily on trainees' minds or if their personal problems seem unsolvable, they
may have little interest in learning.
Law of Exercise
The Law of Exercise stresses the idea that repetition is basic to the development of adequate
responses; things most often repeated are easiest remembered. The mind can rarely recall
new concepts or practices after a single exposure, but every time it is practiced, learning
continues and is enforced. The instructor must provide opportunities for trainees to practice
or repeat the task. Repetition consists of many types of activities, including recall, review,
restatement, manual drill and physical application. Remember that practice makes
permanent, not perfect unless the task is taught correctly.
Law of Effect
This law involves the emotional reaction of the learner. Learning will always be much more
effective when a feeling of satisfaction, pleasantness, or reward accompanies or is a result of
the learning process. Learning is strengthened when it is accompanied by a pleasant or
satisfying feeling and that it is weakened when it is associated with an unpleasant experience.
An experience that produces feelings of defeat, frustration, anger or confusion in a trainee is
unpleasant. Instructors should be cautious about using negative motivation. Usually it is
better to show trainees that a problem is not impossible, but is within their capability to
understand and solve.
Law of Primacy
This law states that the state of being first, often creates a strong, almost unshakeable
impression. For the instructor, this means that what they teach the first time must be correct.
If a subject is incorrectly taught, it must be corrected. It is more difficult to un-teach a subject
than to teach it correctly the first time. For the trainees' first learning experience should be
positive and functionally related to training.
Law of Intensity
The principle of intensity states that if the stimulus (experience) is real, the more likely there
is to be a change in behavior (learning). A vivid, dramatic or exciting learning experience
teaches more than a routine or boring experience. A trainee will learn more from the real
thing than from a substitute. Demonstrations, skits, and models do much to intensify the
learning experiences of trainees.
Law of Recency
Things most recently learned are best remembered, while the things learned some time ago
are remembered with more difficulty. It is sometimes easy, for example, to recall a telephone
number dialed a few minutes ago, but it is usually impossible to recall a telephone number
dialed a week ago. Review, warm-ups, and similar activities are all based on the principle that
the more recent the exercise, the more effective the performance. Practicing a skill or new
concept just before using it will ensure a more effective performance. Instructors recognize
the law of recency when they plan a lesson summary or a conclusion of the lecture. Repeat,
restate, or reemphasize important matters at the end of a lesson to make sure that trainees
remember them instead of inconsequential details.
SUMMARY:

You will soon become directly responsible for literally hundreds of learning situations. The
degree of knowledge that you impart to your trainees will depend a great deal on how well
you can apply your understanding of the learning process. Learn to recognize the trainees'
physical, emotional, and attitudinal states and the effect you can have on these states
employing the characteristics and laws of learning. Help to motivate your trainees toward a
goal and lessen their frustration by holding confusion to a minimum. Remember that learning
is multidimensional and capitalize on this fact.

Teacher-Centered Approach to Learning

Teachers are the main authority figure in this model. Students are viewed as empty vessels
whose primary role is to passively receive information (via lectures and direct instruction)
with an end goal of testing and assessment. It is the primary role of teachers to pass
knowledge and information onto their students. In this model, teaching and assessment are
viewed as two separate entities. Student learning is measured through objectively scored
tests and assessments.

Student-Centered Approach to Learning

While teachers are an authority figure in this model, teachers and students play an equally
active role in the learning process. The teachers primary role is to coach and facilitate
student learning and overall comprehension of material. Student learning is measured
through both formal and informal forms of assessment, including group projects, student
portfolios, and class participation. Teaching and assessment are connected; student learning
is continuously measured during teacher instruction.