Social Learning Theory (a.k.a. SLT)

Presented by Virginia Walz and Debbie Shotwell

First, we’d like to pose the following questions (please, take only a moment to consider them as the definitions are provided for you below – not to worry, you’ll have plenty to ponder the further along we get with this topic):

What does it mean to “learn” something?
How would one describe “theory”?

For the sake of time, and in an effort to lay a basic foundation for any “learning theory”, we offer the following taken from http://www.meriam-webster.com:

Main Entry: learn
1 a (1) : to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience <learn a trade> (2) : MEMORIZE <learn the lines of a play> b : to come to be able <learn to dance> c : to come to realize <learned that honesty paid>
2 a nonstandard : TEACH b obsolete : to inform of something
3 : to come to know : HEAR <we just learned that he was ill>
intransitive verb : to acquire knowledge or skill or a behavioral tendency

Main Entry: the·o·ry
1 : the analysis of a set of facts in their relation to one another
2 : abstract thought : SPECULATION
3 : the general or abstract principles of a body of fact, a science, or an art <music theory>
4 a : a belief, policy, or procedure proposed or followed as the basis of action <her method is based on the theory that all children want to learn> b : an ideal or hypothetical set of facts, principles, or circumstances -- often used in the phrase in theory <in theory, we have always advocated freedom for all>
5 : a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena <the wave theory of light>
6 a : a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation b : an unproved assumption : CONJECTURE c : a body of theorems presenting a concise systematic view of a subject <theory of equations>

Second, we have made available to you in the paragraphs below, information about a couple of the major contributors along with some background on basic principles as they all relate to “social learning theory”. We ask that you read on and be prepared to share your thoughts on Wednesday, Oct. 3rd through the discussion board, based on our “guiding questions”.

Major Contributors

Two major contributors to SLT are Julian B. Rotter and Albert Bandura. Please check out the information from the links listed below:

http://psych.fullerton.edu/jmearns/rotter.htm (beware of the locus of control and the predictive formula!).

http://www.learning-theories.com/social-learning-theory-bandura.html (If you’re feeling froggy, leap into the links provided on Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory and Lave’s Situated Learning.)

NOTE: Albert Bandura’s work was more often related to aggression and violence than Rotter’s. To read more about this perspective, check out the following link:

http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/bandura.htm

Basic Principles

Information taken from Wikipedia, tells us that “Social learning refers to the acquisition of social competence that happens exclusively or primarily in a social group. Social learning depends on group dynamics. In social pedagogy social learning is seen as a way to overcome hierarchical, linear behaviouristic learning and is supposed to further individual democratic development. A special emphasis is put on the advancement of reason, ethics and moral courage. Social learning promotes the development of individual emotional and practical competence as well as the perception of oneself and the acceptance of others with their individual competencies and limitations.”

(Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_learning_%28social_pedagogy%29)

And to further provide you with information regarding SLT, a definition, general principles, and educational implications may be found at the following link:

http://suedstudent.syr.edu/~ebarrett/ide621/social.htm

(Be sure to check out the other links on the left side of the page under the “Social Learning Theory” heading! The concept map is simplistic but clearly displays the cycle between person, behavior, and environment.)

Social “Cognitive” Theory

The following concept map (similar to the concept map found at the link above) comes from an article titled, “Overview of Social Cognitive Theory and of Self-Efficacy.” Much of our research led us to social “cognitive” theory and it became more difficult to differentiate between that, and SLT of past generations. The “cognitive” component was incorporated with the initial work of Rotter & Bandura as time passed. Please click on the link listed underneath the concept map below for yet another thought-provoking source of information:

Source: Pajares (2002). Overview of social cognitive theory and of self-efficacy. Retrieved September 27, 2007 from http://www.emory.edu/EDUCATION/mfp/eff.html

Please Stay Tuned…

At last but not least, there’s more to come in the area of SLT and the educational implications. In the meantime, please read through the articles and information provided – we hope you enjoy them.

Our discussion will begin on Wednesday, October 3rd.