Transcript
In a recent class discussion in our Health Education course, the topic of interest is all about theories of learning. As the name suggests, it tackles all sorts of theories ranging from behavioral to cognitive. The one that I chose to create a graphic organizer out of is a learning theory named Operant Conditioning by Ivan Pavlov. Before dwelling on it deeper, the reason behind for choosing such topic, theories of learning, is that it can provide a better understanding to how people learn (in this case, nursing students) and as well as to provide a foundation for healthcare training such as the development of skills and client interaction. I chose this theory since I perceive it as the most evident and applicable in providing learning in an education setting.
The operant conditioning entails how a person gains knowledge or learning through the acquisition of behaviors elicited by reinforcement such as rewards and punishments. There are 4 principles of reinforcement as illustrated. The first one is Positive Reinforcement and these are reinforcements such as rewards to strengthen the manifestation of behavior. In application, if a student did well in the Return Demonstration (Health Assessment), the Clinical Instructor will give a high score out of it. The next one is Negative Reinforcement wherein behavior is strengthened by the removal of something considered unpleasant. One example is when a patient complained about chronic back pain. The doctor prescribed analgesics, then relays it to the nurse, and the nurse relays it to the patient for additional instruction and information. As soon as the patient feels the pain is no longer lingering, he/she will continue to take it. The next one is Positive Punishment. It presents an event to weaken the manifestation of behavior. One example is when a student demonstrates a medical procedure incorrectly and is then reprimanded by his/her clinical instructor. The student then remembers that event and will no longer do it again. The last one is Negative Punishment and it occurs when a favorable event is removed in order to omit the behavior. An example is when a student nurse who will be having hospital duty for the day is not in proper attire. Their Clinical Instructor did not allow the student to have her duty and is then sent home. The student contemplates about the happening and will never do it again.
Aside from its clean figure, which is pleasant to the eyes when viewing, the Tree diagram is great in visualizing the said theory in a way that it can help a person to better understand its context rather than just purely relying on plain text. Also, it can also help in the retention of information for future purposes.
