Cognitive development and language acquisition are "natural" to a significant extent, in the sense that humans appear biologically predisposed toward them, but they are far from purely innate processes—they're heavily shaped by environmental, social...More

One key concept of behaviorism is reinforcement, which B. F. Skinner described as the process by which behaviors are strengthened or weakened based on their consequences. In this framework, learning is shaped primarily by environmental factors, emph...More

One of the most important aspects of learning is the social and emotional environment in which it occurs. Students learn best when they feel safe, respected, and connected to both their teachers and peers. Social and emotional conditions influence e...More

One area of the learning sciences that really resonates with me is productive struggle, which George Reese highlighted in the course materials. His examples helped me see that moments of difficulty in learning are not just obstacles, they are opport...More

One area of the learning sciences that resonates with me is the idea of productive struggle, which George Reese discussed in the course materials. His examples helped me appreciate how learning often requires students to stay with a challenging idea...More

One learning experience that strongly illustrates the social mind happened during a group problem solving activity where students were asked to create a plan for improving sustainability on campus. Individually, students had simple and limited ideas...More

Educational psychology helps us understand learning by examining the cognitive, emotional, and social processes that shape how people acquire knowledge and develop skills. One idea highlighted in this course is George Reese’s notion of “productive s...More

Behaviorism is a theory in educational psychology that focuses on how behaviors are learned through interaction with the environment. One of the key concepts of behaviorism is positive reinforcement, which was popularized by B.F. Skinner. Skinner ar...More

Educational psychology helps us understand how students think, process information, and acquire knowledge. Specifically in cognitive learning, it examines mental processes such as attention, memory, problem-solving, and metacognition. This understan...More

Social and emotional conditions shape how people learn because they influence attention, memory, and motivation. When stress rises — whether from academic pressure, social conflict, or life instability — cognitive resources get redirected toward cop...More