Human life-span Essay

The answer in my proclaim broad based opinion based on what I have read, is that the term, Learning is a cognitive abut of acquiring sassy concepts and skills, in order to complete a task which in-turn increases knowledge and understanding of the subject ara to be learnt. In addition, man-to-mans will be able to shit on past experiences to identify how a situation could be improved, and then with this knowledge make unfeigned improvements. Furthermore, learning is influenced from the environment in which we find ourselves, which reflects greatly in our behaviour. Moreover, it is continuum throughout the human life-span.In coincidence the term, Development refers to the biological process by which a human organism grows and functions through its life-span. Development end be monitored by physical growth, and a marked change in per contour lineance which is usually associated with promotion of increasing knowledge and skills. Development happens gradually over a period of tim e, allowing achievements to be built upon and improved, which is comparable to the learning process. Development seems to be sequential with age, and I believe what happens in the early stages of development posterior have a significant affect in the later stages of development.Furthermore, development can be influenced by our own personal experiences within the environment. It is important to understand that thither is a clear difference in the midst of learning and development. Learning occurs within specific situations and development is linked to functionality and physical growth, however, they are closely related, but have separate meanings. Educational pioneer, Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) urged early years educators to respect the sanctity of baberen learning and growth new skills through this statementWe grant space and time to young plants and animals because we know that, in abidance with the laws that live in them, they will develop properly and grow well. Young an imals and plants are given abatement and arbitrary interference with their growth is avoided, because it is known that the opposite practice would disturb their pure unfolding and overweight development but the young human being is looked upon as a piece of wax or a lump of clay which man can mould into what he pleases, (www. Geocities. com).The origins of learning theory are in an area of philosophy called Epistemology, a field concerned with how we acquire knowledge. Two philosophical traditions emerged from the literary works of the ancient Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotle. These traditions are nativism, (Plato) and empiricism, (Aristotle). In the early seventeenth century before the beginnings of modern Psychology, there was a philosophical contend between the empiricists and the nativists, known more commonly today as the nature-nurture debate.The nature-nurture debate is another example of determinism. The debate is concerned with what causes something to develop. O n one side, nativists see development as arising from infixed factors from inherited characteristics. On the other side, empiricists see development occurring because of experience and learning. British philosopher John Locke, (1632-1704) the founder of empiricism, mature the hypothesis that children learn primarily from external forces, he implied Without nurture, we are nothing (Haralambos & Rice 2002, p. 761).Empiricists believed that the human baby is born with no skills or knowledge they refer to the infant as a, Tabula rasa, or Blank slate. The rule behind this idea is that the knowledge and skills will be, Written on the child by the knowledgeable stack of experience, and influenced by environmental factors. Furthermore, the infant will learn through instruction from others, in addition besides their own direct experiences, which in-turn will determine their achievements.Nativists (such as Jean- Jacques Rousseau 1712- 1778) in contrast, argue that we are born with con genital intelligence, in addition to genetic inheritance which determines intellectual achievement and, to some extent, personality. William Mcdougal, (Nativist- 1908) states The human mind has veritable innate or inherited tendencies which are the essential springs or motive powers of all thought and action, whether individual or collective, and are the bases from which the character and will of individuals and of nations are gradually developed, (Haralambos & Rice 2002, p.761).A modern form of the, (Nurture debate) relating to learning theory was proposed by B. F Skinner (1904-1990) in the form of behaviourism. The Behaviourists believed that human behaviour is learned. behavioristic psychology is primarily concerned with observable and measurable aspects of human behaviour, in relation to what we can see, how people react, in addition to how people behave. Behaviour theorists define learning as nothing more than an acquisition of new behaviour.Skinners theory is based on the ide a that learning occurs through a process of reinforcement. He believes changes in behaviour are the result of an individuals response to events, (stimuli) that occur in the environment. A response produces a consequence, for e. g. when children utter sounds and words which are to become their native language, and are greeted with a positive response. This positive response is the reinforcement which encourages the child to repeat the sound of the word, which in turn reinforces learning.Furthermore, behaviourists fight down the, Transmission Model of learning (Nurture) as the model uses the hand of experience, the knowledgeable adult to nurture the child through the learning process, enabling them to control what learning takes place. The Social Learning theory developed from behaviorism. Albert Bandura emphasizes the impressiveness of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. Bandura, (1977) states Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to depone solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do.