Behaviorism in Practice

How can technology be used to support instructional strategies based on behaviorist learning principles? To answer this question, first one needs to review the key principles of the behaviorist learning theory. According to James Hardy (1998) the four key principles include activity, repetition, reinforcement, and clear learning objectives. Activity is important as learning is better when students are active learners (Hardy, 1998). Frequent practice and practice in varied contexts is necessary for learning to take place. Therefore, repetition needs to be implemented for skills to be acquired. Student reinforcement is the prime motivation. Positive motivators that focus on student success are most desirable. Those who implement behaviorism in teaching will frame activities with clear behavioral objectives (Hardy, 1998).

Spreadsheet software is one way to reinforce student effort by helping them chart their relationship between effort and achievement (Pitler,et al, 2007) and thus provide students with positive motivation. Creating graphs and charts that track student effort is one example of spreadsheet use in the classroom. There is a multitude of web resources that can provide students with the practice of concepts and skills being taught in the classroom. It is important to not only find ones that meet the learning criteria but also find Web sites that provide a variety of activities so each student is able to work on skills that best meet his or her needs, and differentiation can be implemented successfully.

Technology is like that pocket knife I used when I was a Girl Scout. My pocket knife had multiple uses and could be used in numerous ways. If one only uses technology for the practice of skills and repetitive learning, the powerful tool of technology becomes limited in use similar to just using the pocket knife for cutting only. The behaviorist theory certainly has its place in today’s classroom use of technology as when students need remediation or practice of skills for fluency, however, like the pocket knife, there are so many other powerful tools and it is important to utilize everyone of them to promote successful student learning.




Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.