Comparing and Contrasting Theories of Learning

Prior to beginning this assignment, be sure to review the required materials for this week, the articles “Revisiting humanism as guiding principle for education: an excursion into Waldorf Pedagogy (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.”, “The concept of learning in Waldorf Education (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.”, and “What is experiential learning? (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.”, as well as the required articles and text that addressed Constructivism, Social Constructisvism, and Behaviorism in the past week.  Also review any relevant Instructor Guidance. This guidance can be very helpful as it may include strategies that support your preferred learning.

For this written assignment, you will demonstrate your understanding of theoretical perspectives by creating a compare and contrast essay on a topic you select from the list below. This assignment will allow you to examine two or more different approaches to a given problem or different examples of a specific phenomenon. In this essay, you will analyze and explain a minimum of two similarities and two differences in the topics. You will also analyze and explain the essential connection between the subjects by justifying and making their comparison relevant and important.  For this essay, you should write for an audience of novice students of learning psychology. To create a lucid and well-developed essay in your own words, you should refrain from using quotations from your sources.

Choose one of the topics from the list below to compare and contrast:

Humanism vs. Behaviorism

Humanism vs. Social Constructivism

Constructivism vs. Behaviorism

Once you have made your choice, you will apply basic research to your project by taking some time to research and develop your expertise in the subject. This will aid you in the successful completion of this assignment. The research can be accomplished through reading online material or researching articles and e-books available from the Ashford University Library. You must utilize at least three scholarly sources, two of which must be from the Ashford University Library. (For assistance with finding resources in the Ashford University Library related to your subject, please see this tutorialPreview the document.)  For assistance in HOW to write a compare/contrast paper please click here (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Writing the “Comparing and Contrasting Theories of Learning” Paper

The Paper:

Must be three to four double-spaced pages in length and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Must include a title page with the following: 

Title of paper

Student’s name

Course name and number

Instructor’s name

Date submitted

Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement. Visit the Ashford Writing Center to clarify how to create a strong thesis statement and what it helps you to accomplish. You may also use the Thesis Generator tool (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought. For assistance with the critical thinking portion of the written assignment, please see the information included on the Critical Thinking Community website (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis. The conclusion typically has two parts: the summary statement (one or two sentences that restate the thesis in a fresh way to reinforce the essay’s main idea) and the clincher (a final thought that creates a lasting impression for the reader).

Must use at least three scholarly sources, two of which must come from the Ashford University Library.

Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.