Introduction
General Resources

Learning is enhanced when instructors understand and make use of contemporary knowledge of how people learn. This page offers sites that define and describe many theories of learning with their implications for the classroom.

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How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition (2000). John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking, eds. National Research Council.
A complete online copy of this well-respected book that summarizes current cognitive learning theory and its implications for education today and in the future.
http://books.nap.edu//html/howpeople1/ch1.html

Learning Theory, Mark K. Smith, the encyclopedia of informal education (infed).
Discusses learning as product and process and surveys some common models of how people learn: behaviourist, cognitivist, humanist, social and situational.
http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-learn.htm

Explorations in Learning and Instruction: The Theory Into Practice Database (TIP).
This database contains brief summaries of fifty major theories of learning and instruction, each with an example, list of key principles, and links to related websites.
http://tip.psychology.org/index.html

About Learning (Funderstanding).
Examines twelve different theories on how people learn, defining and discussing each and showing how it impacts learning.
http://www.funderstanding.com/about_learning.cfm

Theories of Learning, Lee Dunn (Oxford Brookes University, Wheatley Campus, Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development).
Gives concise summaries of a variety of theories of learning "that can be applied in educational contexts."
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/2_learntch/theories.html

Learning Theories Knowledgebase, May 2007.
A knowledge base and webliography of theories and models of learning. Covers a wide range of theories organized into sub-categories, with clear and concise descriptions of each plus opportunities to post a response, offer suggestions, or engage in discussion.
http://www.learning-theories.com/

Constructivism, Martin Ryder (University of Colorado at Denver).
A comprehensive site on constructivism with many links to websites and articles on all the major figures in the development of this approach to teaching and learning.
http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~mryder/itc_data/constructivism.html

"Bloom et al.'s Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain," W. Huitt, Educational Psychology Interactive (Valdosta State University).
An overview of Bloom's Taxonomy of learning behaviors.
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/bloom.html

Task Oriented Question Construction Wheel Based on Bloom's Taxonomy (2001 St. Edward's University Center for Teaching Excellence).
A wheel that aligns Bloom's Taxonomy with many aspects of teaching and learning.
http://edselect.com/Docs/wheel.pdf

david a. kolb on experiential learning, Mark K. Smith (infed).
A description and visual model of Kolb's experiential learning cycle. Includes a critique of Kolb's model, references, and links.
http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-explrn.htm

"Ripples on a Pond Model," Phil Race, UK faculty developer.
Phil Race describes his “ripples” model of learning, gives ideas on how the model might be used, and invites feedback.
http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/deliberations/effective-learning/happen/

How People Learn (University of Hawaii, Honolulu Community College, Faculty Development, Teaching Tips).
This site provides a group of links to articles on several aspects of learning theory, with an emphasis on principles of adult learning.
http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/teachtip.htm#learn

“Learning to Learn” by Karl R. Wirth (Macalester College) and Dexter Perkins (University of North Dakota).
This article provides an overview of learning, describes several models of how people learn, and stresses the importance of learning as a lifelong objective.  Useful for students as well as faculty, it argues for the need for new kinds of learning, teaching, and thinking.  
http://www.macalester.edu/geology/wirth/learning.pdf

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