*Lesson plan 2

How do we learn?
Operant Conditioning and trial and error learning

Check list
Location

Classroom and outside tables

Capability addressed

Personal and Social capability, Students work in pairs in two separate

activities having to converse and interact socially and intellectually with
one another. There will also we a lot of class discussion, students will
have to resect one another and listen to what everyone has to say in
order to maintain a healthy relationship with their class mates.

Planning

GANAG format

Assessment

Formative:
- Class discussion and verbal reassurance
- Reflection summaries will indicate whether students have comprehended
information learnt in todays lesson.

VCAA

- Operant conditioning as a three-phase model (antecedent, behaviour,

consequence) involving reinforcers (positive and negative) and
Resources
punishment (including response cost) that can be used to change
voluntary behaviours, including stimulus generalisation, stimulus
discrimination and spontaneous recovery (excluding schedules of
reinforcement).

Power point overview

Maze

GANAG

Time

Activity

Resources
BEGINNING OF LESSON

Goal

5 mins

Expected learning: To understand and have the ability to

apply the learning theories of operant conditioning and
trial and error learning to everyday and sporting
situations.

- Introduction to this unit of study and outline of what is

expected over the next 6 weeks assessment wise.
Briefly discuss the research report, advising students
to start brain storming what topics they are interested
in.
Accessing prior
knowlede

10
mins

Class brain storm on the board

- How did we learn when we were little?

- What deterred you from misbehaving?
- What encouraged you to do the right thing?

- White board
- Work books

MIDDLE OF LESSON
New Information

20
mins

- We will go through slides discussing what operant

conditioning is and have a look at Skinners box
experiment as well as watch a few short videos to help Powerpoint

solidity understanding.

- The powerpoint will also cover trial and error learning

-

and Thorndikes puzzle box experiment with another

short video to watch.
Students will be instructed as to what notes to take off
the power point
After watching the videos of Skinner and Thorndikes
experiments students will have to summarise the
experiments in their own words.

Power point
Projector
White board
Work books
https://
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https://
www.youtube
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https://
www.youtube
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Applying
knowledge

30
mins

Think pair share

- Students will have 2 mins to brain storm on their own

-

- Work books
- Mazes
- Timer

as to how operant conditioning and trial and error

learning can be applied to a sporting context
They will then pair up and compare and discuss their
answers with someone else.
We will then have a class discussion and share what
everyone came up with while noting correct responses
on the board.
Practical activity - Outside tables

- Break students into pairs

- Each pair will be given a maze/ puzzle
- They will work together to complete it as quick as
possible while being timed, racing against other pairs.

- Quickest pair time will get a prize.

- We will repeat this 3 times
- Through trial and error learning dealing students
should get quicker and quicker at each attempt.
Follow up - Back in the classroom

- Once we have completed the practical task students

must identify the IV and DV

- Write up the aim of the task

- Write up a possible hypothesis for the task.
- * This is to help prepare them for their research project
write up later this unit.
END OF LESSON
Goal/ Summary

10
mins

- Students will write 1 paragraph for each each learning

-

theory, providing an example of how it links to a

sporting context and everyday life.
Students must name the example and explain the
three phase process of operant condition.
These must be read by teacher before the student
leaves the class.

- Work books