UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (UNISA)
College of Education
⋄
ASSESSMENT 01
Learning Theories – Year Module 2026
⋄
Module Code: PDP4802
Module Name: Cognition and Learning
Assessment No.: Assessment 01
Due Date: 15 May 2026
Semester: Year Module 2026
Unique Number: 613861
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for PDP4802: Cognition and Learning
at the University of South Africa.
, UNISA | PDP4802 Assessment 01 – Cognition and Learning
Question 1: Scenario 1 – Technology Integration in Class
1.1 Learning Theory Explaining Struggles with Self-Paced Online Tasks
The scenario where learners disengage from a self-paced online platform is most clearly ex-
plained by cognitivism, particularly through the lens of cognitive load theory and self-regulated
learning. Cognitivism holds that learning involves active internal processing, and that learners
must manage their attention, memory, and motivation to construct meaning from new mate-
rial (Zhou & Brown, 2017:45). When a platform demands that students direct their own pac-
ing without scaffolded support, it places excessive demands on the learner’s working memory
and metacognitive skills.
However, the pattern of only completing tasks when reminded, and the failure to explore ad-
ditional resources, also points strongly to behaviourism. Skinner’s operant conditioning
model explains that behaviour is sustained when it is regularly reinforced (Zhou & Brown,
2017:32). In an unsupported online environment, the absence of immediate reinforcement,
whether through teacher praise, peer interaction, or visible progress, removes the stimuli that
would otherwise keep students engaged. The platform essentially becomes a neutral environ-
ment with no reward signals, so participation declines.
Key Distinction
Cognitivism vs Behaviourism in Online Contexts: Behaviourism explains the
drop in observable participation when reinforcement is absent. Cognitivism explains why
self-direction fails: learners have not yet developed the metacognitive skills to manage
their own learning without external structure. Both theories are at work simultaneously
(Mayer, 2019, cited in Bond et al., 2023:7).
1.2 Two Behaviourist Strategies to Improve Engagement
Behaviourism holds that observable behaviour is shaped by consequences, particularly through
consistent reinforcement (Zhou & Brown, 2017:33). The following two strategies apply these
principles practically.
Strategy 1: Immediate and Visible Positive Reinforcement. The teacher can pro-
gramme the platform to display progress badges, completion scores, or congratulatory mes-
sages each time a task is finished. Skinner’s principle of positive reinforcement states that a
Page 1 of 12
College of Education
⋄
ASSESSMENT 01
Learning Theories – Year Module 2026
⋄
Module Code: PDP4802
Module Name: Cognition and Learning
Assessment No.: Assessment 01
Due Date: 15 May 2026
Semester: Year Module 2026
Unique Number: 613861
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for PDP4802: Cognition and Learning
at the University of South Africa.
, UNISA | PDP4802 Assessment 01 – Cognition and Learning
Question 1: Scenario 1 – Technology Integration in Class
1.1 Learning Theory Explaining Struggles with Self-Paced Online Tasks
The scenario where learners disengage from a self-paced online platform is most clearly ex-
plained by cognitivism, particularly through the lens of cognitive load theory and self-regulated
learning. Cognitivism holds that learning involves active internal processing, and that learners
must manage their attention, memory, and motivation to construct meaning from new mate-
rial (Zhou & Brown, 2017:45). When a platform demands that students direct their own pac-
ing without scaffolded support, it places excessive demands on the learner’s working memory
and metacognitive skills.
However, the pattern of only completing tasks when reminded, and the failure to explore ad-
ditional resources, also points strongly to behaviourism. Skinner’s operant conditioning
model explains that behaviour is sustained when it is regularly reinforced (Zhou & Brown,
2017:32). In an unsupported online environment, the absence of immediate reinforcement,
whether through teacher praise, peer interaction, or visible progress, removes the stimuli that
would otherwise keep students engaged. The platform essentially becomes a neutral environ-
ment with no reward signals, so participation declines.
Key Distinction
Cognitivism vs Behaviourism in Online Contexts: Behaviourism explains the
drop in observable participation when reinforcement is absent. Cognitivism explains why
self-direction fails: learners have not yet developed the metacognitive skills to manage
their own learning without external structure. Both theories are at work simultaneously
(Mayer, 2019, cited in Bond et al., 2023:7).
1.2 Two Behaviourist Strategies to Improve Engagement
Behaviourism holds that observable behaviour is shaped by consequences, particularly through
consistent reinforcement (Zhou & Brown, 2017:33). The following two strategies apply these
principles practically.
Strategy 1: Immediate and Visible Positive Reinforcement. The teacher can pro-
gramme the platform to display progress badges, completion scores, or congratulatory mes-
sages each time a task is finished. Skinner’s principle of positive reinforcement states that a
Page 1 of 12
