Learning theories, concepts and methods

The major concepts and theories of learning include behaviourist theories, cognitive psychology, constructivism, social constructivism, experiential learning, multiple intelligence, and situated learning theory and community of practice.

If we define learning as broadly as we have, then another important feature of learning immediately becomes apparent: Most of what a person learns, he learns without a teacher and outside of organised learning institutions such as schools.

Learning is obviously not bound to the presence of someone who teaches, nor is it bound to situations that are explicitly set up for learning. In learning research, this has led to the conceptual distinction between formal and informal or non-formal learning.