Theorist such as, Ivan Pavlov, studied the process of learning and how a human can be taught to remember. Pavlov found an association between a stimulus and a response. His findings were the beginning study of classical conditioning. Theorist have continued the study of Pavlov s work and some believe that conditioning might not be a type of learning, but an involuntary response. Despite the controversy of whether it is a type of learning, classical conditioning is a behaviorist approach to learning.
Behaviorists believe learning is explained in terms of observable stimulus and response events.
Cognitive learning theories are another approach to describe how learning takes place. These theories explain learning as an internal process, rather than emphasizing the environmental influence. One of the more influencential cognitive theories used in instructional design is the Information Processing Theory. This is a developmental theory. Information Processing Theory approach learning primarily through the study of memory and how to retrieve that memory.