The following is an explanation of the relevance of operant conditioning to the instructional design process, including its history and application in instructional strategies. Operant conditioning is the foundation on which B.F. Skinner explored human behavior. A branch of traditional behavioral science, operant conditioning came to the forefront of research in the 1930's through the work of Skinner. This means that learning has taken place when there is an observable change in the behavior of the learner after the instruction has been delivered.
Classical conditioning focuses on the involuntary response of the learner following a stimulus.
Skinner determined that reinforcement following a response would alter the operant, or response, by encouraging correct behavior or discouraging incorrect behavior. Types of reinforcement include positive and negative to strengthen a response, and punishment, extinction, response cost, and timeout to weaken a response. An example of positive reinforcement would be praise, a reward, or a gift after displaying appropriate behavior. An example of negative reinforcement would a child finally doing his homework just to stop his parents from nagging. Punishment is used to weaken a response, or decrease an inappropriate behavior.