Operant Conditioning

Skinner's learning theory centered around the term he coined "operant conditioning" and he is known as the Father of Operant Conditioning. Operant conditioning is a behavior or learning method achieved through a system of rewards and punishments for behavior.  Skinner first experimented with this using pigeons and his creation of the Skinner box.  According to Skinner if you want a desired behavior to occur, you must provide a positive reinforcement. For example, if you want your dog to sit,  you must provide positive reinforcement when the desired behavior is achieved, so when the dog does sit on command, praise the dog for the accomplished behavior and provide a treat. 

 

http://youtu.be/AK32448CgKE

The Teaching Machine

BF Skinner created the teaching machine in 1954 after he attend his daughter's 4th grade math class and deemed the lesson in addition ineffective.  Skinner's issue with the lesson was that the teacher did the lesson on the blackboard and then passed out papers to the students and asked them to practice the problems on their own.  He could clearly see some students understood and where able to do the task at hand, while others were clearly lost.  Skinner believed that the students would learn better if they were able to work at their own pace and then were given instant feedback with positive reinforcements.