Which theory posits that learners are active processors of information?

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Multiple Choice

Which theory posits that learners are active processors of information?

Learners are active processors of information; they don’t just soak up facts, they attend to, interpret, and organize what they experience. Social Cognitive Theory explains this by showing that learning involves cognitive processes such as attention, encoding, retrieval, and problem-solving, guided by expectations and beliefs about what they can do. The idea of reciprocal determinism highlights that personal factors (like self-efficacy), behavior, and the surrounding environment influence each other, shaping how information is processed and acted on. Observational learning adds that learners can acquire strategies by watching others and then mentally processing what they observed before applying it themselves. While other options touch on important ideas—self-regulated learning foregrounds self-monitoring, and guided learning or Universal Design describe instructional approaches or design principles—they don’t capture the theory that centers learners as active processors operating within a social context.

Learners are active processors of information; they don’t just soak up facts, they attend to, interpret, and organize what they experience. Social Cognitive Theory explains this by showing that learning involves cognitive processes such as attention, encoding, retrieval, and problem-solving, guided by expectations and beliefs about what they can do. The idea of reciprocal determinism highlights that personal factors (like self-efficacy), behavior, and the surrounding environment influence each other, shaping how information is processed and acted on. Observational learning adds that learners can acquire strategies by watching others and then mentally processing what they observed before applying it themselves. While other options touch on important ideas—self-regulated learning foregrounds self-monitoring, and guided learning or Universal Design describe instructional approaches or design principles—they don’t capture the theory that centers learners as active processors operating within a social context.

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