1. What is the difference between positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement? What is the difference between negative reinforcement and punishment? What are the potential unintended consequences of mixing these up?
2. What is learning? How do you know when it happens? Does learning occur before the learner has an opportunity to display her or his knowledge?
3. Discuss the kinds of learning situations in which you rely on rote memorization. Do you use memorization in some subjects more than others? Do you use it more when you don't understand what you're learning? Describe strategies you use to make connections between new and learned information when you want to understand deeply.
4. Consider the various kinds of knowledge - declarative, procedural, and self-regulatory. Which kind do you seem to use most in school? Give examples of classroom learning that involves each kind of knowledge.