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Social Learning Theory is an effective way to engage all learners and help them to adapt to the learning environment. "Man's capacity to learn by observation enables him to acquire large, integrated units of behavior by example without having to build up the patterns gradually by tedious trial and error," Bandura, (1971 p. 2) illustrates how Social Learning Theory can be used to educate in a direct, yet limited access environment.
In Extension Education, facilitators are often limited to a few meetings or only a single instance to teach a certain topic. The limited amount of time can prove difficult for both the facilitator and the learner as the time can slip away quickly. However, Social Learning Theory can be helpful to the learner as they observe their surroundings. We are quick to follow the crowd if we have low confidence in the situation, but are quick to adapt to our surroundings and search for success. By observing peers around you and learning more about those peers and their experiences, you are able to gather information, which could help you later on. The experiences from peers may not necessarily relate to the certain topic discussed during the session, although they could allow for deeper thought along the way. As peers exchange thoughts, they may discover new ideas or expand on thoughts that came to mind through the lecture discussion. Those that participate in these discussions may be able to take the ideas and behaviors of others and use them in their daily lives. For example, an Extension farm management specialist is facilitating a workshop on leasing farmland. In the audience are landowners, agribusiness representatives, and tenants. During a break, the audience begins to discuss the material and sparks ideas amongst the small group. The members take those ideas home and can look at...