- a dissenting view to the associative view of memory - insight: not just simple connections between stimuli and response; but perceiving stimuli in new ways (e.g. apes solving puzzles to get food) - knowledge comes from more than just experience -> the knower imposes organization on sensory data - Gestalt: configuration, organization - Four characteristics of insightful learning (Driscoll 2000, p. 24) 1) After a period of inactivity or trial and error, the learner suddenly and completely grasps the solution. 2) The learner performs the solution in a smooth and errorless fashion. 3) The learner retains the solution for a very long time. 4) The learner can easily apply a principle gained through insight to other, similar problems.
A conceptual framework of learning on which domain-specific, individualized, theories of learning can be constructed.