Connectionism suggests that learners form connections through what method?

Connectionism posits that learners develop understanding and knowledge through associations formed between stimuli and responses. The emphasis on trial and error is fundamental in this theory as it highlights that learners explore various responses to a stimulus and, through repeated attempts and corrections based on outcomes, they strengthen the connections that lead to successful results. This process allows learners to create pathways in their minds that are built upon previous experiences, leading to a deeper understanding of how things relate to one another.

In contrast, while verbal instruction, social interactions, and visual aids can certainly enhance the learning experience, they do not fundamentally capture the essence of how connectionism describes the learning process. Verbal instruction and visual aids often provide direct information, which might not engage learners in the same exploratory manner that trial and error does. Social interactions can lead to learning, but they are more about shared knowledge rather than the individual associative processes that connectionism emphasizes. Thus, trial and error is the method that aligns most closely with connectionist principles.