Reflecting on Learning Theories and Instruction

It has been a great next step on my journey to become and Instructional Designer.  I have learned about myself as a learner as well as the theories behind learning.  It has been a long and challenging 8 weeks. Life happens, but my goals are still attainable.

Being an education major in my undergrad studies gave me insight to most of the theories in education. Though I learned about these theories, I only learned from the pedagogical perspective.  After taking this class, I realized that the andragogical perspective is not that much different than what I learned.  I learned that there is a thin line between andragogy and pedagogy.   It was refreshing to learn of newer theories in education.  One for instance is the connectivism theory.  Who knew that your network of friends, family, work, technology had a theory to explain how they aid your learning.  It was also interesting to see how all of those things were connected, and even at times interconnected, through a mind map.  It started out a little difficult, but once I got rolling, my network was easy to map.

Looking at my own personal learning process, I’ve learned a lot.  I learned about the things going on inside, the actual process.  As I get older, learning about my brain functioning/processing has become more important. Learning about how my working memory takes in information repetitively and then associates it with the related information in my long term memory was very intriguing.   I have also learned that many things influence learning.  Motivation is a key component in the influence of the learning process.  My biggest “ahaa” moment came when I learned more about motivation.  Learning about Keller’s ARCS motivational process gave me a deeper insight in the learning process of an adult. Implementing experiences that gain ATTENTION, has RELEVANCE, builds CONFIDENCE, and gives SATISFACTION upon completion of the experience is important to motivation.  I will definitely consider this when I am creating instruction.

As the weeks progressed, we learned more about the theories of learning.  I could see they were all beginning to show similarities.  After completing the Matrix activity, it was clear that these theories were all comparable and interconnected in some way. 

Through this course, it has helped to prepare me to understand the adult learner better.  With this new understanding, I can take the next step and learn how to prepare materials and design instruction with the adult learner in mind. 

Reference:

Keller, J. M. (1999). Using the ARCS motivational process in computer-based instruction and distance education. New Directions for Teaching and Learning (78).

Learning Theories.....Fitting the Pieces Together

Facilitating Learning through Connections

How I learned has changed since I was a girl in primary school. I was born into family of educators. What I didn’t know I’d ask mother who was an educator. If she didn’t know, she’d ask her sister then on to her other sister or her mother. Information then was learned and supported by the “elders” and their grapevine approach.  Places like the library were almost the last stop.  When I entered undergrad, it was then that I found a new love for the library.  Thousands upon thousands of books, waiting for my fingers in structured time blocks.  But even this was short lived.  As my networks around me began to grow, so did the technology.  Thank goodness for our technological advances!

Being able to gather various resources for a single topic is very important to my learning experience.  Gathering additional information helps to solidify meaning.  The best way for me to access this information is thru the internet.  There are all types of presentations, perspectives, and so forth.  You can access professional journals, conferences, associations, and join in discussions. There is no need to leave your house.  Not even for the library….it’s online too!  This is a great option for me and my young children. Now I am able to access information that I want, when I want. 

With so much out there to learn, I am bound to have questions. Getting the answers to my questions is relatively easy.  I start by looking at my personal stash of books.  Then I begin searching on the internet via search engines…my favorite…GOOGLE.  Through these searches, they pull up a plethora of information.  If I still have questions, then I contact family or friends I think may have knowledge of the subject. Because many of my friends are out of the area, I send emails or contact them thru Facebook.  To take it further, I canvass my co-workers for their insight.

Looking at my mind map in retrospect, my network would support the central tenets of connectivism.  In my network, I use technology to transfer to (and/or from) information between my friends, family, co-workers, and myself.  I seek opinions from them using emails and social networks as well as using search engines, on-line libraries, and (now) blogs.  According to George Siemens resource video, connectivism is a learning theory that integrates technology, social networks, and information.  I think my network is a prime example of his theory.

Where do I get it? .....Mapping My Mind

Just a few of the essential ways I learn from....I'm sure I forgot some.

A few resources for your consideration.....

As an Instructional Designer, there are components that should be considered when creating a course.  The goal, skill level of the participants, materials needed, and so forth.  When thinking the participant, it is important to think of the learning process.  In today's blog, I have gathered a few resources that could be used to aid in the understanding and ways to create based on the learning process.  Most are professional communities and would require you to become a member.

The first resource I found is the International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).  This professional society offers great dialogue, networking, reading or presenting of scientific work all to further the understanding of learning.  With members from across six continents and various fields of study, this is an excellent way to stay abreast of current trends, innovations, changes in methodologies, and scientific gains from a wide variety of perspectives. Not to mention the journals and the conference series that they offer.

Another resource that I found to be helpful is the Association for Educational Communications and Technology.  Broken into variety of divisions, AECT aims to improve instruction via technology.  Each division offers its own unique forum to address, participate, and to learn.  You will also find a place to network, to find best practices, and current trends within each division.  This professional community offers various journals and events to keep members informed.

Looking to find out more on how one learns in an educational setting? Then the website Educational Psychology Interactive is a great start.  This website offers a smorgasbord of links gearedtowards educational psychology.  You can search through links for websites, reading materials, videos, or just search through by topic.

A few interesting blogs I found...

Aaaahhh!! I can't believe I made a blog! Aaaaahhh!!

Welcome to my first post! My first post ever. If you find any errors please bear with me as I am learning how to navigate through this alternatative learning module. Through this post, I hope to provide you with a few links that I found interesting and you may find useful as we continue our journey to become instructional designers.

What better way to understand the field of instructional design than through those who already in the field. The blog I found interesting, Experiencing E-Learning, was created by Christy Tucker. You'll find in this blog topics on the instructional design career field, education, e-learning, and links to sites that are resourceful in the field. New links are posted every week with word tags that can be used to search for more resources on a particular subject.

Because education is ever so changing, it's good to stay abreast of the trends. One blog that I found was Elliott Masie's Learning TRENDS. Elliott Maise heads the learnin lab abd think tank, the Maise Center as wellas leads the 240 global organization coalition, Learning CONSORTIUM. In this blog, Elliott Masie posts current trends that have been found in workforce learning, business collaborations, and technology used in the field. He also offers opportunities to participate in forums, seminars, and other events.

On the technology aspect of instructional design, I found a blog that offers strategies in e-learning. The Rapid eLearning Blog was created by Tom Kuhlmann. With over 15 years of experience in developing and managing elearning projects, Tom Kuhlmann blogs about strategies that are useful in the development of your own design projects. His blog are thought provoking and are written in words that are easy to understand. Mixed in his blogs are graphic aids to further your understanding.