Reflection of Learning

As I enter the last week of my Learning Theories and Instruction course, I can reflect on what I have learned and how this new knowledge will affect how I look at learning and instructional design.  After ten years of serving in the public school, I had a strong foundation in learning theory.  However, I have found that learning theory is often impacted by the learning environment, and nothing has had a greater impact on today’s learning environment than technology.   The course has also opened my eyes to my own learning process and how I effectively approach new information.  I now feel that I have a more complete understanding of how I learn.  Finally, I believe that the information I have gathered throughout this class will enable me to design more effective instruction for the variety of learners that I will work with in the future. 

I find it interesting that the increased use of technology and personal computers has had a direct impact on how we learn. However, research has proven that, regardless of how technology has changed how we learn, it has had little effect on how we deliver information. Gardner states that technology “has had remarkable little impact on mainstream education.  When plugged in, they are all too often simply used to ‘deliver’ the same old “drill-and-kill’ content” (Gardner, 2000).  As instructional designers, we must continue to reassess our delivery strategies and ensure that we are utilizing technology to its fullest benefit.  Technology will continue to mold the way we learn.  As an instructional designer, it is important to recognize how the learning environment impacts the learner. 

This course has also opened my eyes to how components of different learning theories are present in my own learning.  I can see aspects of behaviorism, constructivism, cognitivism, connectivism, as well as adult learning theory in my approach to understand new content.  I have a clearer outlook on what strategies are effective for me and how to approach different types of information.  Bill Kerr points out on his blog that “each –ism is offering something useful without any of them being complete or stand alone in their own right” (Kerr, 2007).  I see evidence of this in my own learning.  How I approach new learning depends on content, level of difficulty, and purpose.  These things determine how I learn and the strategies that I utilize.   This course has also allowed me to reflect on where I get information and knowledge and how I need to make connections between that information.  Understanding my personal learning process allows me to have a deeper perspective when working with other learners. 

One thing that I will take away from this course is that researched based learning theory as well as individual learning styles must lay the foundation for instructional design.  Educational technology can be a vital tool, but we cannot rely on it to be the sole motivator for learning.  Motivation is a key component to the success of instruction.  Although many adult learners have a natural desire to learn, motivation can be discouraged by the design of a course.  “Motivation is partly the function of the learning environment” (Laureate Education, 2009, p. 224).  Lack of choice, a controlling learning environment, and manipulating extrinsic rewards can cause a lack of motivation.  John Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivational Design identifies four steps to promoting and sustaining motivation (Keller, 2013).  By considering attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction, a healthy learning environment can foster motivation and encourage retention.  

I believe that the information I have gathered from this class will enable me to design effective and meaningful instruction that is founded on theories that are sound and research based.  It has given me confidence to evaluate the needs of my students and create a learning environment that will successfully meet there needs.  It has also given me tools, such as the ARCS model, to evaluate a course, identify weaknesses, and strategies to make a course more effective.  I feel confident that the knowledge I have gathered from my research over the past eight weeks will provide the foundation I will need to design effective and meaningful instruction. 

References

Gardner, H. (2000). Can technology exploit our many ways of knowing. The digital classroom: How technology is changing the way we teach and learn, 32-35.

Keller, J. (2013, September 17). ARCS Explained . Retrieved from ARCS Model: http://www.arcsmodel.com/

Kerr, B. (2007, January 1). _isms as filter, not blinker. Retrieved from Billkerr2.blogspot.com: http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html

Laureate Education. (2009). Learning theories and instruction . New York: Laureate Education Inc.

My Learning Style(s)

How do we learn new things?  I could survey one hundred different individuals and each of them could give me a completely different answer.  Learning is unique to the learner.  That is why there are so many different learning theories and schools of thought when dealing with how people learn.  As an instructional designer, it is important to have a strong foundation of knowledge of learning theory so that I can design meaningful and effective instruction for the various learners that I will be called upon to train.  But I truly believe that before I can design effective instruction for someone else, I must first understand what type of learner I am and how I approach new information. 

For a very long time, I believed that I learned best following the practices that fell under cognitive and constructivist theories.  I often connected information to my prior knowledge and organized material so that I could retain the information.  I preferred to be an active learner as opposed to a passive listener.  However, I have recently realized that learning theory is not the only thing that is constantly changing.  So is the learner. 

The constant stream of information and how it is presented has molded my style of learning.  I have had to adapt to the flow of information.  My brain has learned how to make connections in meaningful ways and filter out needless information.  I am using technology to research, organize and synthesize new information in ways that were not possible even 10 years ago.  Social platforms allow me to connect with other learners to share ideas and solve problems.  Does this mean that my learning styles would now fall under Connectivism?  I would have to argue no.

There are many times that I find myself collaborating with other to understand new concepts or complete a problem based task.  I will watch a video or look up an infograph to help make meaning of something that I do not fully understand.  I see many aspect of the social learning theory in my personal learning style, but I would not place myself in that category either. 

The truth is that I am like many learners. I am unique. My learning style does not stay the same because I am constantly learning new things.  I approach each new learning experience in a way that will allow me to master the knowledge.  The techniques I use are as varied as the multitude of information that I am bombarded with each day. 

Technology will continue to change the way in which we learn.  It will require learners to be more adaptable.  As instructional designers, it is our job to ensure that we design learning in ways that allow the material to be approached in multiple ways.  All learners are unique, so shouldn’t our instruction be?  

I believe that technology and the multiple ways we share and access information has had a direct effect on how we process information.  Today’s adults are a unique group of learners.  We were the first generations to have a personal computer in the home.  We also were one of the earliest generations to experience the evolution of the personal gaming systems, audio devices, and a vast number of other technological wonders.  Today’s adult has grown accustomed to the bombardment of information and have developed skills required to filter, process, store, and recalling it.

This realization of how technology has effected adult learning has allowed me to reflect on how I personally learn.  Looking at the different networking and research tools I use on a daily basis, I see how they overlap and intertwine to lead me to have a more complete understanding of the concepts I am learning.  I have broken my learning into three distinct types of learning; Gaining Knowledge, Organizing Knowledge, and Reflecting on Knowledge.  However, you will see how the tools that I utilize in one type of learning often is used in another.  The tools are multifunctional and the learning is continuous.  I do not clearly move from one stage to another, but move fluidly between each until I have connected enough information to master the knowledge. 

For example when I encounter a piece of information which I possess no prior knowledge, I often begin by doing a search using Google Scholar.  I also look through the blog posts that I have stored in Media Fire to see if any of the blogs I follow have mentioned the new concept.  I can pose questions regarding the information I found on my Twitter account if I need more clarification or examples of how the knowledge is applicable in a real work setting.  Once I feel I have some basis of understanding, I will post a message in the discussion board for my class or respond to a blog post utilizing the information I found through the blogs or other research.  I often will ask clarifying questions so that I can adjust any misunderstandings I may have.  I can organize my thoughts using FreeMind or a simple mind map in Word that I then share on my own personal blog.  Based on the comments that my readers leave, I can again adjust my perspective on the new information or add to the information that I have.  As I gain new knowledge, I am constantly organizing, reflecting, and adjusting my learning to master the concepts necessary. 

Changes in my network of learning resources has greatly effected how I gather and retain new information. Clarissa Davis, Earl Edmunds, Vivian Kelly-Bateman explain why today’s learners are forced to process information in a completely different way when they state in their online article, "technology forces the 21st century learner to process and apply information in a very different way and at a very different pace from any other time in history.  As a result, the span of time between learning something new, being able to apply it, and finding that it is outdated and no longer useful continues to decrease" (Davis, Edmunds, Kelly-Bateman, 2008). Any individual that has owned the latest television, gaming system, or basic coffee maker has experienced this when the newer, better version comes is released making whatever version they purchased obsolete.  As a learner, I no longer can rely on one source of information, because the likeliness of that information being outdated is too great.  I must analyze my sources, seek verification, and at the same time realize that the information I am gathering could quickly change.  Today’s learner must be more flexible and more aware of how their knowledge has a shorter expiration date.                                                         

Davis, C., Edmunds, E., Kelly-Bateman, V., (2008) Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism