Reflection

The study of learning theories, learning styles, educational technology and motivation have provided great insights into how to approach learning and knowledge delivery. In fact, the concept of theories in general has become more practicalised for me as a result of studying how it has been used in the area of education and knowledge delivery. LearningDctr (2010) likened theories to windows in a house which give a different view of the same room from different angles. This explanation put theories, especially educational theories, in an excellent perspective for me and provided me with a richer realization of their significances and how they impact on teaching and learning.

Personally the understanding of different learning theories, styles, strategies and motivations has given me the opportunity to reflect upon my own dispositions and has brought to the fore how my biases tend to impact on my ways of developing and delivering learning experiences. This for me is a very critical eye opener. Particularly, an understanding of the linkages between learning theories, learning styles, learning strategies, educational technology and motivation has further broadened and enhanced my knowledge in the instructional design field. Learning theories which are windows to understanding the different perspectives of how learning takes place (LearningDtr, 2010), provides a framework to develop learning styles which deals with what individual preferences are with regards to the mode of instruction or study that best suits them (Frisby, 2005). Learning strategies then goes to address activities that can be used to assist learners to improve their learning based on their identified styles. Over the years, various technologies continue to be developed to provide support for different learning strategies and styles. These technologies have created whole new ways of seeing teaching and learning. They all, however, are directed at fitting into existing theories. Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, & Freeman (2015) describes one of these technologies, Adaptive learning, as being able to feed content to learners based on learner preferences. This undoubtedly will focus learning more on the learner than on the instructor.  Such technologies have brought with their implementation new dimensions to learner motivation. Huett, Moller, Young, Bray& Huett (2008) citing Song and Keller assert that motivation is generally assumed to exist within the computer aided instruction (CAI) learning space. Huet et al content that this assumption is erroneous, however, it pertains in the CAI learning space. An understanding of this issue therefore is critical for instructional designers hoping to leverage technology to enhance knowledge delivery. Extra efforts must be made to understand and factor in the fact that the lack of direct contact with learners in most CAI learning environments require that motivation be not treated as an afterthought but as a major item in the Instructional design process.

In conclusion, a full appreciation of the theories, concepts and strategies associated with teaching, learning and instructional design gained from this course, has provided new insights into my approach to instructional design. While some grey areas have been cleared, other reflective questions have also come up to enable me execute more research and gain better understanding. For example, how do I design instructional design for a mixed mode learning environment? How do I design CAI learning environment when the learners are generally not technology literate? These and other questions will continue to spur me on in the quest for attaining industry standards in the instructional design field.

References

Frisby, C. L. (2005). Learning styles in Lee, S. W. (Ed.) (2005), Encyclopedia of school psychology. Retrieved from Sage Reference Online database.

Huett, J. B., Moller, L., Young, J., Bray, M., & Huett, K. C. (2008). SUPPORTING THE DISTANT STUDENT: The Effect of ARCS-Based Strategies on Confidence and Performance. Quarterly Review Of Distance Education, 9(2), 113-126.

Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., and Freeman, A. (2015). NMC Horizon Report: 2015 Higher Education Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2015-nmc-horizon-report-HE-EN.pdf

LearningDctr. (2010, June 17). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism & Learning and Instructional Theory [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YOqgXjynd0

Fitting The Pieces Together

Learners create knowledge in different ways. Educational and psychological researchers have proposed different theories that test how learners learn in order to create frameworks for developing learning environments and delivering knowledge. The various “isms”: behariourism, connectivism and constructivism are three major learning theories that have been specifically posited to provide understanding of learning behaviors.  Frisby (2005) notes that interest in learning styles reminds teachers to develop a variety of instructional methods to help diverse students to learn in different ways. Fenwick & Tennant (2004) as part of their key assumptions in exploring adult learning indicate that the adult learner is not an object separable from the educator and that the positionality of the educator affects how the adult learner engages in the learning process. These suggestions pre-suppose that the educator must have an understanding of the learning dispositions of his or her learners as well as a clear reflection on his or her own learning disposition in order to develop learning experiences that support the various learning theories and styles. As an Instructional Designer (ID), I have come to appreciate more the importance of reflecting on my own learning disposition in order to avoid developing a biased learning approach, given the understanding and appreciation of the diverse learning theories and styles that have been shown to exist among learners.

Why do I acquire knowledge the way I do? Could I acquire knowledge in a different way? Are there options for acquiring my knowledge in a combination of ways? Do I necessarily have a preferential disposition for knowledge acquisition or I have just been hardwired to acquire knowledge the way I do? These are but a few questions that come to mind when thinking of myself as well as my learners in terms of learning experiences. Gilbert and Swainer (2008) asserts that even within a given discipline, learning styles can fluctuate, thus a learner responding to a given style in the covering of a given topic in a specific discipline many not necessarily respond in the same manner if that style was used to deliver the learning experience for another topic. Based on this assertion, it is fair to conclude that while learners my gravitate towards a given learning theory or learning style, there are elements of other learning dispositions within each learner, thus educators must endeavor to create a mixed learning experience, incorporating varying learning styles and principles. Armstrong (2009) referencing Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence theory contends that each individual is endowed with all the various intelligences. He notes, however, that some intelligences may be more developed than others based on environmental, social, locational and other factors. A given intelligence being dormant does not therefore mean it does not exist. It could be developed. As has been noted by Ormrod, Schunk and Gredler (2009), brain development continues to persist until early adulthood. These imply that given the appropriate application of learning theories and styles, learners with dispositions that are skewed towards a given direction can still benefit from approaches that are based on other learning dispositions. Gardner (2003) support this assertion noting that the understanding of multiple intelligences should not serve as an educational goal but as a guide to developing learning experiences that take advantage of these multiple intelligences for knowledge creation.

As part of the mechanisms to take advantage of the various learning styles and theories in advancing knowledge delivery, technology will play a crucial role. How learning is presented, where learning opportunities are presented, when learning is presented etc, continue to change rapidly with the incorporation of technology. Current learning technologies as well as future ones will continue to have a huge impact on the learning environment. Collaboration continues to increase with the use of online learning tools. Cross cultural influences continue to become more felt in the learning space due to increased contact amongst persons from diverse geographical locations. Further, the content of information stored within the brain has moved away from the content itself to where to find the content because technology has brought information to the fingertips of learners. A study carried out by a combined team from the universities of Harvard, Wisconsin-Madison and Columbia in the U.S. on Google and Memory, found out that learners who were assured of easy retrieval of information using technology (internet or other), were more prone to storing the location of the information than the information itself (Waugh, 2012, January 25). Learning, be it the behaviourial, cognitive or constructive, have no doubt been influenced and will continue to be by technology. IDs will therefore need to embrace these technologies and fashion out learning experiences that leverage their effective and efficient characteristics.

References

Armstrong, T. (2009). Multiple intelligences in the classroom (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Fenwick, T. and Tennant, M. (2004) Understanding Adult Learners in Foley, G. (Ed.) (2004), Dimensions of adult learning: Adult education and training in a global era (pp. 55-73). Berkshire, England: McGraw-Hill Education

Frisby, C. L. (2005). Learning styles in Lee, S. W. (Ed.) (2005), Encyclopedia of school psychology. Retrieved from Sage Reference Online database.

Gardner, H. (2003, April 21). Multiple intelligences after 20 years. Paper presented to the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL. Retrieved from http://www.inetteacher.com/upload1/104393/docs/multiple%20intelligences.pdf

Gilbert, J., & Swanier, C. (2008). Learning styles: How do they fluctuate? Institute for Learning Styles Journal [Vol. l]. Retrieved from http://www.auburn.edu/~witteje/ilsrj/Journal%20Volumes/Fall%202008%20Volume%201%20PDFs/Learning%20Styles%20How%20do%20They%20Fluctuate.pdf

Ormrod, J. E., Schunk, D. H. & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning Theories and Instruction.(Laureate Custom Edition), New York: Pearson

Waugh, R. (2012, January 25). Are our brains being boggled by Google? Study says humans now use the internet as our main ‘memory’ – instead of our heads. MailOnline. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2091127/Google-boggling-brains-Study-says-humans-use-internet-main-memory.html

Mapping Your Learning Connections

Tags

Connectivism

 

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In the not too distant past, learning for me was restricted to libraries and reference books stored in those libraries. In some areas of knowledge, information in these books was adequate. 1 + 1 has always been 2 in mathematics and this doesn’t seem will change any time soon as such mathematical books proving addition will continue to remain relevant no matter when it was written. However, soon to be discovered was that my Visual Basic 5 programming book did not offer me all the required resources I needed to program in VB.net. Now, that posed an interesting challenge. How does a learner benefit from static information in libraries within a learning experience that has rapidly changing content? It is estimated that 3.5 Zetabyte of unique new information was created in 2014, and that the amount of new technical information doubles every 2 years. This implies that more than ever before, information becomes outmoded much quicker.  Davis, Edmunds and Kelly-Bateman (2008) quote Gonzalez as referring to this obsolescence of information as the half-life of knowledge. They contend that the half-life of knowledge has decreased significantly since the introduction of technology. A learning network that facilitates an update of information thus provides a better alternative for learners within the current learning environment would be much more effective. With the volume of information on the internet, it may be impossible for an individual to access all of it within a given period. Making use of learning connections provides a better way of gaining from the knowledge acquired by others.

The use of learning tools including google search, Youtube, discussion boards, online libraries, online forums, blogs and online newspapers provide immense source of knowledge for me. Being able to aggregate some of these sources using RSS reader/aggregators, provides timely updates without me necessarily scurrying all over to find the needed information.

Discussion boards and online forums provides a good place to begin gathering knowledge of given topics. Wikis also provide an alternative source of gathering information on given topics. Armed with these initial ideas, I then pose questions onto discussion boards or online fora and hope for responses. Every so often, there are prompt responses which give a deeper insight into my questions. The use of online libraries to search for journals provides more authentic sources of information. This varied information then tie in with previous knowledge that I may have gathered and this helps me more efficiently tackle and understand the issues being discussed or addressed.

Davis, Edmunds and Kelly-Bateman (2008) lists Siemens’ underlying connectivism principles as follows

• Learning and knowledge rest in diversity of opinions.
• Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.
• Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
• Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known.
• Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.
• Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.
• Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities

Based on the above principles, my personal learning does seem to support the connectivist approach to learning. I have used the diversity of opinions in online forums to develop a view on issues. I have benefited from connecting information from online newspapers and online journals in order to build knowledge. I have built knowledge from getting more information and the continual connection with these varied information sources has facilitated continually my learning experiences. While the argument as to whether connectivism is a theory or a learning approach continues, I do believe it fits into the learning environment relevant to the technology era of today.

References

Cercone, K. (2008). Characteristics of Adult Learners with Implications for Online Learning Design. AACE Journal, 16(2), 137-159. Retrieved from Walden Databases

Davis, C. Edmunds, E. & Kelly-Bateman. V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://epltt.coe.uga.edu

 

Learning and Information Processing in the Brain

The human brain is a complex organ. Averaging about 3lbs, the brain is made up of billions of cells and caries out complex processes far exceeding that of any computer made. Mauk (2012) notes that executing a single task of sending electrochemical signals requires billions of neurons connected to trillions of synapses.

Information processing, which constitutes the learning process, is carried in the brain similar to what occurs in a computer. The online teacher resource notes “In order for the brain to process information, it must first be stored”. The brain makes use of several different types of storage to achieve this purpose – sensory, working, and long-term memories. Data elements are sent into a working memory, from the sensory neurons. This data is related to information stored in long term memory to make sense of them, and then signals are then sent to receptor neurons to carry out an action. Sometimes when the data sent to the working memory does not relate to anything stored in Long term memory, the brain processes that data to be stored as part of long term memory.

In order for learning to be efficient, therefore, it is important for teachers to ensure that their learners can relate the new information being provided them to information already stored in long term memory. Guan (2015) quoting Jose Bowen, notes that the role of the teacher should be to help students find the relevance or the entry point of the things they are learning. This means teachers must be able to create learning instructions and opportunities for students to find relationships between what they are learning and what they already know. Understanding how the brain works and processes information provides the kind of understanding teachers need to help students find this relationship.

Overview of Instructional Design Blogs

Tags

instructional design, instructional designer, Instructional Designers, Instructional Technology

The field of instructional design draws from multiple experiences from different areas. People learn differently, people teach or deliver knowledge differently, and there are different theories underlying knowledge acquisition. An appreciation of different perspectives in the area of instructional design provides an instructional designer a wider knowledge base from which to pull. Getting into the minds of learners is a critical success factor for any instructional material (Laureate, n.d.). If this process has been carried out by one instructional designer or the other, there is usually no need to repeat the process. Pickup from where the person left off and build upon it. Blogs provide an excellent place to pick up some of these experiences. Ferriter (2009) suggests that blogs are an excellent source of communal learning where blog topics are challenged and polished to provide sharper and crispier content.

http://www.iddblog.org/ for example is an instructional design blog from DePaul University, that has many contributors, all of whom are either members of the university or have been a part of the university at some point. The blog is maintained by the Instructional Technology department of the university. The focus of the blog is to provide a platform for discussing Instructional technology issues. The contributors put out a topic from their perspective and then provide opportunities for others to comment on these topics. While this platform is very rich, being that several topics can be found from different contributors, the limitation of letting only specified contributors to put out the initial thread takes out the diversity possibility of the blog. It could, however, be argued that the essence of this limited contributors is to keep some sanity and control over the blog given that the internet is full of so many people not necessarily wanting to put out sensible information. This challenge could, however, have been taken care of if non-contributing members blogs are first vetted before publishing.

The Rapid E-Learning Blog (http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/) on the Articulate Network also provides a platform for Instructional Designers to discuss issues related to the discipline. The blog is especially designed to provide tips and tricks for designers within the e-learning space. Even though the blog is on the Articulate Network, it is hosted and populated by a single person. This for me, provides a single sided perspective for initiating the discussion, however, the ability for other users to input their comments could give a broader scope to the given topic.

Upside Learning also hosts a blog (http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/) which provides some personal insights into Instructional Design. These blogs also allow for interaction among blog contributors and visitors. Again, this blog is restricted to initial contribution from a select group while it opens up the subsequent topic discussions to all. Like all the blogs discussed, this approach keeps control over the content while providing an opportunity for others to make input into the specific content.

Blogging in any field or discipline provides an essential learning platform. The blogger(s) set the agenda and then open up contributions to a wide array of person. This provides a rich mix of opinions and perspectives thus providing a fertile poll of ideas to learn from.

References

Ferriter, B. (2009). Learning with Blogs and Wikis. Educational Leadership, 66(5), 34-38. Retrieved from Walden Library Databases.

iddblog (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iddblog.org/

Laureate Education (n.d.). An introduction to learning [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.walden.edu

The Rapid E-Learning Blog (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/

Upside Learning (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/