Fitting the Pieces Together

Psychology has been studying learning for more than 100 years. Researchers are focusing on what is going on inside the head and also how teachers, instructional designers, anyone who wants to help people learn how they can design instruction to make those cognitive processes work well for the learner. To teach effectively, I believe it is vital to understand some of the different learning styles and have some understanding of how students learn.

I am a visual and hands-on learning. I can read something and read it again and not always have a clear understanding of what I've read. However when something is demonstrated to me or if I am involved with the demonstration (by doing) I have a clear understand of everything I have read.

According to Bill Kerr blog “Learning theory is like politics, is full of isms: constructivism, behaviorism, cognitivism and now a new one, connectivisim. "The idea is that the learner is a complex information-processing system and to understand how learning occurs, one must understand how information processing occurs within the human brain... in the cognivitist's view learning occurs internally and through the social interactions with others."

The mind is not like a computer, at least, not like most any computer we've build, and depicting the mind as analogous to (and governed by the rules governing) symbol system processors is to misrepresent it in a fundamental way.

In the world we live in today technology plays a major role in our every lives and if we are not using some type of technology to learn we are living under a rock. We have emergency room doctors using wikipedia to diagnose patients. http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/05/poll-should-doctors-use-wikipedia-for.html

According a recent study, 50 percent of physicians who go online for professional reasons use Wikipedia to answer health questions, and the number of doctors who this popular user-generated web encyclopedia has doubled over the past year. Supposedly because wikipedia is updated in real time and this can be useful information.

The best way for me to gain knowledge is to first, ask questions, and more questions, to get the answer. I also, use the computer and the Internet to gain knowledge by searching for the answers. Another way I gain knowledge is through my friends, colleagues, and family. In today’s world, technology is at the front line for information.

Technology has leaded me to pursue a degree online, I can research articles for my assignments, communicate and social network with family and friends across the global. I can research just about anything-using technology. In 2008 I went to South Africa for two weeks and visited a Computer café and was able to communicate with my family and colleagues in the States. I was so excited that they were available when I sent the email. It is amazing what technology can do for us and how much it has grown over the last 10-15 years and continues to advance more daily. I love technology but it is also a little intimidating at times.

Also, According Felder et al. (2002), “people have different learning styles that are reflected in different academic strengths, weaknesses, skills, and interests. Understanding learning style differences is thus an important step in designing balanced instruction that is effective for all students” (p. 3)

Reference:

Kevinmd.com Blog

Bill Kerr: http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html

A reflection on how my connections facilitate my learning:

My network has been a great resource for my growth and development, personally, academically and professionally. I have a network, of family, friends, my job, Walden University, Library, and the Internet, etc. We all need some sort of network in order to survive. If I didn’t have a network I would be lost in the wilderness. Even the animals have a network and know how to use it, to their advantage. The dictionary defines Network as a group or system of interconnected people or things: a trade network. a group of people who exchange information, contacts, and experience for professional or social purposes : a support network.

George Siemens describes Connectivism as a learning theory that integrates technology, social networks, and information.

Life is very interesting. It doesn’t matter our age; we are always learning something new each and every day of our lives. We have always had a network to learn from. Our network changes with each generation. My great-grandparents network, was very limited, it was basically their circle of friends and family; my grandparents, had family, friends, church, radio and maybe a television, my parents have friends, family, television, radio, computer, and the Internet. Since early childhood we have connected and network with our parents, teachers, friends, other students, television, radio, library, and as with every generation, there is advancement and things change and for this generations it is through computers, Internet, websites, social networks, blog, and facebook, etc.

The environment in which I work, live, and play has a wealth of information not only for me as an adult learner but also for my autistic son. My network has changed my way of learning in many ways. What I am doing right now, typing my blog for posting later. I say WOW! I have a blog and last year I didn’t know what a blog was or how it worked. Today, I am writing a blog, now that’s a big change. Also, because of this course “Learning Theories and Instructions” I know more about blog, RSS, mind map, the different types of learning theories and learning styles. I am still learning how to learn and I love it!

The best way for me to gain knowledge is to first, ask questions, and more questions, to get the answer. I also, use the computer and the Internet to gain knowledge by searching for the answers. Another way I gain knowledge is through my friends, colleagues, and family. In today’s world, technology is at the front line for information. I was in a meeting with some colleagues and one my colleagues read somewhere that an emergency room doctor used wikipedia to diagnose his patient. I don’t know if that’s scary or great! Of course we all laughed but really it wasn’t funny.

Julie Conlan, Sarah Grabowski, Katie Smith described four learning theories and they are 1) Action Learning, 2) Experiential Learning, 3) Self-Directed Learning, and 3) Project-Based Learning. The experiential learning theory, best describe my learning style.

The experiential learning theory is the best learning theory for me. I learn and gain knowledge and skills quickly by doing. I learn how to ride a bike by doing it, including falling off and scaring my knees and getting back up and trying again. I learn how to use a computer by first teaching myself how to type and taking computer classes. As, with learning Instructional Design, the best way for me to come up with the right learning tool, I will learn by doing as well as the individuals who will be using the system.

Learning how to use a computer is the best digital tool that has facilitated my learning. The computer gives me access to the world’s largest classroom. With the computer and the Internet, I can become my own doctor, (don’t know if that’s better than going to a real doctor), I can complete my degree in an online classroom, I can research information for my courses, I can communicate with my classmates and professor, and the list can go on and on.

Reference:

Adult Learning http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Adult_Learning

Connetivism Mind Map