Reflection

What did you find surprising or striking as you furthered your knowledge about how people learn?

Reflection is defined as the following: a mental concentration; careful consideration; a thought or an opinion resulting from such consideration. As I reflect on this course, I found it striking that as learners, we all have different innate abilities for learning. We learn based upon how we are taught as infants. We learn based upon our surroundings. We learned based upon our perception of ideas. We all learn uniquely, in different ways and in many ways. I have found that learning takes place at all times, in every way.

How has this course deepened your understanding of your personal learning process?

This course has deepened my understanding of my learning process by helping me to realize that I am a multifaceted learner. I learn by what I see. I learn by what I do, hands-on. I learn by other people around me. This course has helped me to take into consideration those that I will one day provide instructional design for. I must take into account the different learning styles that we know of, make a strong evaluation and proceed with designing the best instruction possible.

What have you learned regarding the connection between learning theories, learning styles, educational technology, and motivation?

I have learned that learning theories, learning styles, educational technology and motivation all flow together. The theories allow learners and designers to be aware of the theories that point to why we learn as we do. The learning styles allow learners and designers to know what category the instruction must fall into. Educational technology plays a huge role because technology is everywhere and especially for those learners who are online learners, it is the bridge to their motivation. Technology is allowing me to complete this coursework right now and communicate in a way that benefits both the instructor and me. Last but not least, is motivation, it is the deciding factor of whether or not learners complete what they have begun or even get started. As an instructional designer, the content must be engaging enough to motivate the learner to continue on the journey that have decided to begin.

How will your learning in this course help you as you further your career in the field of instructional design?

This course will help me further my career in the field of instructional design by giving me the tools necessary to be informed about the processes of learning. It will help me to evaluate the process of the different learners that I will design for. This course sets me on the right track to know that learning is a two-sided process. The instructional designer and the learner must work together in order for the ARCS model to be accomplished. “Knowing the basic principles of instructional design can help to ensure that what is produced serves a necessary purpose, meets the needs of students, is attractive and well organized, is delivered in an appropriate mode, and is continually evaluated and improved” (Morrison, 2011).

References

Morrison, Gary and et al. Designing Effective Instruction. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2011.

Fitting The Pieces Together

“Learning is commonly defined as a process that brings together cognitive, emotional, and environmental influences and experiences for acquiring, enhancing, or making changes in one's knowledge, skills, values, and world views (Illeris, 2004; Ormrod, 1995). Learning as a process focuses on what happens when the learning takes place. Explanations of what happens constitute learning theories. A learning theory is an attempt to describe how people and animals learn, thereby helping us understand the inherently complex process of learning. Learning theories have two chief values according to Hill (2002). The theories do not give us solutions, but they do direct our attention to those variables that are crucial in finding solutions.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_theory_(education) accessed on June 19, 2011).

Now that I have a deeper understanding of the different learning theories and learning styles, my view on learning has certainly changed for the better because I am more informed.

I have learned that the various learning theories and learning styles over the past week play an important role in my learning preference. I prefer the connectivism, but I find that I am not stuck with only one preference. There are many theories that play an important role in how I learn. Connectivism deals with all the theories in a single instant, even though it speaks of networks and being connected to various groups. The people within the different networks all have different learning styles so therefore, we are connected at some point to the whole of the learning process.

Technology plays a very important role. This online class that I am currently taking as a part of the Walden University curriculum, would not be possible without the use of technology. I can search information and not physically be in the building where the information is located. I can communicate with my professor over an online platform and receive the same information as if I was sitting in the classroom. The fact that I am communicating to finish this assignment I have been given is through the use of technology, without all of this would not be impossible but much more time consuming. Technology simplifies my process for learning.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_theory_(education) accessed on June 19, 2011.

Connectivism and Connectivism Reflection

Connectivism Reflection

This week we were instructed to create a Mind Map because the central tenets of connectivism is that people learn through the networks they construct knowledge. I constructed a Map Map that illustrates my network connections.

My network has changed the way that I learn in that the information is readily available from various sources. My mind map started with Subject Matter – Me – Sources of Information – Me disseminating the information to those who I come in contact with and the cycle continues over and over again. I can learn at a much faster rate, because I can receive information at a much faster rate.

One of the digital tools that best facilitate learning for me is the Internet, since its development, the Internet, has changed the way I live and learn. More than ever, it has become easier to educate myself because the Internet has no geographical limitation. There are many ways that the Internet has changed education for the good and the bad. As a teacher and student, I can obtain research material for papers, tests and projects. Also, it is means for me to continue my education online and receive a Master’s degree. Walden University is an example of a university that is offering online accredited course, which thousands of students are enrolled in without having to leave the comfort of their own homes. This allows me as a student to learn in a self-paced sort of way. It is also a considered as a connection that I have obtained. Another digital tool within the Internet are sites like Wikipedia or Google, where I can type in my search and a wealth of information is returned. I can surf through the information and find what is relevant to what I would like to learn about.

I gain knowledge when I have questions by researching the topics, consulting a professional, or reading magazine articles and books to find out the answers or more information. The network that I have created has chnaged the way that I learn in that there is a wide variety of information online, in textbooks, knowledge of other people.

The ways in which my personal learning supports the central tenets of connectivism is that I realize we must all connect in some way to bridge the knowledge gaps that we have. I do not believe that there is anything new under the sun and that there information is readily available if we seek it out through our connections.