Learning Theories and Instruction Refelction

Reflection: Learning Theories and Instruction

My undergraduate degree is in education so learning theories are not new to me.  However, I never delved this deeply into theories or studied more than the basic theories.  Piaget, Skinner, Maslow; that is what I remember from my undergraduate courses.  In the 1990s, no one was particularly concerned with incorporating technology into instructional design.  I started teaching school in 1995 and it was 1998 before I got a desktop computer in my classroom. I do remember in 1996, the media specialist at my school was very excited to have a remote control mouse with a huge tracking ball.  This is truly a reflection.  I had forgotten how far things have come in a short amount of time.

Many things in this course surprised me.  I have always been a big proponent of early childhood education but was surprised to find that the later years are just as important as the younger years in learning; that gains made will be lost if stimulating learning environments are not continued (Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler, 2009). I was relieved to find out that short term memory can only hold about 5 pieces of information as I often worried about myself (Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler, 2009). I never realized how important reflection is on the; without reflection, transfer cannot occur (Fenwick and Tennant, 2004. It is intriguing to me to see how differently people learn, “learning is not one thing…it is multi-facetted,” (Kapp, 2007).

            I have learned a great deal about my personal learning process as well.  The key thing that I have found out is that learning is not merely reading text and taking a test; to process information I have to do something with it; to transfer it to my long term memory, I have to do something with it.  I need to encode information in various ways so that it is stored effectively (Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler, 2009). It reassures me and frightens me to know that memory decreases with age (Cercone, 2008).  I learn well through social interactions (Kim, 2001). I create more meaning from the experience I have with the material as I interact with my classmates and learn from their experiences and perspectives (Ertmer & Newby, 1993). As we share out life experiences with one another, the discussions are enriched and I learn even more (Spencer, 2004). We cannot all personally experience everything that we need to know about so we must access one another’s experiences and knowledge; technology makes this possible (Davis, Edmunds, &Kelly-Bateman). Learning is about change and I have definitely changed throughout this class (Cercone, 2006).

            Examining learning theories in light of instructional design gave me some new insights.  The role of the teacher should be to challenge students to think (Ormrod, Schunk, &Gredler, 2009). Lecturing is not going to accomplish that. I will need to give learners tools rather than facts (Ertmer & Newby 1993); teach them to use learning strategies (Laureate Education, 2009). Each individual must be an active participant in constructing meaning so multiple interpretations will exist (Jenkins, 2006).  As an instructional designer, assessments must be designed in which students can make use of their own intelligences and ensure that it does not just assess those who are good with numbers and words (Gardner, 2000).

As an instructional designer, it is important to incorporate different learning styles into lessons so that most of the participants feel comfortable; then they can be asked to stretch outside of their comfort zone (Gilbert & Swanier, 2008). When designing a training that is employer imposed, the imposition should be acknowledged and trainees should be assured that their time will be well spent (Laureate Education, 2009). No matter what the situation, the attention of the participants should be grabbed right away with a puzzle or a paradoxical situation (Laureate Education, 2009).  If all intelligences are kept in mind when designing the task, the task should be motivating to the participants (Gardner, 2003).  Using a piece of technology because it is the newest thing around is not going to motivate the audience. Varying presentation styles and relating the topic to the learner’s work can help hold attention (Keller, 1999). In instructional design, it is important to keep in mind that not all learners have the same level of comfort with technology.  It is important to design tasks and assessments so that students can do what they feel comfortable doing.  Frequent, genuine feedback is important in any instructional situation as feedback promotes competence and self-determination (Ormrod, Shunck, & Gredler, 2009).

I have learned a great deal about learning theories and how to apply them.  As I move on to other classes, I will not forget how much more I learn when I am an active participant in a network (Siemens, 2011), I will not allow myself to just sit back and listen.  I feel that the small size of this class has been most beneficial to me.  I will not always be privileged to be in such a small class but I can build community for myself (Hackelman-Goode, 2011). I will encourage active participation within my classes from now on.  I will design activities in which even the students, who choose to sit off to the side, will have to take part so that they can be a part of the network.  I believe that knowledge is in the network (Hackleman-Goode, 2011) and I want to build a network for myself and my students.

References

Cercone, K. (2008). Characteristics of adult learners with implications for online learning design. AACE Journal, 16(2), 137–159. Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Reader.ViewAbstract&paper_id=24286

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

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (1993). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an intstructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly.

Fenwick, T., & Tennant, M. (2004). Understanding Adult Learners. In G. Foley, Dimensions of adult learning: Adult education and trianing in a global era. McGraw-Hill Education.

Gardner, H. (2000). Can technology exploit our many ways of knowing? Retrieved from http://www.howardgardner.com/docs/Can%20Technology%20Exploit%20Our%20Many%20Ways%20of%20Knowing.pdf

Gardner, H. (2003, April 21). Multiple intelligences after 20 years. Paper presented to the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL. Retrieved from http://www.pz.harvard.edu/PIs/HG_MI_after_20_years.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

Hackleman-Good, L.  (2011, April 15). Re: Institutional and /Versus Connected Learning [Youtube video]. Retrieved from http://leahgrrl.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/cck11-institutional-andversus-networked-learning/.

Jenkins, J. (2006). Constructivism. Retrieved September 23, 2011, from Encyclopedia of Educational Leadership and Administration: http://www.sage-reference.com/view/eleadership/n121.xml

Kapp, K. (2007, January 02). Out and About: Discussion on Educational Schools of Thought. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from Kapp Notes: http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational/

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

Kim, B. (2001). Social Constructivism in M. Orey (Ed.). Retrieved September 23, 2011, from Emerging Perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Social_Constructivism

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Information processing and the brain. [DVD].

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Motivation in Learning [DVD].

Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom edition). New York: Pearson.

Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. Retrieved September 22, 2010, from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Spencer, B. (2004). On- line adult learning. In G. Foley, Understanding Adult Learners. McGraw-Hill Education.

Putting the Pieces Together

Now that I have a deeper understanding of learning theories and styles, the main thing that has changed is that I had to move away from how I think I like to learn to how I actually learn. My preference is to not work as hard as I must to really process the information and learn. I described a training situation in my first discussion post. I enjoyed the session because it did have meaning for me, I was not bored, or pushed beyond my cognitive load; I did not get discouraged (Lim, 2004). In the end, I did not really learn the material. I do not use Study Island, the material never made it to my long term memory (Ormrod, Shrunk, &Gredler, 2009).

Connectivism and the theory of social learning describe how I learn best. I do not think that one theory is adequate to describe my learning style. When I enrolled at Walden, I thought that I was going to miss the social interaction of the traditional classroom setting. I have found that I interact more because of the discussion board than I would in a live classroom setting. I have time to process information, go back and review material and make thoughtful contributions. My fellow classmates’ posts help me to give information relevance (Smith, 1999). I feel that I am learning so much in the online environment. This work is hard, a lot harder than I though it would be, but I am REALLY learning. I learn because I have to reinterpret material in order to answer the discussion questions. I learn a great deal from my classmates. Our instructor helps us to make connections and I feel that our learning has been scaffolded (Lim, 2004). The complexity in the discussion questions has increased exponentially!

In the social learning theory, social activities and interaction amongst the learning community is how learning occurs (Kim, 2001). I enjoy being part of a learning community. The connectivism theory states that active participation (Siemens, 2011) and diversity of opinions (Davis, Edmunds & Kelly-Bateman, 2008) are the ways in which learning occur. One must be an active participant in the discussion board; one must read and respond to people who hold similar and varied viewpoints. The social learning theory states that learning is transactional and socially constructed (Ormrod, Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. 2009). The discussion board is all of these things and how I learn the most.

Technology plays a tremendous role in my learning. I was sure I was going to resent reading from the computer but have found that being forced to take notes rather than highlight helps me process the test more thoroughly and more quickly. The ideal note taking situation is for me to stay after school so that I may use my dual monitor to read and type notes rather than have to write them. I enjoy being able to manipulate the text in the word document. Cutting and pasting actual paper notes is much messier. The files on my drives are much more organized than the physical files in my office. If I cannot find something, I can make use of the search function. In general, I find that I am more able to make and keep up to date with contacts through email rather than phone calls. My cell phone does not always have service; I am not always in my office, but I can always email as I am addicted to my Smartphone!

References

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

Jenkins, J. (2006). Constructivism. Retrieved September 23, 2011, from Encyclopedia of Educational Leadership and Administration : http://www.sage-reference.com/view/eleadership/n121.xml

Kim, B. (2001). Social Constructivism in M. Orey (Ed.). Retrieved September 23, 2011, from Emerging Perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology: http://www.projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Connectivism. [DVD].

Lim, C. P. (2004). Engaging Learners in Online Learning Environments. TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning , 48, pp. 16-23.

Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom edition). New York: Pearson.

Siemens, George. (2011, May 1). Connectivism: Moving beyond self-directed learning: Network-directed learning.[Blog message]. Retrieved from http://www.connectivism.ca/.

Smith, M. (1999). Learning Theory. Retrieved September 09, 2011, from The encyclopedia of informal education: www.infed.org/bibkio./b-learn.htm

Reflection: How my connections facilitate my learning

Reflection: How my connections facilitate my learning.

I had never really considered my learning network until recently. The mind map demonstrated to me more connections than I thought, but I should make more. I am not as intrinsically motivated to learn as some and have a tendency to leave work at work. I hesitate to get together with others outside of work time to reflect on things that I could have, should have, or would have done. As I delve back into the world of academia, I am more inspired than I was. I spend a great deal of time reflecting on the learning that is occurring within me and within my students. Now that this fire has been lit, I want it to spread, I want a bigger network.

Blogging and my RSS reader are going to be good sources for me. Hackleman-Good gives some tips for a MOOC which can be applied to a blog. A person must brand themselves, network, cluster, and focus (Hackleman-Good, 2011). I thought about what to call my blog for a good while, I want people to know that I am a student, not an expert. Now, I have to start declaring by posting more often. I cannot network or cluster without followers. I have always enjoyed reading as a hobby and often get ready for the day by drinking coffee and reading silly emails. Now, I read blogs. I am learning constantly.

The digital tools that I find most helpful are the Walden Library, the discussion board, and the world wide web. The discussion board has enhanced my learning greatly. My fellow classmates’ posts help me to give information relevance (Smith, 1999) and the discussion back and forth reinforces ideas within my mind. When I search on the web, I do spend a good amount of time verifying that the sources are accurate and reliable. I know what whatever I find at the Walden Library is valid.

Recently, I have become more dependent on other people for learning. I have found some very useful connections within my work structure. I will continue to nurture and maintain these connections as I seek out others (Davis, Edmunds, &Kelly-Bateman). I used to think it was more efficient to figure things out by myself rather than seek assistance from others when I had a question. I am not patient when I have a problem. Posting a question to a blog or even the discussion board does not satisfy me as I need answers immediately! I do get satisfaction out of hounding out an answer on the internet.

While my learning network needs more connections, it supports the tenets of connectivism. The world has been flattened by technology (Freidman, 2005). We cannot all personally experience everything that we need to know about so we must access one another’s experiences and knowledge; technology makes this possible (Davis, Edmunds, &Kelly-Bateman). I have enjoyed social networking using technology for years, now I exchange information via networking as well (Laureate Education, 2009). I just have to get as hooked on my reader as I am on facebook!

References

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

Friedman, T. (2005, April 3). It's a flat world, after all. The New York Times .

Hackleman-Good, L.  (2011, April 15). Re: Institutional and /Versus Connected Learning [Youtube video]. Retrieved from http://leahgrrl.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/cck11-institutional-andversus-networked-learning/.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Connectivism. [DVD].

Smith, M. (1999). Learning Theory. Retrieved September 09, 2011, from The encyclopedia of informal education: www.infed.org/bibkio./b-learn.htm

Pre-Prezi Mind Map

I posted this yesterday and then went back and deleted it. Upon reflection, I decided that I should repost. When constructing my mind map, I wanted to learn a new program but quickly became bogged down.  The last few weeks have been more hectic...franctic even...than I am accustomed to so I took the quick route and composed my mind map on Word.  I still spent a larger amount of time on the map than I had estimated.
I have never converted a word document to a jpeg file.  I have learned to make the conversion early on in the design of the word document so that image issues can be dealt with.  I was EXTREMELY unhappy with the conversion.

I worked with Prezi some this summer in a staff development that I chose to go to to assist me in a project that I was assigned last semester.  We did not spend a great deal of time on Prezi however so I was uncomfortable using it by myself. Fortunately, one of my connections is a very tech savvy co-worker who walked me through the change from word to Prezi!

Connectivism - Mind Map of Learning Connections

Copy of MIND MAP on Prezi

Evaluating and Identifying Online Resources

Identifying and evaluating good resources can be a daunting and time consuming task I have found!

During this week’s reading, I became increasingly concerned about the lack of instruction of metacognitive learning strategies; teachers have been taught to use these strategies but we do not teach them.  We are a learning focused school and the classrooms are filled with advanced organizers, we preview material, review material, make students explain the material to someone else, and explain to us how they can use it in their lives.  Teachers are told not to just lecture to students; that students should be actively engaged in the learning process.  Students are issued textbooks but they are also issued guided notes to go along with the readings.

I will have to admit that I do not have much knowledge of what goes on in the advanced placement classes at my school.  I work in the career, technical, and agricultural education classes only.  Ah! Career Tech, those kids don’t need learning strategies, everything they do is hands on! That is the case some times but do you really want to have a veterinarian performing a procedure on your dog if they do not know the anatomy of the dog?  Do you want your hair stylist mixing the color for your hair if she did not learn the proper mixture of base and chemicals? I am concerned that being forced to make the grade has led our schools to spoon feed children and to focus more on regurgitating the right information rather than spending the time teaching them how to learn.  Or teaching them WHY we teach them the way that we do.

Graphic organizers are so useful to me when trying to comprehend the difficult material I encountered this past week. The text book was very confusing to me. It seemed repetitive and I couldn’t grasp the material until I put it all into a graphic organizer.  If only Dr. Paige had designed a graphic organizer for me, then I would have known what he wanted me to know.  If Dr. Paige was a high school teacher, that is what he would have done. When this occurs, students are not able to apply what they know or think to the material, they are not able to critically reflect and miss out on the opportunity for high level learning to take place (Paige, 2011).

This leads to how I approached the assignment for this week.  The assignment is to find at least two resources on this week’s topics: the brain and learning, information processing theory, and problem solving methods during the learning process. I chose to research teaching metacognitive strategies to learners.  The most effective learners are metacognitively astute (Laureate Education, 2009). I want to help my students become effective learners.

I found an article detailing a study http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ890653.pdf  by Helen Ngaozi ibe from the Imo State University in Nigeria of the effects of metacognitive strategies on classroom participation and student achievement in high school science classes. The study involved three groups – a think-pair-share (TPS), a metacognitive strategy (MS) group, and a control group. All three groups were given a reflective journal topic at the beginning of each class. The control group was given a cognitive question, given time to write and then asked to share their thoughts with the class.  The TPS group was given the same prompt but then paired up with another student to discuss their thoughts and then asked to share with the class.  The MS group was given a metacognivitve question and then asked to share their thoughts with the class. The pre-test/post test results were not greatly different between the MS group and the TPS group.  Both of those strategies worked and the author pointed out that that this goes along with the constructivist theory of the teacher to encourage reflective and autonomous thinking (ibe, 2009). These students were creating meaning from their own experiences (Ertmer & Newby, 1993). The MS group did have higher quality discussions.

Using metacognitive strategies can help motivate students as it can help them know that they have not learned everything that they need to learn – they won’t stop studying too early! Also, can help them apply the learning to every day life which is motivating (ibe,2009) . Giving students a metacognitive journal topic forces them to encode the information differently because the problem is much more complex (Laureate Education, 2009). If these students could then share with a partner, the information would be encoded using socioaffective strategies (Orey, 2001). That could be a VERY powerful learning tool.  If the students were instructed why this was done, their study habits could possibly be influenced.

I found a presentation on teaching metacognition strategies that reassured me that my high school students may not be lost.  http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI08104.pdf

It seems that professors are also worried by the lack of performance by freshmen especially (Lovett, 2008). College is supposed to be different from high school.  The presentation was interesting.  Lovett studied high school and college students and even modeled an online course for the high school students.   I found “wrappers” to be useful. A wrapper is an activity that helps students clue in on the important aspects of a lecture, reading, or homework.  In lectures, the professor present tips on active listening, then lectures, students are asked to  write down three key ideas from the lecture.  The professor then tells the class his or her three key ideas. Across three successive lectures, the key ideas increasingly matched the professor’s (Lovett, 2008).  This is a powerful tool to teach students.

I am going to use this with lectures and assignments as well.  It could be carried on to giving students resources and a discussion topic and have them read and identify three key ideas from the reading.

Teaching metacognitve strategies does show improvements in test scores.  Introducing these skills and giving students practice at them, improves learning (Lovett, 2008). I am excited to start teaching these strategies to my students!

References

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (1993). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly.

ibe, H. (2009). Metacognitive Strategies on Classroom Participation and Student Achievement in Senior Secondary School Science Classrooms. Science Education International, 20(1-2), 25-31. Retrieved from EBSCOhost

Lovett, M. (2008, 1 28). Educause Teaching Metacognition . Retrieved September 16, 2011, from Educause : http://www.educause.edu/Resources/TeachingMetacognition/162556

Paige, R. (2011, September 16). Re: Understanding how the brain processes [Discussion group comment] Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5693693&Survey=1&47=9451864& ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

ID and Learning Theory Blogs

This is my very first experience with blogs.  I have felt a little overwhelmed by all of this. Some of the ID blogs are way over my head at this point in time.  I have perused a large number of blogs over the past week. Until I enrolled at Walden, I had not widely used web based research. Looking over blogs has reminded me how important it is to analyze information we are receiving and whether or not it is valid. I looked for blogs that had frequent and recent posts.  I have discovered some interesting blogs through the RSS feeder but when I visited the actual blog, there was little content and sometimes it was years old. 
These are three that I found useful.

http://christytucker.wordpress.com/2007/05/26/what-does-an-instructional-designer-do/
Christy Tucker is a wealth of information on being an Instructional Designer.  Reading her blog reassured me that I have chosen the correct field of study.  My bachelor’s degree and teaching certification are in special education.  I would like to go in another direction, particularly at the college level; but not as a traditional professor.  I chose the path of instructional design and technology because I thought it would be less dull than a lot of other areas.  Now I know not only will it be more exciting than other areas but I know what I would ultimately like to do. I would like to be an ID at a college.  A friend of mine is going to embark on her first online teaching experience.  I hope I can be of some help to her! There are interactive tutorials and Tucker responds to questions and gives advice on how to look for an ID job, which schools to take classes at, whether a degree or a certificate would be the most appropriate route, etc.   Tucker’s weekly bookmarks cover everything from questioning learning theories to gender differences in software training.  The blog is easy to access and to maneuver around.

http://usablelearning.wordpress.com/

Julie Dirksen is an independent consultant in instructional design and e-learning.  This blog appeals to me because it is my goal to retire from public education and become a consultant.  I think Dirksen has some really informative presentations but at my present level of learning, they are a bit over my head.  Dirksen discusses some gaming issues which have no interest to me at all but everything she discusses is well researched.  Her entry on learner motivation was intriguing to me.  Once again, if I am going to teach adults, motivation and control will be a great deal different than working with teenagers.  Dirksen discusses the TAM model and as I was reading it, I was picturing myself at various trainings I have been through.  I will keep the TAM model in mind when conducting trainings from now on.

http://www.learning-theories.com/

I almost did not include this site. It is not a blog but a knowledge abse and webliography. But it is an interactive site and a comprehensive data base for learning theories, models, and perspectives.  It will be a handy “pocket guide” on my computer! I like the idea of a clearinghouse if fairly recent research.  All of the research is documented.