Reflection

As I look back to the beginning of the course, I can remember thinking that the information was going to be a review of the learning theories that I was taught in my undergraduate program.  What I find interesting is how much more I discovered about learning theories this time around during my adult life versus my college career. Dr. Ormrod spoke to this issue when she said, “Adult learners have an advantage over the more traditional college student in the sense that, in my experience, they have a really strong need to know. Your typical college student has a lot of distractions,” [n.d.].

Since I have graduated from college, and began my teaching career, I can say that my desire to understand learning has grown, and grown even larger after taking this course. Some of the most striking theories that I was able to explore were Connectivism and the adult learning theories of Andragogy, Transformational learning, and Experiential learning, (Conlan, Grabowski, & Smith, 2003), (Foley, 2004).  I believe that these were the most striking because I was not aware of their existence prior to this course, and I am able to relate to their core foundations. Connectivism allowed me to see learning in terms of the rapidly-evolving technological world that we live in. As an adult learner, I found the adult learning theories remarkably valid and crucial for understanding the type of learners I hope to someday teach.

In regards to my own learning, I have been able to see the bigger picture. I now see myself as a diverse individual who is able to learn successfully in more than one way. I understand where I fit into the theories of Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism, Connectivism, Adult Learning, and the Multiple Intelligences. I may be drawn to Behaviorist principles when I need to memorize information, or I may be drawn to Cognitive or Constructivist principles when I am working to solve a problem. I know that I am more successful with learning activities that speak to the intelligences that my environment or genetic disposition has activated, (Armstrong, 2000). Connectivism and Adult Learning principles describe my ability and desire to be a life-long learner in today’s world, (Davis, Edmunds, & Kelly-Bateman, 2008).  Thanks to the Information Processing Model, I better understand how connections are formed between concepts within my mind, (Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler, 2009) .

 As a teacher, this course has helped to reinforce the idea that learning theories provide the foundation for our understanding of this complex topic.  From the learning theories we can design instruction that helps our students reach the learning goal.  To ensure that students reach the learning goal we must present material in a variety of ways to meet each student where they are. This can be done by using visual, auditory, and kinesthetic activities, and incorporating each of the Multiple Intelligences when appropriate, (Gilbert & Swanier, 2008). Educational technology is an essential tool that is also used to help each student meet their learning goal while preparing them for tomorrow’s world (Siemens, n.d.).  

 As I work towards becoming an instructional coach, I will use my knowledge of the learning theories to help other teachers tailor their instruction to their instructional goals. If I know a teacher’s learning objective, I will be able to show them how to help their students reach mastery using principles from the learning theories. The experience that I have had with technology in this course will provide me with even more tools that I can share with the teachers that I may one day coach.

Fitting the Pieces Together

• Now that you have a deeper understanding of the different learning theories and learning styles, how has your view on how you learn changed?

                When I was first asked how I learn best, I replied “I learn best when information is visually displayed in an organized way, or when I can connect concepts to real-life situations.” If you were to ask me now, after taking this course, I would say, “It depends.” Learning is a complex topic, and only a portion of learning is described in each of the theories that we “unpacked” throughout the course. When the theories are combined together, the end result is a much more wholistic view of how humans learn, and helped me to see my learning in a more complete way.

                 Before taking this course I knew nothing about the Information Processing Model, Connectivism, Constructivism, or the many Adult Learning Theories, and what I did know of Behaviorism, Multiple Intelligences, Social Learning, and Cognitivism was very little. Now I am sure that I learn new procedural skills through Behavioral or Social Learning models (observation, imitation), that I develop my higher-level abilities (problem-solving) through Cognitive or Constructivist models, that I am drawn to activities that speak to my stronger intelligences, that I use learning strategies to help me remember new information, and that Connectivism and Adult Learning theories explain my ability to be a life-long learner. Like I mentioned before, my idea of how I learn has become more diverse, and I am aware of the times that I learn in more than one way.  

• What have you learned about the various learning theories and learning styles over the past weeks that can further explain your own personal learning preferences?

                I have learned that I prefer lessons that are visual and/or hands on because I have always had strong spatial and kinesthetic/bodily intelligences. I know that these are my learning preferences because these are the primary intelligences that I have activated due to my cultural background, personal experience, and genetic predisposition, (Armstrong, 2000). I also know that my strong appreciation for hands on learning is an attribute of adult learners, (Conlan, Grabowski, Smith, 2003).

                I can identify with each of these principles outlined by andragogy (Conlan, Grabowski, Smith, 2003):

·         Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction

·         Experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for learning activities

·         Adults are most interested in learning about subjects that have immediate relevance to their job or personal life

·         Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented

                In a learning situation, I appreciate when I can choose topics of personal interest, and when I am able share my experiences. Specifically, I enjoy topics that empower me to become an expertise in my field and I find that these topics give me a greater motivation to learn and succeed. The Social Learning theory also spoke to my preference of learning alongside others in apprenticeships or collaborative groups. If I am able to watch a person of expertise in action, I am able to retain and imitate their behaviors or thought-processes, (http://www.learning-theories.com/social-learning-theory-bandura.html).

What role does technology play in your learning (i.e., as a way to search for information, to record information, to create, etc.)?

                              Technology plays an enormous role in my formal and informal learning experiences. Various applications and tools allow me to be a more independent, and self-directed learner. I am able to connect to a multitude of outside sources, and tap into the knowledge that lies in the digital world, (Siemens, 2005). For my career, I use the internet for lesson planning websites and teacher forums. At times I feel like I am glued to my email, and a cloud-computing website called Edit Grid that my team uses to collaborate on our weekly lesson plans. 

                              For my formal learning, I take advantage of the online library available through Walden for additional resources. I am also able to connect and discuss different topics with my peers and instructors through course discussions. Because of this course I have been exposed to Free Mind, and I am now able to implement this program in many different ways in my own classrooms. I have already been tinkering with several ways that my students can use mind mapping software to plan a research paper. Also, thanks to the Tech Resources section of our course page I have been able to explore other applications such as Wiki’s and Google docs.  

                              As we have seen in the Connectivist theory, technology broadens our learning networks, (Davis, Edmunds, & Kelly-Bateman, 2008).  I am so grateful for the many tools and resources that technology has provided in my career and in my education to make me a more knowledgeable individual.

References

Armstrong, T. (2000). Multiple intelligences in the classroom (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., & Smith, K. (2003). Adult learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Adult_Learning

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.

Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2008). Social learning theory (Bandura). Learning-theories.com. Retrieved from: http://www.learning-theories.com/social-learning-theory-bandura.html .

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: a learning theory for the digital age. Elearnspace. Retrieved from: http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm