Anyone Got a Penny?

When beginning this course, Learning Theories and Instruction, I was not sure what to expect. I came into the course with a basic understanding of how people learn from my personal experiences as an elementary music educator, and knowledge of different learning styles, but I did not know much about why learners seemed to prefer one style of learning over another. The learning theory that surprised me the most, however, was the theory behind adult learning. Since I am currently an adult enrolled in a master’s program through an online university, I related first-hand to the ideals of adult learning that were presented by Wetzel (2008). When I began my experience here at Walden, I felt motivated to obtain a degree in something outside of music to secure myself further employment in a time where funding for education is being lessened. Like many adults, I chose an online degree program because I desired flexibility to complete coursework around my teaching and personal schedule, as well as assignments that were practical and able to be applied to my current profession. This theory helped me to realize how and I why I came to the realization that an online degree program was best for me, though at the time, I was unaware there was a theory to my decision.

                        During this course, we looked at how different learning theories can be used as a filter for information, but not as a way of signaling our routes for instruction (Kerr, 2007). While each learning style is different, each is a way for the learner’s brain to encode data from stimuli and either use it right away from its short-term memory, or store it for later use in the long-term memory (Orey, 2001). At the present time in education, at least in my current school district, there has been a push for differentiated instruction, or teaching the same topic in different ways in order to accommodate different learning styles.

However, as we have learned, the way information is encoded into the brain fluctuates not only by learner, but by situation and topic as well (Gilbert and Swainer, 2008). While differentiated instruction has its benefits, this course has allowed me to realize that an educational approach that focuses more on learning strategies, such as elaboration or mnemonic devices, is more beneficial to learners, as these tools lead themselves to all learners, not just a specific set of learners.

                        As we thoroughly examined learning theories and strategies that affect how we learn, we also examined how technology has changed also affected our learning experiences, and, in my opinion, is the cornerstone to instructional design in today’s educational experiences. Technology not only serves as a way for learners to interact with each other from distant locations through programs such as GoogleDocs, Skype, or cloud computing, but also serves as a tool to motivate learners. The increasing availability of blogs, websites, message boards, videos, and online journals have provided innumerable resources for all learners to find answers to their own questions, as well as allow them to ask questions of others in a virtual world. Dr. Jeanne Ormrod stated that to learn effectively, one must not only have the cognitive processes that will enable he or she to learn, but also the desire to learn (n.d.). As the number of students who are pursuing online education continues to rise because of the benefits they offer, there is also the fact that online courses have a much higher incompletion rate than those courses where the students and instructors meet face to face (Anonymous, n.d.; Dupin-Bryant, 2004, cited by Huett, Kalinowshi, Moller, & Huett, 2008). Therefore, as I continue to pursue a career in instructional design, it is important that I continue utilizing available technology not only to elaborate on lessons and create a meaningful learning experience, but as a tool to motivate those in these courses to learn.

References

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

Huett, J.B., Kalinowski, K.E., Moeller, L. & Huett, K.C. (2008). Improving the motivation and retention

of online students through the use of ARCS-based emails. American Journal of Distance

Education 22(3), 159–176. Retrieved from:

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&hid=107&sid=b66d6b37-4921-47e7-a75d-4ba506dd5800%40sessionmgr110

Kerr, B. (2007, January 01). _isms as a filter, not blinker [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html

Laureate Educational Inc. (2009), “Motivation in learning” [DVD Transcript], Baltimore, MD. Dr. Jeanne Ormrod

Orey, M. (2001). Information processing. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Information_processing

Wetzel, D. (2008, August 17). Adult education benefits-it's never too late. Retrieved from http://david-r-wetzel.suite101.com/benefits-of-adult-education-its-never-too-late-a64820

Ripping Off Labels

Learning theories address how people learn (n.d.). In the beginning of this course, we were asked to label ourselves as to what theory of learning we most identified with. As we have explored theories such as behaviorism, constructivism, social-learning, and others, I find that I cannot truly identify with one of these styles of learning more than how I can identify with another.

If I were to draw a picture of myself as a learner, I believed it would look something like this:

As we have examined each learning theory, we have found there are not only many things that make each unique, but things that are similar between each theory as well. For instance, the social learning theory emphasizes the importance of culture and context in understanding and constructing knowledge based on the understanding  (Derry, 1999; McMahon, 1997, cited by Kim, 2001).  To me, this is also very similar to the constructivism theory of learning, which believes learners construct their knowledge on their own experiences (Ertmer & Newby, 1993). Experiences and personal understanding to me are open to similar interpretations. For example, I grew up in a very different educational system and culture than the one in which I currently teach, but in my years of schooling, I did similar projects, such as dioramas and science experiments that helped me to draw my own conclusions about a subject.  I attended school in a suburban district. The projects I turned in not only reflected upon  knowledge, but also the culture of my school and community, which consisted mostly of two-parent working households with high expectations and involvement . Today, I teach in an urban district. Some of my students are fortunate to have the same opportunities as I did, and it shows in their work ethic and academic performance. However, in the community which I live and teach, the involvement by parents for many students is limited by jobs that are not typical “9-5” occupations, therefore student work is much more student guided than parent guided and the quality of the work for many of these students is less than those who have the priviledge of parent involvement, demonstrating , in my mind, how constructive learning is also social learning.  

Also, I feel this picture represents how I learn because of the statement in the article by Gilbret & Swainer that states that student styles of learning will fluctuate not only by student, but by topic or lesson, and that these styles will affect the way students acquire and process information (Gilbret & Swainer, 2008). If I had to pick a statement that summarized what I have learned about myself these past seven weeks, this would be the one. How I learned as a child differs with how I learned in college, and how I learned in college is much different than how I learn today. This is because not only have I changed as a student, but the topics in which I am learning are also very different. However, though my preferences in learning have changed, the strategies, such as elaboration and mnemonic devices, which I choose to use to help aid my learning have not.

Lastly, when I labeled myself as a behaviorist, I knew nothing of adult learning theory. At this time of my life,  I am very much an autonomous learner, seeking answers on my own to questions of my own.  I feel that technology has allowed for me to become an adult learner, because it allows for me to look up answers by simply typing an inquiry in Google or another search engine. Through search engines, I am able to filter through several views of the topic and use my own life experiences to draw a conclusion (Lieb, 1991).

Once upon a time, I labeled myself as a behaviorist learner, one who learns through changes in frequency of an observable performance who has acquired habits through modeling and cues (Ertmer & Newby, 1993). Today, in order to truly learn, I am ripping off my label.

References

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (1993)Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 6(4), 50–71.

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

Kim, B. (2001). Social constructivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Social_Constructivism