Fitting The Pieces Together

After six weeks of in depth analysis of a variety of learning theories, I have a much greater understanding of the complexity between individuals and how difficult it must be for an instructional designer to pick just one “tool” to use that would best cater to the content being presented. At the beginning of my analysis of learning theories I put myself somewhere between a behaviorist and a constructivist. I still believe this to be true. If anything, learning more about all these theories reaffirmed my belief that an instructional designer must integrate elements of each depending on the content. I cannot wholeheartedly say I agree with one theory over another. However, for the most part I lean towards the constructivist point of view which I see is much intermingled with social learning theory. I do believe that social interaction, be it virtually or face to face, plays a great role in activating prior knowledge, making connections, inferencing and leads to deeper understanding. These “connections” lead to someone making that learning their own. Adults, as andragogy states, learn with the perspective of having immediate use of that knowledge. They really only seek to retain the information that will be most relevant to them. With that in mind, as a designer it would be beneficial to consistently revise content to weed out unnecessary information and create learning experiences that play on adults’ intrinsic motivation and prior knowledge.

As an adult learner myself, I find that my learning depends on a mix of both traditional and modern strahttp://www.symbaloo.com/mix/virtualteachingtools . My view, however, is that technology should be used to bring people together. Much like social learning theory states, it does not take place only within an individual, nor is it a passive development of behaviors that are shaped by external forces. Instead, meaningful learning occurs when individuals are ACTIVELY engaged in social activities. The virtual environment is the perfect place to bring pools of knowledge from all over the world together to create these meaningful social learning experiences. 

tegies. I have evolved from needing a physical document I can highlight, for instance, to highlighting on an actual PDF and making comments of major points to help me remember information. I still make use of mnemonic devices quite often. For example, to remember all these learning theories I came up with the acronym BACCCS- behaviorist, adult learning, constructivism, cognitivism, connectivism and social learning. I’ve painted a picture in my head of a person climbing a mountain with their “BACCC”pack of tools to use on their climb. I hope to be able to use these tools in my future as an instructional designer. Moreover, since I work in the virtual field as well, I see the relevance and practicality of using technology in my learning. As a teacher myself, I make frequent use of a variety of Web 2.0 tools including but not limited to surveys, publishing programs, social networking, video editing and sharing, blogging, audio enhancements, word clouds, games and so much more. In fact, almost 4 years ago I started collecting my favorite tools on a dashboard for easy access:

Reflecting on my learning network

In my short 30 something years on this planet, my learning network has changed significantly. I grew up right at the precipice of a technological revolution, the invention of the internet. I am somewhat happy however, that my childhood wasn't filled with interactions involving screens and emojis. My learning network involved my immediate family, friends, church members and others who provided meaningful social interaction. Now, however, my learning network has expanded to individuals I've never even met. The one benefit of an expanded personal learning network is the variety of perspectives and pools of knowledge I have been exposed to. There is also a convenience factor in being able to use a variety of web 2.0 tools to access any knowledge I seek to find. Obviously, my go-to in this day and age is Google. I only slightly remember the time when I had to physically walk into the library and look through a card catalog to find information on a topic I was looking for (although I still do relish being among miles of books). Now, with a click of a button, I am connected to articles, websites, videos, images and so much more than I could ever need just to answer a simple question. Not to mention, outside of the internet realm there have been so many tools added to my repertoire that allow me to connect with my more immediate learning network of peers, family, and friends. Some of my favorite tools include Blackboard, Skype, Lync, Instagram, and Facebook. The latter social networks may seem vapid, but when used appropriately are powerful tools to instigate meaningful discussions and find and share information one would normally not seek. The digital age has evolved connectivism into a network that extends far beyond one's own culture and immediate social circle, which in light of the immense technological and medical advancements that have been made in recent years seems to be more of a benefit than a detriment. It is through this expanded learning network that I am able to teach virtually, attend an online university, self diagnose medical symptoms, seek recommendations for places to eat, expand my professional development, book other's personal homes to "live like a local" in another country while on vacation, and so much more!

Kristine's Learning Network

Online Resources about the Brain and Learning

The internet is full of invaluable resources for the instructional designer. Digging into some resources to find real treasures can seem overwhelming, however I’ve compiled a few that I think do a great job in helping us understand the brain and learning, information processing theories and problem solving methods during the learning process.

1. Neuroscience and the Classroom 

This site offers a free course including videos, visuals and interactives that help break down the art and science of teaching from a neuroscience perspective. The principles discussed can be applied to learners of any age. I appreciated the connections presented among emotion, thinking, learning and memory. Much of the information presented debunks popular theories such as the left-right learner, and those of different learning styles. My favorite was unit 4 entitled “Different Learners, Different Minds”.  I appreciated that it focused on looking at learners’ strengths and weaknesses and the context in which we must solve problems.  What could be considered a weakness in one context can be a strength in another.  It is through the great collaboration between scientists, educational researchers and teachers that instruction can reach an entirely new level. I look forward to looking back at this site for additional workshops such as this one.

2. Five Minute Film Festival 

If you have a short attention span like me (and most of us in this day and age really) you would greatly appreciate the five minute festival presented on this site. The entire series is a collection of youtube videos celebrating the brain. My favorite film was “Born to Learn” which helped me see the importance of activating certain learning processes at critical junctures in life. This was emphasized in Chapter 2 of Learning Theories and Instruction, which discusses the development of the brain. It stated “the timing of environmental stimulation (or lack thereof) makes a considerable difference” in the development of certain functions or skills. It cited the example of a kitten who had its eye sown shut for the first three months of life. As a result, it remained functionally blind in that eye throughout life. The film discussed the critical period of learning language during the first 8 years of life.  For adult learners, which most instructional designers cater to, we must take advantage of the abstract thinking that can occur in adulthood versus childhood. Regardless, making connections in the brains our learners is the goal. This “festival” also gave me a great idea to use in designing future content to present to learners. I think this type of format not only helps learners pace themselves, but gives a lot of instruction in a little package.

3. Problem Solving and Metacognition in Education and Life

This final website is a mess of information (and I mean that quite literally, it is difficult to navigate through). However, it is a treasure trove of design principles, learning strategies and tutorials. I loved all the flowcharts created to simulate the design process and I am sure I will be referring back to these in the future. 

These sites have the "write" stuff...

As I venture into the world of instructional design, I find it especially important to tap into different “pools” of knowledge to gain a global perspective on current trends and methodologies. A great resource is the blogging world, which provides for a more informal approach to collaboration and learning. Although I follow many blogs, I have never been a blogger myself. This initial journey into blogging has led me to several different sites that I hope to learn from moving forward. Here are a few of my favorites:

The Write Spot

This blog is particularly geared towards instructional designers. It explores different technologies and analyzes current trends. You’ll find reviews on software, books, articles, and industry vendors as well. The site includes many poignant entries on the presentation of instructional content, interesting infographics with a specific focus on e-learning. I find this to be especially relevant towards my career since I am a virtual teacher and “accidental” instructional designer for my company. The information presented in the entries helps me to think outside the box and provides me with many ideas on different learning approaches.

The Knowledge Project

The knowledge project is the creation of Ms. Dianna Hope. She has a passion for finding different ways to help people acquire knowledge. Once again, her focus is on e-learning which is especially pertinent considering that is where the future is headed. The digital learning age has arrived and innovations in e-learning will continue to help enable individuals to learn at any time and any place. Her blog includes many tutorials and ideas on creating effective and engaging story lines, tips to increase work flow, and reflections on learning theories. I am especially attracted to her videos that breakdown step by step the instructional design process for sample projects she has created. It allows me to see the thought process behind the finished product. I will definitely be referring back to this page for some innovative ideas.  

Cathy Moore

The goal of Cathy Moore is to save the world from boring instruction. As such, she uses her extensive knowledge and experiences as a trainer and designer to provide others with ideas on how to create lively training. This is especially applicable to me because part of my duties with my company is to train all our new teachers nationally. Just as with virtual teaching my younger students, training adults on an e-learning platform can at times be challenging. One of my favorite entries, includes a discussion about responding to learning style believers. You can find it here. Considering the discussion that was had this past week on learning theories and the criticism due to lack of evidence supporting learning styles, I appreciated her insightful outlook on the matter. The entry included additional cross postings that further serves to debunk the theory of learning styles. Although I still appreciate how learning about different learning styles has enabled me to be thoughtful about creating different activities and thinking outside the box, I now see that content doesn’t have to appeal to every learner’s preferred method, but instead the style in which it’s presented should be the most effective to relay the content. I look forward to reading more of Cathy’s entries and exploring her page for more training ideas.