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