My class reflection.

Learner Motivation- Reflection

What did you find surprising or striking as you furthered your knowledge about how people learn?

I learned so much in this class but what was surprising to me was the way that adult learners learn.  I didn’t know that there was a much of a difference between adult learns and children other than the external distraction of work, family, and time management issues.  However, after reading the article by Orey (2001) from the projects website, http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page, I found that the information on adult learners was very relevant and true to my experience in my degree program that I recently finished and now in this new certificate program. 

 How has this course deepened your understanding of your personal learning process?

I had not heard of the different learning theories prior to this class and have an understanding now about what I need to learn.  I like the constructivism and the cognitivist theories as being the best match for my learning styles (Ormrod, Schunk, and Gredler, 2009).  I do like to do things hands on and make the information relevant to me as a way understand and learn.  Gardner’s article on Multiple Intelligence put a lot of facts behind the believe that I grew up with that different people had different kinds of “smarts” (2003).  I grew up knowing the difference between my brother and I and how he was so good at math while I was not.  Multiple Intelligence gives me a better understanding of people and the way our minds work.

What have you learned regarding the connection between learning theories, learning styles, educational technology, and motivation?

Completing the Learning Theories Matrix made me aware that each different learning style responds best to different technology and each has different external or internal motivations to learn.  As an instructional designer, I am going to have to know how to set up class so that all the different styles of learners that make up my student base, can get the information presented to them in a style that is familiar.  This class gave me some tools to work with such as reading the different authors like Keller (1999) and O’Bannon, Puckett, and Rakes (2006) who both have great ideas and opinions on how to use technology to teach visual learners and distance learners.  Both of which, are of interest to me. 

How will your learning in this course help you as you further your career in the field of instructional design? 

Everything presented in this course will be of use as a foundation in my instructional design efforts.  Knowing your different students is of the utmost importance and being able to draw from the different learning theories that I am aware of will help me be more aware of my student’s needs.  The ARCS –based strategies presented by Hutt, Moller, Young, Bray, and Hutt (2008) really tried everything together for me.  I believe that if I keep these principles in my class design, I will be successful as an instructional designer.  It I all about keeping the Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction of the students who are in my class so that they will remain motivated to learn.

References

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

Huett, J., Moller, L., Young, J., Bray, M., & Huett, K. (2008). Supporting the distant student: The effect of ARCS-based strategies on confidence and performance. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 9(2), 113–126.

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

O'Bannon, B., Puckett, K., & Rakes, G. (2006). Using technology to support visual learning strategies. Computers in the Schools, 23(1/2), 125–137.

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

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

Adult Learning

Happy Sunday!

I am an adult learner and I have come to realize that I have special needs, as a student, that are worth considering to have a better learning experience.  A few weeks back, I thought that I knew the best ways for me to learn, yet I didn’t know the underlying why. I knew how I best memorized something, but not truly how I learn something.  I understood how to take good notes and that by writing notes in the margins of articles or books, I was reinforcing the information so that I could recall it later.  It was memorization that I was more focused on. 

After reading more from Malcolm Knowles, the “father of andragogy”, I see that as an adult learner, I best learn best when I can reflect on the information and then try to make it relevant right away to a current situation.  Here is Malcolm Knowles list of the five factors that are very important in adult learning (Conlan, Grabowski, & Smith, 2003). 

According to the five assumptions, an adult learner as someone who:

• Has an independent self-concept and who can direct his or her own learning
• Has accumulated a reservoir of life experiences that is a rich resource for learning
• Has learning needs closely related to changing social roles
• Is problem-centered and interested in immediate application of knowledge
• Is motivated to learn by internal rather than external factors

When I look back on the reasons why I chose to go back to school, this list proves to be true with me.  I thought I was externally motivated to go back to school to get my MBA degree a few years back.  Job requirements and getting the validation for all the years of my corporate experience were what peaked my interest at first.  However, it was an internal wanting to better myself and to get a deeper, formal education.  Motivation for going back to school is that I felt I was lacking something.  There was something missing and by getting my degree I would fill the gaps.   Keeping up with current knowledge and business trends were the outcome of my education and I am glad I did it.  So much so, that I am continuing to get further education in Instructional Design.

Constructivism and Cognitive Learning theories are best suited for the type of education that I am seeking at this point in my life.  Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler teach that in Constructivism theory, learning occurs through forming and constructing our own ideas based on our own past experience.  Learners create their own learning by exploring ideas and by doing experimentation (2009).  This is what I am doing when I am reflecting on the information and putting it to immediate use in a way that is relevant to me.  Drawing on the past as a way to implement the new learnings into future practice is what learning is all about to me.   Technology is , of course, another important piece of the puzzle.  There is so much information to be found through the different weblogs , social media, internet research tools that there is no question that can be given that an answer cannot be found.  I like the blogs from Karl Kapp because there are so many other blogs that stem off from there I find it a wealth of information.  Here is a link to the Kapp blog I like the most:  http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/definition-constructivism/

References: 

Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., & Smith, K.. (2003). Adult Learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved February 18, 2012, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Kapp, K. (2007) Definition:  Constructivism.[Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/definition-constructivism/

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

Connectivism

Hi everyone,

I am in the middle of moving into my new house this weekend!!  Lots of work but we are really enjoying it.  It really made me think of what we discussed in class this week about connectivism.  I was able to schedule just about everything on line and it saved so much time!  All of the utilites, cable, moving company, etc are readily accessible on the internet.

Of course, at the other end of all this technology are us humans.  I need each human being at the end of my internet scheduling request to do something for me.  But we are all connected via the internet and websites so communicating everything has been almost instantly.

Here is my mind map that I created showing how I am using connectivism to do my learning, my personal, and my professional business.

The below quote is taken from a Connectivism website,  http://www.connectivism.ca/ and I think it best decribes what many adult learners first think about then getting started with their education.

"When learners enter complex information settings, the first experience is one of disorientation. “Where do I go?” “Where can I find what I need?” “Who else is here?” As a learner orients herself, she begins to form connections with a few others, resulting in sub-networks often based on some similarity (same country, similar interests, previous connection)". 

To me, as you can see below, making connections to other humans, whether they are customers or fellow students, can be easy with technology.