Week 7: Integrating Technology into Instruction

Initially when asked what learning theory best described how I learned I had found that it was a combination of theories. My best theories are a combination of Bruner’s “Discovery learning” and Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning.
Discovery learning is an inquiry-based, constructivist learning theory that takes place in problem solving situations where one draws on their own past experience and existing knowledge to discover facts, relationships, and new truths to be learned. Through interaction with the world, by exploring and manipulating objects, wrestling with questions and controversies, or performing experiments. I am more likely to remember concepts and knowledge discovered on my own.
This learning theory advantages, include: encourages active engagement, promotes motivation, promotes autonomy, responsibility, and independence. Some disadvantages include: creation of cognitive overload, potential misconceptions and a possible failure to detect problems a student may be having. While I continue to believe the combination exists, I feel that my learning style seems to follow more of a cognitive theory. According to Etmer and Newby (1993), cognitivism equates learning with “discrete changes between states of knowledge rather than with changes in the probability of response” (pg. 58).
However, I now would add the theory of social constructivism to my list. Social Constructivists believe that people learn through meaningful interaction with others as well as with their environment (Kim, 2001)
A good example of how my learning has evolved as I see it through the knowledge of the different learning theories, I could use this class. Using my cognitive learning style I must rely on my own abilities to interpet the questions and responses to respond appropriately. Sharing my ideas and responding to fellow classmates entwines the social constructivists through meaningful interaction. And finally the discovery learning is utilized in the problem solving by drawing on my own past experience and existing knowledge to discover facts, relationships, and new truths to be learned

Resources:

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.

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

Mayer, R. E.; R. Moreno (1998). “A Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning: Implications for Design Principles”. http://www.unm.edu/~moreno/PDFS/chi.pdf 

Moreno, R., & Mayer, R. (1999). “Cognitive principles of multimedia learning: The role of modality and contiguity”.

Journal of Educational Psychology 91: 358–368, Mayer, R. E. (2001).

Bruner, J.S. (1967). On knowing: Essays for the left hand. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.

MY Learning Network

How has your network changed the way you learn? My network has changed the way I learn by opening up many more portals of learning that were not available to me when I original went to college. Back then I had to get my knowledge from the textbooks and the teacher and had little opportunity to “think for myself”.

Since the internet and other digital media has been created, the opportunity for learning and learners has increased tenfold. The simple use of a search engine on a topic of interest produces instant results numbering in the thousands or more. There isn’t anything one cannot not learn about by spending a few minutes reading off the search engine and then going to the many references available.

If I need to find out something I usually go to Google or Yahoo and run a search and then I move through some of the articles or references available there to see if they are giving me what I need. If not some of those references lead to other and I will try them. This is something that can be long and tedious in a regular library setting.

Additionally I work with academic’s and often time I will sit with a co-worker and ask their feelings or opinions about a subject to better align my own thoughts to the topic.

In Connectivism the major factors that influence learning are:

·        Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.

·        Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.

·        Learning may reside in non-human appliances.

·        Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known

·        Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.

Based on these principles my own learning network fully supports the central trends of  the Connective Learning theory. While during our study of the different learning theories I agreed that most styles of learning are a blend of several theories, I find that my own personal style is predominately connectivism.

                                                                             

Pat's Learning Network

Week Two Blog Resource Post

Funderstanding is a website thats Mission is stated as "Our mission is to inspire in people the love of learning. We achieve this by helping educators design better programs and products that engage learners fully, where the learning process is fun, meaningful, deep, and long lasting"
A good post in regards to brain based learning can be found at http://www.funderstanding.com/content/brain-based-learning

Another listing that I found to be of interest regarding problem-solving methods was found at http://www.businessballs.com/problemsolving.htm this site has many resources regarding techniques and methods of decision making and problem solving

Week Two Blog post

Learning is the pathway to doing. If an instructor teaches something and nothing changes, no learning took place. Learning is something you can get better at. "Knowledge is constructed, not transferred. “Skills and knowledge do not exist outside of context. Everything is connected, in mental, physical, or social space," according to Peter Senge, “Schools That Learn”

In the book How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School, by John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking, is the best summary of what it's all about.

"This volume synthesizes the scientific basis of learning. The scientific achievements include a fuller understanding of: (1) memory and the structure of knowledge; (2) problem solving and reasoning; (3) the early foundations of learning; (4) regulatory processes that govern learning, including metacognition; and (5) how symbolic thinking emerges from the culture and community of the learner."

e-Learning was born during the dot-com frenzy. Like many start-up ideas, the first descriptions of eLearning were oversimplified and wildly optimistic. People defined e-Learning as putting all learning on computers, as if it had to be all or nothing. Employees could learn anywhere they could plug into the net, whenever they wanted. Learners would save time by studying only what they needed and  at an optimal pace. The only problem was that this sort of e-Learning rarely worked. Learning is social. In the classroom, lots of learning takes place informally, between students. Workers learn more at the water cooler or coffee room than during classes. Most people drop out of 100% computer-led instructional events. These same people learn well when computer-mediated lessons are combined with virtual classes, study groups, team exercises, and help desks. Computers can make aspects of learning more convenient but they don't eliminate the need for human intervention. Today we realize that learning isn't pouring content into heads. Rather, the real deal is an interaction between what's incoming and what's already there. Learning is rewiring the brain.

Marc Prensky's Digital Game-Based Learning has a great list of theories of how people learn:

1. Learning happens when one is engaged in hard and challenging activities.
2. Learning comes from observing people we respect.
3. Learning comes from doing.
4. Learning is imitation, which is unique to man and a few animals.
5. Learning is a developmental process.
6. You can't learn unless you fail.
7. Learning is primarily a social activity.
8. You need multiple senses involved.
9. We learn automatically, from the company we keep, says another.
10. People learn in "chunks."

Cognitive learning is demonstrated by knowledge recall and the intellectual skills: comprehending information, organizing ideas, analyzing and synthesizing data, applying knowledge, choosing among alternatives in problem-solving, and evaluating ideas or actions.

Affective learning is demonstrated by behaviors indicating attitudes of awareness, interest, attention, concern, and responsibility, ability to listen and respond in interactions with others, and ability to demonstrate those attitudinal characteristics or values which are appropriate to the test situation and the field of study.

Instructional Designers, Teachers and Education Specialists must know and understand how individuals learn in order to provide learning environments that provide optimal learning.

http://ideas.blogs.com/lo/2004/04/efficacy_of_web.html

Designing Instruction for Distance Education

This Blog site is set up for professional Instructional Designers. The resources found on this Blog will be valuable to anyone in the firls of Instructional Design. My personal experience at this time does not allow for me to fully understand alot of the posted blogs meanings but I reviewed a number of the resources within the pages of the blog and found that much can be learned as well as permit for the posting of challenges one may face in the development of an instructional program. It includes numerous categories one would consider when setting out to prepare a program including;

1. Educational Technology
2. Elearning Delivery systems
3. Faculty Development
4. Instructional Design and Technology
5. Learning Objectives
6. Online Teaching

Additionally it had numerous links and a blog roll to other resources. As a working Instructional Designer and to a lesser extent student of instructional designer this blog will come in extremely handy,

 

http://en.wordpress.com/tag/instructional-design/

 

This blog is more like a resource blog for locating instructional design blogs. It contains many lists to other resources in instructional design. In comparison to the previous blog I found this to be more like a quick search engine rather then a social media blog for instructional designers. It was not as resourceful as the previous blog and was more suited to people wanting to just have a say or publish something they wrote. I was not as impressed with it though it did have a few good references.

 

http://www.internettime.com/blog/archives/001083.html

 

This site has numerous resources one can utlilize. It appears to be more organized and directed into the whole  E learning environment.The information it contains is very helpful for acquiring knowledge about e-learning.  It is extremely user friendly fast and well laid out to help locate information based on your need. It is a blog and a search engine all wrapped into one. I will likely use this site now and well into the future.