Course Reflection

As I reflect back on this course I cannot help but to think “Wow, I can’t believe eight weeks has already passed.”  A lot of information has been covered during this course, bolstering my understanding of learning theories and my own learning process.  I now realize that my original views on my personal learning preferences have been reinforced.  I am a multifaceted learner.  A learning style that benefits me in one situation may be detrimental in the next.  One new realization that this course taught me is that online learning is not my cup of tea.  To maximize my learning potential I need to be in a traditional classroom.  I learn better when I have physical interaction with my peers and am able to get immediate verbal feedback from my instructor. 

            It is surprising that this whole course is focused on using motivation and differentiation to engage students yet there is little variety in presentation of information.  Every week just about follows the same structure, creating redundancy which can lessen motivation.  Typically there is a short video followed by online and textbook readings then group discussions.  In addition, students are only assessed on what they have learned through writing assignments.  For me this is an issue because I am a better at other types of assessments like tests, public speaking, and creative projects.  If a student is going to succeed in this course they must be able to fully express themselves through writing.  This creates a huge disadvantage for learners with other preferences.  I understand that there are limitations with online classes, but more effort needs to be placed into differentiating both instruction and assessments, so that all types of learners can succeed.  

              Learning theories, learning styles, educational technology, and motivation all contribute to achieving one common purpose – to engage the learner.  Although these factors are interconnected they also stand alone in importance.  They are connected not like a mind map, but like a stone archway.  If one factor is removed then it weakens the entire learning system.  This course has taught me that the importance of these factors is not unique to young learners.  Adult learners need variety as well.  Even though adult learners typically choose to what to learn, they should also be able to choose how to learn.  Variation is needed to capture the attention of adult learners and motivate them to succeed. 

This course taught me that as an instructional designer I will always have to keep the learner in mind when creating lessons.  Now that I have an understanding of learning theories ad learning styles I know how to approach obstacles in both traditional and online classrooms.  The use of technology and other tools will be heavily relied upon to maximize the learning potential of my students.   

Fitting the Pieces Together

The learning theories that have been introduced over the past few weeks have made me reflect on how I learn.  Every week I examine the newest theory hoping it best explains how I learn, but none of them can truly answer for all of the learning possibilities.  Each theory has its pros and cons, making it beneficial in various contexts.  In addition, the Learning Theory Matrix has shown that there is a lot of overlap among the theories as well.  With this overlap, one cannot defend a single theory as being a panacea.  I will have to maintain my stance from week one that my own learning preferences will vary depending on what I have to learn.    

Out of all the theories though, the one that gained my attention the most is connectivism.  I never knew that there was a theory which explored the relationship of technology and learning.  The mind map shows that technology plays an integral role in how I learn.  The majority of the information that I acquire comes from electronic sources and electronic sources are used to interpret that information.  This course is a prime example because only a small portion of information is gathered from a traditional textbook and all of my work is submitted and constructed online (minus the mind map).  The most fascinating part of connectivism is that memory storage on machines is becoming more important than memory storage in the brain.  Who would ever believe that our brain would ever lose importance?  It truly makes me think what effect technology may have on human evolution.  Will we get to the point where we only have to remember enough information to survive?  Will brain size shrink over time because we will need less room for storage?  Possibly, technology could have the opposite effect.  Maybe there will be a large knowledge disparity between those who are dependent on technology and those who are not. Maybe in this future we will have one theory to explain all of learning.  Whatever the case, I sure hope I’m not around to see what happens if technology ever falls apart.   

Connectivism

My Learning Network

My learning network represents George Siemen's Theory of Connectivism because it shows that information is abundant, the network is rich in connections, and the system is complex (Siemens, 2013). 

Before the onset of digital technology, my learning network was mainly comprised of physical interactions.  This included conversations with friends, trips to the library, dinners with my family, etc.  Information was primarily inherited from conversation with others, and (although hard to believe now) if I had questions, I had to wait for the answers.  This period of time also coincides with my youth so it makes sense that most of my knowledge was learned from other people, especially family members and teachers.  In the last ten years my network has changed dramatically.  Digital technology had made information more abundant and available than ever.  99% of the time, the knowledge I seek is only a click away.  Vocal conversations are now at a minimum, replaced by texts and online postings.  While I still have face to face interactions, virtual connections facilitate much of my learning.    

Although I do not like to admit it, I spend a lot of time working with technology.  When I wake up in the morning I watch the local news on the television.  Throughout the day at work I navigate online software databases.  At the gym I run in front of a television screen and at night at home I search websites to find the information that allows me to complete these assignments.  When online, I find Facebook and Wikipedia to be my two main learning tools (when not doing schoolwork).  Facebook assists me for two reasons: 1. It allows me to quickly learn about the lives of those I am connected to and 2. My ‘friends’ are able to share information (not pertaining to them) that they feel others should know.  For example, right now I can log in to Facebook and find out who got married, who had a birthday, who graduated, etc.  Also when I log in, I find my friends have posted interesting articles from around the web.  These posts direct me to information I may never have sought on my own.  It may be a video for a new song or an article about a newly discovered species, either way it is information that is new to me.  I also mentioned that I am a big fan of Wikipedia.  I know that not all of the information on the site is accurate, but nine out of ten times the facts are pretty spot on.  While I do not use Wikipedia for scholarly advice, it is a great tool for basic understanding of various subjects.  The best feature of Wikipedia is that there seems to be an article for everything!  Again, this is a tribute to the abundance of information available in my network.  I use Wikipedia like I use Facebook posts, as a jumping off point.  If a subject seems interesting or I have a question about something then I will read about it.  If I need more information then I continue scouring the internet until I am satisfied. 

The internet, along with cell phones, has made my learning network a lot more complex.  If I made my mind map 15 years ago, there would have been very few and distinct connections.  Now, it appears as though everything is connected in some way or another.  To be honest, I had to keep the map simple or else it would have taken weeks to include every learning connection that is available to me.  I truly exist in a connectivist learning environment because information is abundant, connections are rich, and education is complex (Siemens, 2013).

Connectivism [Online Video]. (2013). [With George Siemens]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2820276_1%26url%3D.               

Week Two Learning Resources

This week in class, my classmates and I studied the brain’s anatomy and the Cognitive Information Processing Theory.  For the weekly blog assignment I searched both the internet and electronic databases to find resources that related to this week’s teachings.  One surprise during my research is that there seems to be an imbalance in the supply of resources for children’s education compared to adult education, with adult education resources in the lacking.  With the advancement of e-learning for adults, I hope to see this ratio balance out. 

One web page that parallels this week’s teachings is Understanding How the Brain Learns which is located on the site National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities.  The page can be found at: http://nichcy.org/schoolage/effective-practices/brain101.  The page is full of helpful resources that are listed in four different categories:

1.       The ABCs of the Brain

2.       What Learning Does to Your Brain

3.       Applying Brain Research to Education

4.       Brain Research and Disability

What I like about this page is that the resources link you to pages that not only explain the relationship of learning and the brain, but also pages that include best practices to take into the classroom.  

Through the Walden University Library, I located the article Improving Classroom Practices Using our Knowledge of How the Brain Works by O. Abiola and H. Dhindsa.  The article makes references to students in the Asian nation of Brunei, showing that Information Processing Theory is not a theory unique to the United States.  The article placed special focus on neuroplasticity as a key component of retaining information.  Neuroplasticity explains how the structure of the brain is shaped and reshaped during learning.  Basically, neural pathways are strengthened or weakened depending on how well information is learned.  Although the article is not an amazing resource it did introduce me to a couple of interesting concepts:

1.       Blood flow aids the growth and development of new brain cells.  Physical activity increases blood flow, meaning both adults and children not only keep their body in shape, but also their brain in shape through regular exercise. 

2.       As children go through school, definitions or concepts they are taught change as the learning becomes more abstract. As the definitions and concepts change, so do the neural pathways in the brain that access the previously learned concepts.  The article suggests that to maximize learning, focus should be placed on teaching definitions and concepts that do not have to be modified over time.  If the information remains constant and relevant, then the neural pathways strengthen rather than having to be consistently rebuilt.  “For example if we mix 50 ml of water and 50 ml of ethyl alcohol, the total volume is less than 100 ml. The usual explanation assumes that smaller molecules take position in gaps created by larges molecules: the analogy used is mixing sand and marbles. Obviously this analogy is good to explain a decrease in volume however it does not explain an increase in volume. As the students advance into higher grades, they would need to learn how to explain an increase in volume when two liquids are mixed…The above example can be explained thus ‘there is a force of attraction between molecules of water and similarly in the molecules of alcohol; when they are mixed another force acts between a molecule of water and that of alcohol, if this force is stronger then the two molecules will come closer and the total volume will be lower; however if this force is weaker then the molecules will be wider apart and the volume will greater than the sum total; if identical force exists between them no change in volume should be observed.” (O. Abiola & H. Dhindsa, 2012)

Abiola, O. O., & Dhindsa, H. S. (2012). Improving Classroom Practices Using Our Knowledge of How the Brain Works. International Journal Of Environmental And Science Education, 7(1), 71-81.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. (2013, April 13). Understanding How The Brain Learns. Retrieved from http://nichcy.org/schoolage/effective-practices/brain101

Instructional Design Blogs Worth Blogging About!

After searching through many different blog sites this weekend I found three that are useful to follow regularly.  One common theme across all three sites is that they offer best practices for training and instructional design.  These resources will be helpful in establishing myself in the field, as well as to be tools to use throughout my career.  Each of the sites is well maintained, with their postings up to date and the information relevant.  To be honest, I did not find any negatives to the sites.  In no particular order they are:

1.      The Rapid E-learning blog, found at http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/ offers exactly what it claims.  It provides “Practical, real-world tips for e-learning success” (Kuhlmann, 2013).  The tips range from the simple, like making sure you have a glass of water during a narration, to more advanced tricks for course development.  The site also provides links for many usable free resources including fonts and templates.

2.      Train Like A Champion is a blog that is as motivating as its name.  Brian Washburn, the blogger, is consistent in posting several times per week and these regular postings equate to lots of useful information.  The site is easy to navigate with the posts organized into categories in the sidebar.  Adult education is the theme of the site, so the best practices are very helpful for both instructional designers and trainers.  Since I am a very organized person, I find the many graphic organizers showcased to be personally very useful.  To check out his site, please visit http://trainlikeachampion.wordpress.com/. 

3.      Maybe it is because the main page contains the blogger’s photograph or maybe it is because she lists her phone number on the page, either way, http://usablelearning.com/ is a very inviting site.  Julie Dirksen likes to review and summarize other trainers’ presentations on her site.  The helpful part is that she typically embeds the presentation slides as well.  Best practices for instructional design are also listed on the site but several of them focus on leadership and management techniques.  These techniques exemplify that the role of the instructional designer is not only to teach, but also to propagate healthy practices in the organization.        
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Kuhlmann, T. (2013). [Quote on website]. Retrieved from The Rapid E-learning Blog: http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/.