Reflection

                3 Years ago, a teaching opportunity knocked on my door and I took it. Teaching has always been a part of me. I remembered that when I was a kid, it was something I aspire to do when I grow up. I have been a Medical Technologist for 10 years and I thought that as a professional in the field, teaching in the Medical Laboratory Science program would be easy. I already have the skills and the experience in the laboratory. All I needed to do was to share my skills, knowledge and experience and tell the students what they need to know to become a professional in the clinical laboratory field. I was wrong. What surprised me in this class, Learning Theories and Instruction, is that teaching is not just about sharing a teacher's knowledge to a student. It is also about the students and how they learn. As Dr. Ormrod said, "to teach effectively, you've got to know how students learn" (2012). A teacher can talk and share what they know, but if one is not familiar with the different learning theories and how to keep students motivated, then instruction would be useless because shared information is not retained. Each person learns differently and how each person retains information for long-term memory depends on how the information is processed by the brain.

            Another important aspect that was taught in this class were the different learning theories. This class made me realize that I am a cognitivist learner but I also discovered that I am not a strict cognitivist. In my learning process, there may be times when I am a Social Learner, a Connectivist or even an Adult Learner. Learning is a continuous process and I learn from my colleagues, those that have been in the Medical Laboratory Science field longer than I have and their experiences, along with my knowledge, guide me as I make decisions at work. I also learn from my peers, my network of friends, students and fellow instructors. It is at the intersection of prior knowledge, experience, perception, reality, comprehension, and flexibility that learning occurs (Davis, Edmunds, Kelly-Bateman, 2008).   

            Now that I recognize my learning process, the student's own learning process and learning styles, I am able to appreciate the importance of creating an online course that utilizes technology, visual aids, videos, audio instruction and powerpoint presentations in my design. All of these are different methods of instruction and are important tools to grab the student's attention. Whether I am teaching in a traditional or in an online learning environment, it is important to keep the students motivated because without it, they will lose interest in the course. Grabbing attention is the most important part of the ARCS model because it initiates the motivation for the learners. Once learners are interested in a topic, they are willing to invest their time, pay attention and more (Poulsen, Lam, Cisneros & Trust, 2008).

            Today is the last day of this course and I can say that I have learned so much from all the resources that were provided and the research articles that were shared with me by my fellow classmates. As I continue my career in Instructional Design and Technology, the knowledge I learned from this class will help me develop my teaching skills and create my future online courses. I will always remember that in creating an online learning experience my design should be centered around the learner and the environment in which the learner interacts. Our campus environments—physical and online—are the places where structured teaching and learning takes place. Just as we evaluate and redesign the teaching and learning processes between faculty and students, so too must we redesign the environments in which such processes occur, ensuring that the design and tools we select support the growth of the unique brains we are responsible for nurturing (Boettcher, n.d).

References:

Boettcher, J. (n.d.). Ten Core Principles for Designing Effective Learning Environments: Insights from Brain Research and Pedagogical Theory. Retrieved from http://www.innovateonline.info/pdf/vol3_issue3/Ten_Core_Principles_for_Designing_Effective_Learning_Environments-__Insights_from_Brain_Research_and_Pedagogical_Theory.pdf December 23, 2012.

Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M.Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index/php?title=Connectivism November 26, 2012.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Ormrod). (2012) An Introduction to Learning (Video webcast) Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu.

Poulsen, A., Lam, K., Cisneros, S. & Trust, T. (2008). ARCS Model of Motivational Design. Retrieved from http://www.torreytrust.com/images/ITH_Trust.pdf December 22, 2012.

Fitting the Pieces Together

What is learning? According to our textbook, Learning is a multifaceted process that individuals typically take for granted until they experience difficulty with a complete task (Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler, 2009). In my opinion, learning occurs when new information, fact or knowledge is introduced. During the first week in my online Education class, Learning Theories and Instruction, our instructor asked us if we ever thought about how we learn and which learning theory best describes our learning. My response was that I did not really think much about my learning theory before. I knew that there were methods I had to use in order for me to understand a subject matter better. For example:

• I talk out loud when I need to memorize something.
• I sometimes create my own quiz so I can test my knowledge and my memory.
• I also create bullet points to highlight important information and related topics.
• I like to visualize and organize things so I can process and retain the information I just learned.

Of the learning theories we read and talked about so far that week, I had said that cognitive theories seemed to best describe how I learn. Cognitive theories focus on the conceptualization of student's learning processes and address the issues of how information is received, organized, stored and retrieved by the mind (Ertmer & Newby, 1993). I know that I've learned the subject when I am able to use this knowledge to solve a problem or apply it.

Looking back on my response, I would say that my view has changed the way I learn. I cannot say that I am strictly a cognitivist learner. I don't think that an individual only learns one way. Depending on the learning task at hand, the learning theory that applies to that individual may change. One of the functions of learning theory is that it should serve as a working explanation of events (Ormrod, et al, 2009). I now see learning as "stages" that each person will utilize or go through as we learn and discover new things. For example, pre-schoolers are taught a whole new subject or behavior that has never been introduced before, thus, a Behaviorist approach will apply to their learning. High school or college students will probably be a Cognitivist or a Constructivist, depending on their experiences or lack thereof. As an adult, I would have to be a Connectivist in order to "grow" professionally and adopt to the changing environment. Learning experience is continuous and the only way I can keep up is through my social networks, webinars, attending conferences, reading research articles and journal articles and through my peers. These learning environments are now accessible because of the continuous advancement of Mobile technologies. For many users, broadband mobile devices like the iPhone have already begun to assume many tasks that were once the exclusive province of portable computers (http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/CSD5612.pdf). This is what Connectivism is all about and in my stage of learning, Connectivist learning theory currently applies. What is your learning theory?

References:

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. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu October 29, 2012.  

Johnson, L., Levine, A., & Smith, R. (2009). The Horizon Report (2009 ed). Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/CSD5612.pdf December 11, 2012

Ormrod, E., Schunk D.H., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning Theories and Instruction (Laureate Custom Ed). New York:Pearson

Mind Map Reflection

What is Connectivism? According to Siemens, connectivism is presented as a learning theory that integrates technology, social networks and information (2012). To apply connectivism in our learning, our assignment this week included the creation of a Mind-Map. According to an article I read " Mind Mapping is an extremely effective method of taking notes. Not only do Mind Maps show facts, they also show the overall structure of a subject and the relative importance of individual parts of it. They help you associate ideas, think creatively, and make connections that you might not otherwise make" (http://www.mindtools.com). Watch the video below to find out more about mind-mapping.


One might ask: How do you associate Mind-Mapping to Connectivism? My answer to this is in my own personal Mind-Map, which I created in my previous post, to show all the individual parts of My Learning; my continuing education, internet, social networks, journals and scholarly articles.

How has my network changed the way I learn?
      My network includes my peers, online competency programs, online learning, conferences, webinars, scholarly articles and other social networks and they are important parts of my learning. I may know how to cook using ingredients A&B but I would not have known that ingredients C&D makes the recipe even better without my peers. I may have learned about one technology years ago but it may be obsolete now. Networking allows an individual to keep up with "what's new". I gain new knowledge and also broaden my current knowledge through networking. In an article written by Kevin Jones, he says " It is the PEOPLE that hold the knowledge. We can only do a Google search and find information that is already there. But what if it is real time and the information is not there yet? Or if the information we need is in a file folder on the desk, or on the local drive of a co-worker, or on a sticky note? My point? Link the people together (network) and they will share the knowledge" (http://engagedlearning.net). For me, networking enhanced my learning experience. Gone were the days when I only learned in classroom and from reading books.

Which digital tools facilitate learning for me?
      The digital tools that facilitate my learning includes the online competency programs, E-books, discussion boards and blogs. If I read a textbook, it may take me a long time before I am able to comprehend what I just read. I may have to re-read a sentence or a paragraph to understand exactly what the author is trying to convey. As a self- directed learner, using these digital tools will allow me to select the learning activities that will improve my knowledge on a subject. The online competency programs utilizes visual aids and case-study scenarios; I can find other books and different authors in E-books that may explain a topic better; or I can enhance my knowledge through my peers using the discussion boards and blog posts.

In what ways does my personal learning network support or refute the central tenets of Connectivism?
      My learning network supports the central tenets of Connectivism because of the following Principles of Connectivism according to Siemens (cited in Davis, Edmunds & Kelly-Bateman,2008):

• Learning and Knowledge rest in diversity of opinions.
• Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known.
• Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.
• Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.
• Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all Connectivist learning activities.

I know that my learning and someone else's learning could be very different; one being better than the other. Just like anything else that involves human experience or interaction, the act of learning does not happen in a vacuum. It is at the intersection of prior knowledge, experience, perception, reality, comprehension, and flexibility that learning occurs (Davis et. al., 2008)


References:

Mind-Maps. A Powerful Approach to Note-Taking. Retrieved on November 30, 2012 from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_01.htm.

Davis, C, Edmunds, E, & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M.Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved November 26, 2012 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism

Jones, K. (2009). I Finally Get It- Why Social Networking is So Important. Retrieved November 30, 2012 from http://engagedlearning.net/post/i-finally-get-it-why-social-networking-is-so-important/

Siemens, G (video). Connectivism. Retrieved on November 26, 2012 from http://class.waldenu.edu