Reflection on Learning Theory Matrix

"Fitting the Pieces Together"

I think my deeper understanding of the learning theories has definitely influenced how I view learners and how I will design instruction in the future.  I think that I still relate very well to the constructivism learning theory that I associated my learning with in Week 1, but now I also realize that there are a lot of other theories that I can relate to as well.  I especially see myself associating with connectivism because I am so involved with technology on a daily basis.  There are so many software programs and web-based applications that I use on a daily basis at my work to connect with others and to do my job.  I also see that I connect with others socially via instant messaging and Facebook quite often.  I realize now that I learn in many different ways using many different theories; social learning, connectivism, cognitive, adult learning, and constructivism (even behavioral at times).

I have learned that all of the theories overlap in certain ways, or even rely on a previous theory’s foundation to build their own.  It seems that as we progress through the theories, they all have elements of previous theories intact in their own design.  I think that the Learning Theory Matrix chart is very clever and useful in this way, because it allows us to see the basics of each learning theory and to compare and contrast them according to the same criteria.  Comparing and contrasting them in this way lets us really see how much they all have in common and where they are different.  This is why I chose to make illustrations of these theories interacting with each other, because I feel like they are all very connected in many ways and I can see them speaking to each other and growing because of it.  I also see myself growing after having spent time with all of them…they all have something to teach us about ourselves, how we interact with resources, how we store/retain/recall information, and how we understand others and the world around us. 

I think that one of the most important pieces of knowledge that I will take away from this project is how much technology influences my learning, my creating, and my communicating.  It’s not something that I really sat down and thought about before, but this project really brought it into the light.  I realize that I use technology so much in so many different ways, not only for work and school, but for communicating and creating as well.  It seems like even things like making art (which are traditionally physical artifacts) are not as meaningful unless you project them online.  If you really want to promote yourself as an artist, you should have a website, or a Tumbler, or link to a Blog where you post pictures and write about pieces.  It just really amazes me how involved technology is in everything and it makes me really happy that I have chosen to explore and learn more about how to make it most effective in various mediums and educational applications.

My illustrations for the Learning Theory Matrix project

I thought it would be fun to incorporate technology and creativity to further apply the interactions between the learning theories we explored in our Learning Theory Matrix.  Here are two illustrations that I drew.

Illustration 1: Behaviorist, Cognitive, and Constructivist interact:

Illustration 2: Social Learning, Connectivism, and Adult Learning interact:

Reflection on My Network Mind Map – Connectivism

My connections through my network facilitate learning in multiple ways.  I have learned through my courses in my MS IDT program that there are many layers of learning involved in Instructional Design.  I have learned about how to be an effective leader, what makes an organization successful, how training can be designed and implemented, and how to manage change.  My network now includes learning on multiple platforms and involves various technologies and social connections.  My network has changed the way that I learn largely by all of the new information I have been introduced to through my MS IDT program.  Before I started this program, I was aware of many learning tools and software but never took the initiative to explore them.  Now that I have explored a few of these through the program, I am motivated to pursue more and encourage this learning through my own development because I realize there is so much out there that I don’t even know about.  Through my online coursework in EDUC 6115, I have been introduced to many new digital tools that I can use for future learning; just this week I have acquired knowledge on JING and Webspiration that will help me communicate and design learning experiences in the future. 

I have also been introduced to digital tools that encourage social networking and idea sharing.  Before I started my MS IDT program, my online social networking was limited to Facebook, instant messaging, and email.  Now I have my own blog that can be used for sorting out ideas and getting feedback from others in a collaborative learning environment.  I also am exposed to my classmates and other IDT professionals and their ideas/posts through keeping up with their blogs on my Gmail Reader.  I think discussion boards and blog postings definitely have expanded my knowledge and resources the most as digital learning tools because I was not exposed to these in depth before.  Now when I have questions I can research blog posts for ideas on good resources and tips as well as conduct my own research online or at the library based off of colleagues’ suggestions.  I also feel more comfortable at researching online through the Walden library now that I have found readings and articles for class, as I was previously somewhat intimidated by searching online databases.

My personal learning network supports the central tenets of Connectivism by showing how my use of technology, social networks, and abundance of online information all interact to support my learning experience.  Connectivism realizes the interaction of the learner with technology rich learning tools, social networks/communication, and abundant information from rich network resources all contribute to learning (Laureate, 2009).  My learning is a product of all of these aspects of Connectivism being available to me in an environment that changes and grows extraordinarily fast along with technology, new ideas, and new collaborations. 

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Connectivism [DVD]. Baltimore, MD: George Siemens.

My Mind Map - Connectivism

The Brain and Learning

This week we explored outside resources to find new information related to the brain and learning.  It's fascinating to me how many different layers are involved in learning and instructional design.  We dip into science, psychology, education, design, and so much more.  This week seemed heavy on the science side but I think it was good for me to learn about how much is really involved in processing and interpreting information in relation to the brain itself.

http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/127/4/851.full.pdf+html

The first article I found was very science-y, if you will.  It's called, "Cortico‐striatal contributions to feedback‐based learning: converging data from neuroimaging and neuropsychology."  There were a lot of terms referenced that I didn't necessarily fully understand however, I still found it interesting and useful because of its references to memory and the learning process.  The article focused on the brain's functions of task performance and how it is affected by learning situations and by brain disorders.  Much of the article referred to brains affected by Parkinson's disease as the learning disorder and focused on how memory and learning was influenced depending on the type of instruction and the role of feedback.  The article made me realize how research on brain disorders can teach us a lot about normal brain functions and which areas of the brain are important for certain functions.

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=125&sid=70051066-99f4-4648-ba75-74238868f4d5%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=eric&AN=EJ720663

This next article that I found through the Walden Database is titled, "Left Brain. Right Brain. Whole Brain."  It was interesting because it discussed the left-brain, right-brain, hemisphere distinction in depth in relation to information processing and what appeals to students who fall into either category.  I thought it was interesting proof that a lot of educational materials have this hemisphere-oriented education so valued when only a small blurb at the end of the article was devoted to "Whole-Brain" importance and the fact that both hemispheres are involved in the learning process.  Granted, this article was geared toward library media specialists, but I think that many of the points discussed can translate to education at large.

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=8&hid=125&sid=70051066-99f4-4648-ba75-74238868f4d5%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=eric&AN=EJ926795

Another article from the Walden Database, "Feedback Specificity, Information Processing, and Transfer of Training," describes how learners respond differently to trainings depending on feedback and how specific the feedback is.  This article attracted me because of its connection to the first article that I posted on, which also had to do with feedback and learning.  This article differed from the first article in many ways however, where it actually goes into depth on the different types of feedback in training/education and its effectiveness or ineffectiveness in given situations.  I found this article interesting also because I felt it gave some helpful insight to information processing.

Exploring the web of blogs

My first post!  This is exciting.  I am looking forward to exploring this new interaction with instructional design and technology.  Let me start by saying that I do not have much experience with blogging.  This will definitely be a learning tool for me and a great experience. 

I started out by researching other blogs about instructional design and technology.  I found a huge world of information that I was honestly a bit overwhelmed by.  It’s exciting too, though, to know that there’s so much out there to explore.  J

The three blogs that I found most interesting in my search are the following:

http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/

http://blogoehlert.typepad.com/eclippings/

http://blog.cathy-moore.com/

I really liked the first blog, “elearningtech,” because the author, Tony, seems very professional and knowledgeable in his writings.  His style of approach seems very efficient, without unnecessary fluff or irrelevant banter.  He seems to get to the point about technology and elearning and new approaches.  I liked also that he had a “Getting Started” section, where new readers could ease themselves into his blog and find easy navigation tools to help them get started.  I really appreciate this, as it can be overwhelming to approach a new blog at times and find a good place to start.  I think this can be a helpful blog for me to follow because of all the technical references and the quick links to more information on given subjects.

I really liked the second blog, “blogoehlert,” because the author, Mark, seems to stress the design and artistic aspects of instruction.  I really liked the aesthetics of this blog…it seems personal but also informative and creative.  I think it’s a good blog to follow to help me remember that learning and instruction can be seen as art and explored in many different, creative ways.  Instructional design and elearning are conglomerates of many different layers of theory, art, psychology, technology, and much more…it’s great to see explorations of these different layers.

I liked the last blog, “blog.cathy-moore.com,” because it was so different from the other two.  Obviously this blog is catered more formally.  It has a ton of little sections all over to explore the different topics with catchy pictures and great hooks to draw you in.  It also functions as a larger website with different links available on the menu.  I thought this could be helpful because it was so different and showed a side of instructional design that was still informative but definitely there for profit as well.  The site shows clients and materials as well as giving suggestions to improve elearning and designing technology.  I think it’s important to follow a blog like this to stay aware of all of the different avenues instructional designers can explore when it comes to career paths, interests, and professional development.