Reflection

Reflection

 

Over the 8 week course I have learn so much about how people learn and how must consider every learning style to become an effective instructional designer. It also taught me to look at my own learning style and see how it will affect me as an instructional designer.

What surprised me the most about the course was the in-depth history of learning and all of the different learning components that are involved and how they affect the curriculum design.  Such as learning is an enduring change in behavior, or in the capacity to behave in a given fashion, which results from practice or other forms of experience (Ertmer and Newby, 1993). What also surprised me was how all the learning theories were connected which allowed me to develop new learning tools. It also provided me with great insight on how to approach different learning styles and to design a curriculum that will challenge each learner in their perspective learning style. Cognitivism focuses on the role environmental conditions play in facilitating learning. It also focuses on the conceptualization of students learning processes and address the issues of how information is received , organization and stored, and retrieved by the mind (Ertmer and Newby, 1993). Constructivism focuses on learning with creating meaning from experience. Constructivism is considered to be a branch of cognitivism both conceive of learning as a mental activity. The both look at how important our environment is and the impact it can have on our we learn and interpret the meaning. This course has helped me in so many ways by challenge me to try new learning tools by setting up my first blog which has allowed me to connect with so many people. This course has also pushed me to do more research on other learning tools so that I have a better understanding of where education is going and where it is heading. So that I can also impalement some of these tools into my own design which will make a more effective instructor. Everything that I have learned in this course I will use in the next course and in my career.

  Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (1993). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly,           

 

Blog Assignment- Fitting the Pieces Together

A learning theory looks at how people learn through process and how they absorbed the information (Lepi 2012).  During this learning process I have looked at many learning theories which allowed me to look my own process of learning and I have deepened my own thinking. My view of the way I learned has changed by I was able to connect more than one theory to my own learning style. Such as The Behaviorist Theory which focuses on how the learner adapts to his behavior to the contingencies of events and objectives. The learning is a gradual strengthening of the learned relationship ( Ertmer and Newby 1993). This theory allowed me to see that I learn best when I observe others around me I am able to gain different learning styles which can strengthen me as a learner and as an instructional designer. I learn best when I can interact with others and share my learning experience and they are able to share their learning experience, which is valuable learning tool for me. Connectivism Theory allows me to not only connect with my peers but also several technology learning tools such as Google drive where I can upload my documents and work on them on computer from home, work, and share and collaborate with others is such a great tool.

  What I have learned from the different learning theories and styles is that all of them are connected to each other. They all display similar qualities in how we think and interact in the world. Each theory highlights a pacific attribute of how we think but it still links up to the other theories. Such As behaviorist theory focuses on our interaction with others and how we use the information to impact our daily lives. Connectivism theory connects to a more boarder audience where it is not just people but also many technology tools that can expand your view of learning. To also connect with people through daily interaction but also across the web, this makes it more meaningful experience. Both of these learning theories explain my own learning preference both allow me to connect with people but also gain valuable web based learning tools.  

Technology has played a major role in my learning I used the Google search engine to expand my learning. The search engine allows me to view scholarly articles and various articles from authors who have expert knowledge on the required topic. I also use prezi to create presentations for class assignments and for work presentation. This tool allows me to be creative and stay current in how learning tools are involving and how they will affect me has an instructional designer. I also use technology to share my thoughts and display current events that are impacting instructional design through my blog account.    

 

 A Simple Guide to 4 Complex Learning Theories. Lepi, Katie( 2012)

Education Research Complete database. Ertmer, P. A., Newby, T. J. (1993).

 

 

   

Mapping Your Learning Connections

The networks that I used help me navigate through technology a little easier. The different networks that I used are Google plus, blog account, LinkedIn account, and Facebook each network I used in a different way. The way networks have changed the way I learned is that all of the networks are connected through Google plus which allows me to work much easier. Google plus allows me to communicate through e-mail, Google talk with family, friends and others. Google plus allows me to log into my blog account where I can update my blog, and respond to people. LinkedIn allows me to display my resume and apply for jobs and build my network with companies, colleagues across the United States. Facebook allows me to connect with friends and family.

The digital tools that facilitate learning for me is using blackboard which allows me to stay connected with my professors and classmates through discussion question where I am able to discuss with my classmates about the topic at hand by provided past knowledge and research which helps me grow with in my field and share the learned knowledge with others. I am also able to find my assignments on Blackboard where I have time to complete my assignments in a digital tool that promotes self-pace learning. The other digital tools I used is power point tool which allows me to create digital presentations for class projects or professional projects. It helps me to stay current on the technology that is beginning used. It also allows me to do research on the topic at hand but also gain more knowledge which will help me better in my field. The way I gain new knowledge is through using a Google search bar which allows me to research any topic that I am curious about. It allows me build upon my knowledge so that I can become a better Instructional Designer. I am able to see what educational tools are being used so that I can implement it throughout my curriculum. My personal learning network support Connectivism is a learning theory for the digital age. Learning has changed over the last several decades. The Learning happens in many different ways. Courses, email, communities, conversations, web search, email lists, reading blogs, etc. Courses are not the primary conduit for learning (  http://www.connectivism.ca/about.html). Connectivism allows me to used many different learning networks to help foster my learning.

  (  http://www.connectivism.ca/about.html)          

 

Mind Map- Connectivism.

Online Journals- learning and Problem Solving Methods

A online journal is a electronic journal where someone can post scholarly journals or articles, and intellectual magazines that can be viewed by others through a site. I found two  great articles that provide insight on how the brain functions and retains information. It also talks about different problem solving techniques that can help learners to be more productive.

The first article talks about the learning process that children go through. This online journal is very interesting because, it provides insight to the mind and how think and process information. The article goes into detail on how we register information The article states that there are three different memory areas in the brain  which are called sensory register, working memory , long-term memory. All three of the process work in different times. It also takes about how the environment can affect how someone can learn. The environment influences perception and perception of one's surroundings is essential for survival, the human species has undoubtedly evolved some biologically built in perceptual mechanism (McDevitt and Ormrod, 2004). This article is very informative and insightful to how the brain operates when it comes to how the brain process and retains information. It also goes into detail the major influences that our environment plays in our thinking. It shapes who we are and how we react to certain things in our lives.  
http://voices.yahoo.com/the-information-processing-theory-its-effect-on-633559.html

The Pedagogy In Action- The SERC portals for Educator- which a online journal. It provides different learning techniques for teachers to help there students have better problem solving tools. The technique generates metacognition awareness of ones own learning process. It causes the students to not think of just getting the correct answer but the steps they use in order to find the answer. It also helps students to identify missteps in students thinking and provides feedback for students and instructors. This journal is very interesting because it gives insight to new a innovative ways that teachers are doing to help students think more critically. It also helps teachers and students process information in a different. I feel this journal is very helpful in showing me other ways to help foster new learning techniques for students especially in the instructional design technology field.

http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/dps/index.html

McDevitt, T., & Ormrod, J. (2004). Child Development: Educating and Working with Children and Adolescents (2nd ed.). : Prentice Hall

  









    

The Doorway to Professional Learning Communities

   

A blog is a personal website or web page  on which an individual records opinions, links to other sites. I will be providing a critique to professional blog sites and professional newsletter. I will be sharing my thoughts and views about each of the blog sites and newsletter. I hoped that information that I provide will be helpful and insightful to learners, business and instructional design users.

            The first blog site that I will be critiquing is by Cathy Moore- Save the world from Boring Training. The site provides ideas for business to develop an action- packed learning material for working adults. The blog site is very active in keeping updated current events that are happening in instructional design technology. The articles are dealing with learning styles, learning activities that make learning fun and training ideas that provide challengers to learners through decision- making scenarios and letting them learn through experience. The blog site creator Cathy Moore also provides workshops that help business in the US ans around the world with a e-learning blue print for instructional designers. To create an action packed training: a) use visual approach to instructional design makes collaboration easy. b) Replace dry information with challenging activities and scenarios. c) Show how your project creates real-world change. d) Choose media types that research shows work best. e) Get the best results from any e-learning tool, including rapid tools. The entire blog site was very informative in that it provideds a lot of great learning tools that business and online learners can utilized. The workshops are something that I will be taking advantage of in the future so that I learn new training tools. This is a blog site that I will be visiting on a regular basis because, it has great information that will help me in this course but also in my future career.

 http://blog.cathy-moore.com/

The second blog is called IDDblog. The blog is a service that is provided by the faculty of instructional technology services at DePaul University. The sites primary goal is to provide information on enhancing instruction through the use of technology. In my findings of this site is that it is supposed to provide information to enhance instruction through technology but the blog site does not provide any learning tools to help enhance instruction. The site does not provide any new innovative technology services that will help learners develop better techniques and skills either for online learning or a busines. The blog site allows the instructors from DePaul University to upload articles for students to provide them an instructor perspective for students and other instructional design learners. The online access the blog provides is great to the university of DePaul students where they can have interaction with the instructors. The site does not provide current technology tools such twitter, Facebook or an active newsfeed where you can see daily current events that are happening in instructional design. The site is very simple and plan and not very active. As I continue to learn and grow in the field of instructional design technology this site is does not provide the functionality or insight that will help grow into begin a better designer.

http://www.iddblog.org/

The last is an instructional design central which a professional site. The site is very inactive where they have up to date articles that offer students, researchers, and working professional with instructional design and e-learning related resource and information. The site provides many resources for instructional design such as models and methods, programs and degrees, conference, and e-learning tools. The site also is also current in the technology though Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn where people can post comments and apply for jobs through the professional site. I feel that this site was very informative and provide a lot of information that I will use. A site that I will often use because; it provides so much information that anyone would could gain a perspective of begin an instructional design.       

  http://www.instructionaldesigncentral.com/htm/IDC_instructionaldesignsites.htm