As you know, I am currently completing coursework towards an Instructional Design certificate. This week, the instructor asked course participants to reflect on how our personal preferences, regarding how we learn and how we instruct others, have changed as we have gained a deeper understanding of various learning theories and learning styles.
Learning Theories
I think it is wise to subscribe to more than one learning theory. Each theory (behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, etc.) has positive and negative points. However, I tend to favor the constructivist belief; particularly in adult learning. The core belief in constructivism is that learning is self-directed by the individual. The individual constructs meaning and knowledge from their own experiences. According to the constructivist belief, the locus of learning is internal construction of reality by the individual learner and adult learning manifests through experiential learning, creation of new or different perspectives, and reflection.
While I might use constructivist related activities to solidify knowledge and understanding for a topic. I would probably introduce the learning topic with a more of a cognitivist approach. As I would start a lesson by identifying and defining key terms before relating the topic to a previous (well-understood topic) and then I would have student problem-solve with me before moving on to a student-centered activity. I tend use this approach with students being introduced to certain topics for the first time regardless of the age.
Learning Styles
I still believe instructors should strive to offer differentiated instruction. This instructional method is a best practice in classrooms throughout the country. It’s a way to shake things up in the classroom and tune into the multiple intelligences and varying learning styles of my students. Group work is an example of differentiate instruction. The three main foci of this process include task achievement (what’s going to be accomplished and the social skills to get it done), group maintenance (idea sharing, listening and negotiating and agreement), and group effectiveness (Millar, 2003). My teaching style tends to accommodate visual and auditory learners more than tactile learners so I will have to make a conscience effort to integrate some tactile teaching techniques.
Additionally, the knowledge a student’s environmental and socio-cultural learning factors (which change how learning experiences are interpreted by each individual student) are invaluable to an instructional designer. This knowledge allows me to view my teaching material and assignments from several diverse viewpoints but it offers a wonderful opportunity to encourage my students to discuss their various viewpoints with each other thereby promoting diversity. I can use socio-cultural factors to help me draw upon social roles and the changing of these roles related to life events to develop learning activities or programs. I tend to be a surface learner myself and I have found that testing methods of the teacher have much to do with my approach to learning. To accommodate surface learners and help my class gain cognitive understanding of subject matter, I can assess students understanding and development with integrative projects that force students to relate past knowledge to newly acquired information.
Learning Theories
I think it is wise to subscribe to more than one learning theory. Each theory (behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, etc.) has positive and negative points. However, I tend to favor the constructivist belief; particularly in adult learning. The core belief in constructivism is that learning is self-directed by the individual. The individual constructs meaning and knowledge from their own experiences. According to the constructivist belief, the locus of learning is internal construction of reality by the individual learner and adult learning manifests through experiential learning, creation of new or different perspectives, and reflection.
While I might use constructivist related activities to solidify knowledge and understanding for a topic. I would probably introduce the learning topic with a more of a cognitivist approach. As I would start a lesson by identifying and defining key terms before relating the topic to a previous (well-understood topic) and then I would have student problem-solve with me before moving on to a student-centered activity. I tend use this approach with students being introduced to certain topics for the first time regardless of the age.
Learning Styles
I still believe instructors should strive to offer differentiated instruction. This instructional method is a best practice in classrooms throughout the country. It’s a way to shake things up in the classroom and tune into the multiple intelligences and varying learning styles of my students. Group work is an example of differentiate instruction. The three main foci of this process include task achievement (what’s going to be accomplished and the social skills to get it done), group maintenance (idea sharing, listening and negotiating and agreement), and group effectiveness (Millar, 2003). My teaching style tends to accommodate visual and auditory learners more than tactile learners so I will have to make a conscience effort to integrate some tactile teaching techniques.
Additionally, the knowledge a student’s environmental and socio-cultural learning factors (which change how learning experiences are interpreted by each individual student) are invaluable to an instructional designer. This knowledge allows me to view my teaching material and assignments from several diverse viewpoints but it offers a wonderful opportunity to encourage my students to discuss their various viewpoints with each other thereby promoting diversity. I can use socio-cultural factors to help me draw upon social roles and the changing of these roles related to life events to develop learning activities or programs. I tend to be a surface learner myself and I have found that testing methods of the teacher have much to do with my approach to learning. To accommodate surface learners and help my class gain cognitive understanding of subject matter, I can assess students understanding and development with integrative projects that force students to relate past knowledge to newly acquired information.
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