Throughout this course I have learned quite a bit about how I obtain knowledge. Before this course I wasn’t familiar with the different learning theories and what they meant or how they applied to me but now my understanding has changed a great deal. Something that I found surprising in reference to how people learn was when I was able to identify myself as more of a constructivist type of learner versus before where I would just say im a visual learner or I learn more with hands on activities. As a constructivist you learn from everyday life experiences and are able to contribute what you learned to elaborate on something new and it goes along with being hands on as well as visual therefore this theory striked me because I thought it appealed to me a lot more than the behaviorist or cognitivist theory.
This course has deepened my understanding of my own personal learning process in a way that now that I know what my learning process is it helps me as a student by implementing different techniques in making sure that I am able to learn and understand information. It also helps me as an instructor because I have a much better understanding than before of the different ways students learn and how to appeal to the different learning styles as well as keeping my students motivated. There has to be a balance between the use of the theories and there should be bits and pieces taken from each one to achieve effective instruction.
As for things I can take from this course regarding the different learning theories, styles, educational technology and motivation pertain to how these factors are beneficial and important to us. In reference to the theories and styles, they are a huge benefit because it helps us to identify ways in which we learn and how it can be used to help others that could be different from you as well has how it can be beneficial within the instructional design field. In educational technology and motivation, I became acquainted with the term connectivism which is a learning theory geared toward the digital age as well as the term andragogy which has to do with adult learning, it is stated as the art and science of how adults learn. With that being said those two terms are connected because they represent a new style of learning which is through new digital technology as well as the use of social networks and the ability for adults to learn at their own pace the use of online classrooms and last but not least the factors that motivates adults to learn and they consist of; the need for instant feedback, having the control of their learning (learning at their own pace) and the need to advance themselves career wise or for personal educational gain.
In conclusion what I have learned in this course will help me further my career as an instructional designer in many ways because I will be able to utilize what I have learned to design instruction that uses effective strategies and motivational techniques to boost learner engagement and success.
References
Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., & Smith, K. (2003). Adult learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Adult_Learning
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.
