Course Reflection

I have a background in K-12 education and in college I studied human development and family science. Therefore, some of the theories and ideas we learned about in this course were not entirely new. This course certainly helped refresh my memory on how people learn, but it did a lot more than that. In college, I memorized what I needed to pass the course. As an adult learner, I am not merely interested in a passing grade. I truly want to learn how to apply these theories. I learned from Dr. Ormrod’s “Motivation in Learning Video”, that this is not an uncommon characteristic for an adult learner (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). Furthermore, I am now interested in applying what I learned as an Instructional Designer and not as an in-class teacher.

            I found a couple things surprising about how people learn. I was unaware that brain-based research had come so far. Research methods such as animal research, electrical recording on the scalp, case studies, and neuroimaging technology have enabled scientist to learn a great deal about how the brain works (Ormrod & Schrunk, 2009). As we learn more and more about how the brain works, there will be obvious implications for teaching and learning. I was also surprised that there was a learning theory called Connectivism. I had not previously heard of this theory. However, with new forms of technology changing the way we seek information and learn it makes sense that there is a new learning theory (Davis, Edmunds, & Kelly-Bateman, 2008).

This course has deepened my understanding of my personal learning process. I now realize that my learning process has adapted over time based on my needs, motivation, and on my metacognition. My metacognitive awareness has developed over time and through my experiences (Ormrod & Schrunk, 2009). My understanding of how I acquire knowledge has shaped the way I learn and my motivation as an adult learner is different than it was years ago.

Each learning theory discussed in this course had a valid argument on how people learn. However, none of the theories provided an explanation that encompassed all of the complexities of learning. This reinforces the idea that no theory provides a silver bullet. Educators must take knowledge from each of these theories for their instruction (Kerr, 2007). The same hold true for learning styles and educational technology.  You should not teach to just a single learning style, and you should not teach using only one type of educational technology. To reach all learners and to help motivate your students it is best to use a variety of strategies.

What I have taken away from this course will have an enormous impact on my future endeavors as an instructional designer. This course was actually the first course I have taken completely online. One of the biggest things I will take away from this class is all of the learning that takes place in the discussion area. Unlike in a traditional classroom setting, everyone in class has a voice. It was beneficial to hear the opinions of my classmates, and helpful to see how the instructor was able to use scaffolding through this setting. In the future, I will keep the lessons from this class in mind and make sure to incorporate an ARCS motivational model. I do not know for certain if my instructor had ARCS in mind with the creation of this class, but I feel like the major points of the ARCS model were accomplished. My attention was held, the material was relevant, I gained confidence, and had a sense of overall satisfaction about the course (Keller, 1999).

References

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

Keller, J. M. (1999). Using the ARCS motivational process in computer-based instruction and distance education. New Directions for Teaching and Learning (78).

Kerr, B. (2007, January 1). _isms as filter, not blinker [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html

Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Motivation and Learning [Video webcast].

Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom edition). New York: Pearson.