Final Reflection

Reflection

As the last week of class has finally come we are tasked with reflection upon what we have learned throughout the last eight weeks and how I can apply the learning in future courses and in my career as a future instructional designer. My reflection takes into consideration what I found surprising as I continued to gain knowledge on how people learned. To share how the course deepened my understanding of my own personal learning process. Along with what I have learned regarding the connection between learning theories, learning styles, educational technology and motivation. Lastly, I will include how what I learned in this course can help me as I go further into my career as an instructional designer.

What seemed to be most surprising were the various learning theories that we were introduced to each week. According to Ertmer & Newby (1993) “As one moves along the behaviorist-cognitivist-constructivist continuum, the focus of instruction shifts from teaching to learning, from the passive transfer of facts and routines to the active application of ideas to problems” (p.66). I was very familiar with learning styles and differentiated instruction and still nothing on learning theories. I found the constructivism theory also aligns with my views on learning or can best describe how I learn. “Constructivists do not deny the existence of the real world but contend that what we know of the world stems from our own interpretations of our experiences. Humans create meaning as opposed to acquiring it” (Ertmer & Newby, 1993, p. 55). Being a constructivist allowed me the ability to “build personal interpretations of the world based on individual experiences and interactions” (Ertmer, et. al., 1993, p. 55).

The course deepened my understanding of my own personal learning given my learning style, the learning theory I might relate more too, how much I appreciate who I am as an adult learner. I am motivated by the opportunity to gain new skills, knowledge, and attitudes to improve my work performance (Conlan, Grabowski & Smith, 2003). I also came to know that experiential learning fell within my scope…Confucius (circa 450 BCE) “Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand.” Such an amazing quote to remember as I continue to learn, I look to motivate others along the way.

What I was able to learn about the connections between learning theories, learning styles, educational technology and motivational levels has been considerable. Each learning theory differs from the other and yet each one provides its own take on how students learn. Learning styles and learning preferences helps me to be a much more knowledgeable future instructional designer who will one day design curriculum with teaching and learning strategies (Laureate Education, n.d.) educators can apply to better serve diverse learners. Technology has made immense changes to life itself and it the area of education it has literally changed everything. Educational technology has revamped how education is taught today, in how students learn no matter their learning style or the learning theory they lean towards and raise motivational levels. “The analysis of motivational needs and corresponding selection of tactics are based on four dimensions of motivation. These dimensions were derived from a synthesis of research on human motivation and are known as attention (A), relevance (R), confidence (C), and satisfaction (S), or ARCS” (Keller, 1999, p. 39). The “ARCS model of motivational design” is used to facilitate the learning process with both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (Keller, 1999).

Completing this course will benefit me in my future role as an instructional designer with my new found knowledge of historical background perspectives and learning theories. Motivational levels can be increased by applying Keller’s ARCS Model within the designed curriculum (Keller, 1999). Lastly it will be important to take into consideration my “understanding of how people learn” (Laureate Education, n.d.) is the foundation for designing effective instruction.

References

Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., & Smith, K. (2003). Adult learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging
perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from
http://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/Orey_Emergin_Perspectives_Learning.pdf

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features from an Instructional Design Perspective, Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26, 43-71.

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

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). An introduction to learning [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Learning styles and strategies [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.