Week 7 Application - Blog Assignment

Week 7 Application – Blog Assignment: Fitting the Pieces Together

At the start of this Instructional Design course, we were challenged to look at ourselves as learners and identify our personal learning styles. In week one, wee looked at understanding learning processes. I felt I primarily functioned under cognitive theory, but expressed that thinking styles change over time, because I saw clear changes within myself from youth to adult in terms of retaining information. I also pointed out that I often have to reread a few times before comprehending. As we’ve moved through the weeks of study on the brain, behaviors, learning styles and theories, I have gained a clear picture and made concrete connections as to what my learning habits conclude, how I can change my learning weaknesses and use my strengths to enhance my learning experiences.
I thought I was a left (sided) brain thinker because I am left handed. In week two I took an online quiz on www.web-us.com/brain/braindominance.htm
It was the Hemispheric Domain Test, and the results determined that I use my right brain the most. This was based on me answering thirteen out of eighteen questions as a right brain person and five out of eighteen questions as a left brain person. This shows that we do use both sides of our brain, but the dominant side is the side most used, and/or that gets the most exercise. Taking this test helped me to internalize and understand the relevance of the hemisphere styles, and applying it to oneself help in seeing the traits in others.
I have already cosigned with Gestalt and Thorndike that no single theory can adequately account for all learning. Dr. Ormrod cautioned about learning styles – “it’s not as simple” as made to sound. She inferred that not all learning styles are legitimate, and suggests as an alternative, that we use strategies that can work for anyone – it’s an optimistic view on how to help people learn by teaching applicable strategies such as:
1. Elaboration – means of taking information – a constructive process.
2. Comprehension monitoring – means of stopping periodically and checking oneself for understanding of material read
I highlight her points here, because these are strategies I have reintroduced (from use in earlier years – now given cause to reflect on) from review in this course and they are working for me. Ertmer confirmed that choosing just one theory in designing theory is not enough. This would limit not only the ability of the instructor, but limit the varian learner’s ability to grasp the intended learning outcome.
I am still of the mindset of not committing to one theory or limiting oneself to a single school of thought. All material discussed and reviewed has confirmed for me that there is a need for all theory forms in order to have strategies and forms to pull from in creating/preparing for learners. As far as the use of technology in my learning, through this course I have expanded my use of the discussion board and the online library, added the use of blogs, Google alerts, mind-mapping, and changed the way I view online networks such as facebook, linked-In, and other blog post search sites.

Sources

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

Gilbert, J., & Swanier, C. (2008). Learning styles: How do they fluctuate? Retrieved Dec. 8, 2009 from
http://www.auburn.edu/witteje/ilsrj/journal%20Volumes/Fall%202008%20Volume%201%20PDFs/Learning%20Styles%20How%20do%20They%20Fluctuate.pdf

Orey, Michael. (2001). Information Processing. Retrieved Nov. 9, 2009 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Ormrod, Dr. Jeanne. (2009). Learning Styles and Strategies Laureate Education, Inc. [Transcript] Retrieved Dec. 8, 2009.

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