Reflection

I think this quote from Confucius (Brainy, 2010), “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.”- summarizes the debate between cognitive and behavioral learning theories and philosophies. What I found surprising about how people learn is the overall debate itself. Once you have taught a group of students in any setting for any period of time it becomes apparent that no matter how much you structure a class or subject materials someone in the class will exhibit a need for something different presented in a different manner.

Hence, it surprises me that someone that spends years researching how people should teach and how people learn can come to one specific conclusion on how people receive, retain, and process information, “The practitioner cannot afford to ignore any theories that might provide practical implications” (Ertmer et al., 1993, p.70).


The course deepened my understanding of my personal learning process by giving me the tools to identify the theories and processes I have been utilizing and have provided me with new strategies and theories to revise the methods I use to create instructional material and teach classes. This week’s discussion of the ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction) model (Keller, 1999) is one example; I have been incorporating the principles of this theory without realizing the more meaningful philosophy behind the practice.

The connection between learning theories, learning styles, educational technology, and motivation should be deliberately integrated into the design process. Instructional Designers should strive to create a learning system that contains as many elements of each of these factors within its hierarchy on some level as efficiently as possible. I have learned that not all of these theories mesh well together for every student and subject matter. “Just like anything else that involves human experience or interaction, the act of learning does not happen in a vacuum. It is at the intersection of prior knowledge, experience, perception, reality, comprehension, and flexibility that learning occurs” (Davis et al. 2008), possessing and keeping an open mind about the way people learn and providing an efficient and appropriate environment to do so will be a critical part of my industrial designs in the future.

References


BrainyQuote.com. (2010). Learning Quotes. BrainyMedia.com. Retrieved from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/learning.html

Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology.

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. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4118625&Survey=1&47=3899999&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

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