My Theory of Learning..(p.2)

Alas, this class is nearing the end of the semester and the shop is about to close up.  In this post, I revisit my learning theory and reflect on how my ideas and answers to the following questions may have shifted/stayed the same.

1. What do you currently understand learning to be--for yourself as a learner and for your students if you teach?

My take on learning has shifted somewhat through the experience of participating in my first online course of grad school.  But I also have the feeling that what I understand learning to be actually shifts a little every time a take a course.  You see, I realize more and more that learning is embodied in so many aspects of my experiences (in particular, as outlined by Boetther, three types of online learning interactions :  instructor-learner, learner-learner, and learner-content/resources) and how I take from that and carry it onto the next learning experience is what's key.  I lean towards the constructivist approach to  learning and designing for learning online (the theories of Piaget and Dewey have enlightened me and strengthened my view on how previous experience and knowledge are important to learning), and where learners are encouraged to take on an active role in their learning, vs a passive one.  

2. Why (on what basis) do you hold those views, both for yourself and for your students? (If you are not a teacher think of a situation where you have taught somebody something.)

I believe my views are shaped by my grad experience and each person I meet, each class I take, it builds as I go along.  Quite similarly to how learning theories that we have looked at in our class build upon one another (ie.  L Vigotsky and J. Bruner building on Piaget and Dewey).  The social aspect is an important one when it comes to designing for online learning experiences.  In my scope, however, adult education is the focus, and I often wondered how much of these theories apply to this audience specifically and the workplace learning context in which I worked, though I did find foundations applicable to online adult education. 

3. What role does knowledge play in learning?

I hold firm to my prior belief that the role of knowledge is essential to learning.  As I mentioned, the skills and experience that people bring to the learning process impact distributed cognition through to distributed intelligence (Pea) and as Lave and Wenger (1991) allude, situated learning pertaining to a particular context and environment influence that knowledge brought to the learning process as well.

Boettcher explains in Core Learning Principle #5: Learners Bring Their Own Personalized Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes...to the Learning Experience.  This influences my theory of learning greatly as adult learners bring a wealth of these elements to the table, and instructors and designers need to take this into account when designing education.

4. What role do others play in your learning (e.g. peers, teachers etc)?

Interactions between others such as instructors, peers, family, co-workers, etc are all important to learning.  I feel most aligned to more introverted learners, and find that online participation allows for the playing field to be leveled.  An Introverted learner need not compete to answer the fasted, loudest or most detailed.  Online learning enables deeper reflection for some as instant responses are not expected.

My learning theory now leans towards the role of others contributing to knowledge sharing, building and co-constructing.  This may take the form of contributing in a learning community, community of practice or community of inquiry.  I think its important that every learner find the comfort level necessary to truly learn and share in an online learning environment, without the barriers of language, technology access, and digital literacy, etc.

Social media and informal learning are still important aspects of my learning theory as it more a part of the everyday than ever before.  In this manner, its hard to tell where learning starts and stops and offers continuous learning to occur and contribute to lifelong learning goals.

References:

Boettcher, J. 2007. Ten Core Principles for Designing Effective Learning Environments: Insights from Brain Research and Pedagogical Theory. Innovate 3 (3).


Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1990). Chapter 1 in Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. LPP.pdf


Pea, R.D. (1993). Practices of distributed intelligence and designs for education. In G. Salomon (Ed.), Distributed cognitions. Psychological and educational considerations (pp. 47-87). NY: Cambridge University Press. peaDistrib.pdf


Vygotsky, L. (1934) 2. Piaget’s Theory Child Language and Thought.  http://www.marxists.org/archive/vygotsky/works/words/ch02.htm