Adult Learning: A Puzzle of Life

My initial response to understanding my learning style(s) was that I found from my previous and recent experiences that I primarily learn through cognitive and constructivist methods. Yet after reading and reviewing the materials presented throughout this course and other references, I have come to a better understanding that I embrace various learning theories and styles. For instance, the behaviorist in me is revealed in how I pace myself in reading, writing and how I approach time management on relation to completing my assignments. The cognitive aspect of my learning comes into play when I find myself analyzing the information I have previously read and how it correlates to what I am currently doing to date and potentially the future. Constructivism, social learning and connectivism each are apparent in my ongoing and/or daily interactions with my peers, whether co-workers or Walden colleagues which allow further engagement in discussions that challenge and enhance my knowledge.

Today, technology plays a huge and continuous role in our learning whether we are directly or indirectly impacted by its presence. The most obvious is my enrollment with Walden University. Yet there are various aspects in which technology plays a major role in my ongoing learning and/or development. In relation to education (school), I utilize technology as a search engine to obtain access to varying resources and views. Although not all finds through technology are considered scholarly references, each may be considered extensions of such sources and may force us to want to discover its true birth place in turn trigger the desire to learn and the continuous outreach for knowledge. In relation to the workplace, technology is utilized on a daily basis to ensure ongoing connectivity to the internal, as well as, at times, the external activities that are relative to the business (e.g. healthcare). Regardless of the intent of use, technology has become readily accessible and a touch-point to many, if not all, and has been a useful supplement to educational and occupational growth. For me, such growth comes in the form of online courses (eLearning), search engines (e.g. Google), video montages (e.g. YouTube), interactive media (e.g. Flash media sites) and online social networking (e.g. blogs).

I am certain there are many more learning theories and styles that I and others embrace which we may not be aware; yet as I continue to learn about these various theories and styles I unlock a different aspect of myself. As an adult learner, I know that my approach to learning must be direct and to the point. I have discovered I am least likely to learn or attempt to learn something that appears to be overly convoluted or lack some form of structure. The introduction of technology bridges some of the gaps in concepts that maybe in the past we, as educators, were not able to convey. For instance, my determination to learn Spanish has been strong since high school, yet I have been challenged with understanding concepts, inflexion and grammar. During my undergraduate years I enrolled in a Spanish course to reach my desired goal. Although I was able to comprehend the grammatical aspect of the language, I still was unable to apply it to concepts. Today, I have revisited my goal and have turned to the option of utilizing technology (Rosetta Stone) as a possible learning tool. This choice reinforces my learning style and as the use of technology in a benefiting manner.