Reflecting Forward: How It All Applies

On April 20, 2010, Good Morning America captured a live interview with parents Christine Yablonski and Phil Biegler on Defending Unschooling: It’s Not Anything Goes. By this time, I had entered my sixth week in the Learning Theories and Instruction course and could not help but ponder the question of whether the concept of “unschooling” will be the next learning movement even after all that I had learned to date. After pondering this thought for awhile, I began to think of how, as an Instructional Designer, my role will play in tomorrow’s world of learning. In order to gain a better understanding of such a role in the future, I needed to allow myself to delve deeper into the understanding of how the various learning theories, styles, approaches and methods played a part in my past and present life.

The Learning Theories and Instruction course brought a plethora of the learning concepts I had been introduced to in the past through informal methods together into a more comprehensive forum. For instance, the concepts of A.D.D.I.E (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation) and the A.R.C.S (Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction) model have been part of my learning path before I realized what each concept meant, offered or how to apply them to learning, not only my own but others as well. In my current role as a training professional, my primary goal is to provide instruction to regional Call Center Associates regarding sales order management systems, procedures and policies for the medical device and diagnostic sectors of our organization. Prior to being introduced to A.D.D.I.E and the A.R.C.S model my method for training was based upon my previous learning experiences and what I felt was the best approach for the attendees of each class. Since my initial approach to learning was later discovered to fall under the cognitive and constructivist school of thought, I realize today that my teaching style fell under the same suit. Although my cognitive approach was found beneficial in delivering systems learning, by analyzing the course curriculum and the Associates motivational levels I found myself incorporating interactive (hands-on) sessions and role playing as part of the curriculum to maintain engagement of the Associates and to gauge (or evaluate) their level of comprehension on the subject matter allowing to build confidence in their daily work responsibilities.

Although earlier approaches were with the intent to understand the subject matter and deliver a strong and comprehensive training, this course has provided me with a deeper knowledge of the best way for me to approach future learning and how to apply such personal growth in how I assist others in their learning quests. To understand that my learning platform is built on cognitive and constructivist thoughts, theories and methodology but has developed into a cornucopia of various learning methods provides me with a renewed outlook on tomorrow and how instrumental such an understanding will play in my role as a current and future Instructional Designer. For example, my understanding of behaviorism provides me with additional instructional design tools in how to approach creating a learning plan or training course dependent on the course attendees. From a personal learning approach, I tend to steer away from behaviorist tendencies however I have come to embrace that such an approach may be beneficial to others when managing a task that requires rote skills.

Though there is so much more to learn, the knowledge I have attained thus far will assist in my growth in the field of Instructional Design by providing me a launching pad of history and the understanding of the various learning theories and styles. It has enabled me to not only understand my learning style(s) but has allowed me to understand and embrace the various ways of how to educate others in turn causing me to think “out of the box”, as well as open my eyes to our current and future world of technology and how it will assist and benefit us in our instructional design efforts.

This brings me back to my initial question and opening statement of whether the concept of “unschooling” will be the next learning movement even after all that I have learned to date. From an Instructional Design perspective, I find that the concept of “unschooling” will be classified as a learning style and theory in approximately 5 years. From a distance, the concept of “unschooling” takes on a different approach to reverse psychology in learning. Ideally, each learning theory and style we have learned over the past 8 weeks may be applied to such an approach with a larger focus on humanism. As an instructional designer, this concept opens us up more to the acceptance of connectivism and the potential to branch our knowledge off into the educational technology arena much like George Lucas’s Edutopia ™. George Lucas captured it perfectly in an interview with Daniel Goleman regarding Edutopia™ and I hope to apply the same principals as I further my path in Instructional Design. He said,

A really good teacher is not a person who is dictating information to students. We have discovered that if a teacher approaches teaching saying this to the student, "You are a bright intelligent person who can figure this out on your own, and if you need help, I'll help you" -- if you take the teacher out from the front of the classroom dispensing information, and you encourage students to find the information on their own with the teacher as a guide or facilitator in their information-finding adventure -- the students will learn a lot more and be much more empowered.

This very notion, regardless of the method of delivery (e.g. on-line training), carries a vast amount of weight in our efforts to learn and instruct, and to embrace this notion allows us as Instructional Designers, in my opinion, to reflect forward and apply all that we have learned and know to provide assistance in growth to others.

My Multiple Intelligences

Reference: BGfL Multiple Intelligences site

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.