How I Learned, How I Learn

English: A book cover for The Practice of Learning Theories (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now that I have a deeper understanding of the different learning theories and learning styles, I noticed a dramatic change from my thinking of the cognitive to a socially enhanced process, from Piaget’s growth of intelligence from childhood to adulthood to and beyond Vygotsky’s focus on the role of cultural symbols of higher mental functions (Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler, 2009a).The view I have now, as a learner, since we are now bring technology to the classroom, is I welcome the advances as a part of life. I accept that the social element of learning and scaffolding are important; I already began using an emerging connectivist theory, which goes along the constructivist theory, and enhances learning by visiting various nodes or places to learn and where one may also find varying methods that follow any of the six known theories.

As an emerging instructional designer, I know of the importance of having an understanding of the learning theories: deliver instruction by providing the most effective learning theories and give effective tools to each learner. At the same time, since learners have all eight of the intelligences, the instruction will need to reach them in as may ways as possible.

Howard Gardner theorized that learning styles such as Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Spatial, Bodily/Kinesthetic, Musical/Rhythmical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and Naturalist are a set of autonomous intelligences (Armstrong, 2000, p. 4).

Of the learning styles, I stated my learning is visual, musical, and kinesthetic. Later in my life, I followed the advice of someone, to ask how a friend studies, and see if after following that, I could at least learn habits of some that study better. That did work in some way, but I did also wonder if that would work at all. After all, I connected humanly with someone, and that is at best social. Knowing about the theories might help readers to learn about learning; it goes as deep as desired, and a good book to begin with is our current text by Ormrod, Schkunk, and Gredler (2009b).  The six known theories are Behaviorist, Cognitive, Social Constructivist, Social Learning, Connectivisim, and Adult Learning

For my particular style, reading is great because I can refer to from there anything I do not recall, and I can, of course take notes and classify some things having to do with a sequence, or sort events logically. Because I have a kinesthetic intelligence, I prefer to test things and go all-out with a hand-on experience to learn. Musically or rhythmically, I may find a song or a cadence for recalling information. I believe it is better to make use of the information learned, and not have to sit and memorize. The only true memorization I had when learning music. The theory I would associate with that is Behaviorist. However, with the things like ordering things in sequence, that would be a Cognitive basis for learning. Mnemonics, an example of “constructing” of knowledge, makes “meaning”; this would fall into the social constructivist learning. From my mind map, seen in an earlier article of mine, is proof of my using a connectivist way to learn—a “complex learning, rapid changing core, diverse knowledge sources” (Davis & Kelly, 2008). However, this emerging theory is least effective by itself. My instructor, Dr. Weaver (2012), stated that “Connectivism dovetails with Constructivisim.” The role it plays with visiting each node on the web demonstrates the ability to learn in more than one way. I even wonder if connectivism has any direct connotation for the earlier tools of learning, such as the cognitive theory.

The role that technology plays in my learning—that is, the way that technology plays in my search for information, record information, etc., is that it is unavoidable. Everything I need to reference, create, and process is on Internet. They are what I call tools, and they are the gateway to communicate with others with others on what learns. The ways to do that is countless, whether one wishes to show a media of photos, create a video, create a blog message, are all ways of relaying to others about what one learned or about what one wishes to relay as instruction–meaningfulness is of importance whichever side one chooses.

Let us watch together as we attempt to give and be a part of learning, whether as students or educators. Directly or indirectly, the science of learning about learning is what we thrive on.

References

Armstrong, T. (2000). Multiple intelligences in the classroom (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism

Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009a). Comparison of seven contemporary theories influential in learning [Table]. In J. Ormrod, D. Schunk, & M. Gredler, Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom edition) (p. 25). New York: Pearson.

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

Weaver, S. (2012, June 2). RE: Myself as an adult learner and instructional designer. [Discussion group comment]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/