"Fitting the Pieces Together"

What a journey this class has been.  Initially I was intimidated just by looking at the syllabus and the expectations of the instructor.  Albert Bandura (1986) said it best when he described learning by observing behavioral models and learner self efficiency which means individuals believe they can be successful at difficult or confusing assignments. I really felt pressure in this class initially and now I can say that Albert Bandura (1986) was referring to me.  My knowledge of learning theories has been stimulated through the many assignments and discussions that have taken place these past few weeks.  I feel that I have completed some tasks that I thought were difficult and I overcame those obstacles as I thought I would through hard work and perseverance.  I already knew that everyone learned differently but all of the reasons why were not apparent to me until studying Learning Theories and Instruction.

Now that I have a deeper understanding of the different learning theories and learning styles, my view on how I learn has changed a little.  I no longer feel inferior because someone else grasps a concept or lesson before I do.  I understand that there are some things that I will grasp quicker as a visual learner than someone who is only a kinesthetic learner.  I have also learned that I am an auditory learner as well.  Most learners possess more than one characteristic of the type of learner they are as expressed by Gilbert and Swanier (2008).  This will be useful as an instructional designer and as I continue to learn more about different learning theories and styles.

I have learned many things after researching and reading about various learning theories and learning styles that can further explain my own personal learning preference.  I relate mostly to the constructivist theory because I am self-motivate to accomplish my goals.  Much of what I learn is done through theory and research.  Prior knowledge along with current situations is how I remember pertinent information.  Collaboration is also important to me to consider the beliefs and ideas of others.  I am not limited to this theory because I also can relate to adult learning.

The role that technology plays in my learning is enormous.  From the moment I sign on to Walden until the time I submit an assignment I am using technology.  I have used technology for research purposes to find additional information regarding our lessons.  I have used the blog and RSS feed that we were required to create for this class.  Technology not only was used for completing assignments but also for communicating with my classmates and instructor.  I will use technology for every aspect of instructional design.  It will be used for research purposes, to create blogs and RSS feeds, to communicate with my peers and to add to information that I have received from various resources from our textbooks.  Technology will play a vital role in all of my endeavors to become the best instructional designer.  I truly believe technology will be the wave of the future for everything and that is the direction we are headed in.  Achieving knowledge through my classes will more than “fit the pieces together” to prepare me for the complete technology era and instructional designing.

References

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (1993).  Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism:  Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective.  Performance Improvement Quarterly, 6(4), 50-72.

Gilbert, J., & Swanier, C. (2008). Learning styles: How do they fluctuate? Institute for Learning Styles Journal [Vol. l]. Retrieved from http://www.auburn.edu/~witteje/ilsrj/Journal%20Volumes/Fall%202008%20Volume%201%20PDFs/Learning%20Styles%20How%20do%20They%20Fluctuate.pdf