Fitting the Pieces Together-The Learner's Puzzle

Each time I take a class, a workshop, or attend a professional development I am excited about what I will learn and how I can use it to impact my personal, social, or professional life. Taking a dive into learning theories and instruction I was excited to learn how I could apply the information to my learners and even my own children. But what I've walked away with is a greater understanding of myself  as a learner and hopefully some strategies to aid me in being a better learner overall. Each of those strategies is another piece in my own learning puzzle.

Learning styles and methods can be ever evolving as one learns and attains new information and insight. In the beginning of this course I stated that through my recent job change I was able to discover that I learn best via kinesthetic and visual learning opportunities as well as the use of the Socratic Method to encourage greater depth and insight into the information I’m seeking to learn. This is still very true for me. I am a very hands on person who learns best by having a set of instructions, the ability to work through the material, and then receive feedback based on performance. I also learn well through discussion and even debate. However, though I could attempt to place myself neatly into one learning theory or style, it is not feasible. I do not believe that makes me different from any other learner. In fact, what I have learned really debunks many of my previous assumptions about learning and synthesis of material. No longer do I believe there is any one set way to learn or gather information. Rather, each learning opportunity places us in a unique situation to gain knowledge. Key factors here would include intrinsic motivation as well as prior knowledge or experience.

What it comes down to for me is that if I am not motivated to learn in some way, then I will not learn. And that though I can name and categorize ways that tend to suit me as a learner, I do myself a great disservice in pinning myself to one style or modality of learning. Instead, this knowledge leads me to seek strategies to assist me in learning. And what I have found is that just because a strategy works well in one situation that does not mean that it will work well in another situation. In fact, each learning opportunity is as unique as each learner partaking in the learning opportunity.

One of the common factors for me to achieve learning success comes down to technology. There are times that the resources I have been provided are not enough for me, or they do not resonate with me and therefore I may struggle to access them in one way or another. Technology allows me to seek out alternate resources whether it be a video presentation, an infographic, article, etc. I have access now that I never had as a K12 or undergrad learner. In addition, there are time that I will desire further information about something mentioned in a resource, or I will want to see it in action. A few keystrokes, and I have access to the material. The final way that technology continues to make learning more accessible is the portability and flexibility in learning. Recently my family went on a long planned vacation. Though I had completed the bulk of my assignments prior to our departure, I knew that I had to participate in an ongoing discussion board. At one time, this vacation would have meant a loss of a week’s worth of learning and interaction with my peers. However, through just access to my cell phone I was able to continue the participation and even lead to further resources in which to engage while I was away and had some downtime to read. This truly brought to life, for me anyway, the idea of continuing education being something attainable despite a full family life, full time job, and other responsibilities. 

Learning is not a static process. We cannot rest on what we think we know about ourselves as a learner, rather we must be educated on learning strategies and tools to aid in furthering that learning process. Discovering more about learning theories and methods is a step toward self awareness that will lead to a greater capacity for learning and the tendency toward lifelong learning. 

Connectivism

Connectivism Mind Map 

Connectivism Reflection

As an adult I think it is important to continue learning and seeking new information constantly, both professionally as well as personally. My network has continued to evolve, and even this iteration as represented in my mind map will not remain constant as it is required to continue growing and evolving based on current needs and interests. My current network relies heavily on both professional and educational resources due to pursuing a graduate degree and being in my position for less than one year. Due to those circumstances, I feel as though I am constantly seeking resources both synchronous as well as asynchronous to continue my learning journey and to seek the best resources to assist me in learning not just what I need to know, but what I would like to know in terms of expanding my knowledge base.

I really like to take in a wide variety of information in a wide variety of forms. One of my favorite modes of learning is through interaction and discussion with others, or even hands on learning. I feel that the discourse between a group-whether large or small-leads to new insights, recommendations, and an expansion of ideas. In addition, I like to use social media such as Facebook or even Instagram to source new ideas, resources, and material. I follow a variety of professional organizations, professionals, and more to ensure that I am exposed to a wide variety of information-even in smaller micro learning chunks. Finally, YouTube videos that synthesize ideas in clever ways constantly provide me with not only new ideas and resources, but inspiration as to how I will seek to develop content and information in the future.

There are times that I am seeking information and I get stuck, or I cannot connect to the resources that have been presented to me via a traditional source. This is when I know that I need to seek alternate resources to provide me with a base knowledge before I can access the required or traditional resources. Often these will take the direction of a multimedia source-whether it be a video, a flash presentation, or other visual representation. Once I’ve gained a base, I find it easier to seek the traditional materials and understand them in a different manner. I also work with an amazing team of professionals who have a wide variety of resources, insight, advice, and recommendations. I am fortunate enough to work in an environment that encourages asking questions and seeking answers together. Though I am quite new, I have never been made to feel that my questions are not valid, important, or worthy of being addressed.

This leads me to the basic tenets of connectivism in relation to my own learning. My personal learning network supports these, especially in the following areas as described by Davis, Edmunds, and Kelly-Bateman which include:

§  “Learning and knowledge rest in diversity of opinions.

§  Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.

§  Learning may reside in non-human appliances” (2008)

In regards to social learning, I engage in seeking diversity of opinions and ideas to form my own opinions and ideas. Additionally, seeking to make connections amongst materials through comparing and contrasting, seeking additional resources, and evaluating source material allows me to connect information sources in a variety of ways. And finally, the bulk of my learning takes place not face to face, but through computer or technological interaction.

I think seeking to understand my own learning style, methods, and resources or avenues of information can really provide a strong basis for then moving forward to create learning opportunities for others. Throughout that process though, there is a requirement to maintain an open mind and to seek to continue understanding that what works best for me may not work best for someone else. But the base knowledge of my own learning helps me to understand others on a greater level. When we can see how learning is connected in a variety of ways, and the sources of that information, it provides a framework for the creation of resources to better facilitate learning for others.

RESOURCES:

Davis, C, Edmunds, E, & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved 7/21/16, fromhttp://epltt.coe.uga.edu/

Resources: Information Processing Theory/Information Processing Model (IPM)

The idea of the Information Processing Theory is one that intrigues me as an Instructional Designer. While I do not believe it wise to subscribe to any one theory or belief in regards to learning, I do believe that the study of these theories is helpful in everyday development and delivery of material. Fortunately, the scope of brain research, learning theory, and development is constantly changing. As we learn more, and are exposed to more knowledge, we are able to make more significant connections to the ways in which learning works for each individual. However, I still hold to the belief that holding all of these theories with an open hand is wise as there is not a one size fits all approach when it comes to training and instructional design.

In my quest to learn more about the Information Processing Theory, I came across many articles, blog posts, videos, and more. While many seemed to be valuable resources, I chose to share the following two resources for my focus and purposes here.

Information Processing | Simply Psychology

The first article, by Saul McLeod for Simply Psychology explores the Information Processing Theory step by step. In the article, he states “the information processing approach characterizes thinking as the environment providing input of data, which is then transformed by our senses.” (2008) This resonates with other material I have read on the topic as well and really speaks to the heart of the Information Processing Theory. He continues to develop ideas and build on concepts in a very accessible manner not often found in scholarly writing. This will be a resource that I return to often to reference as I not only continue my learning journey, but also seek to impact the learning journeys of others. I enjoyed the breakdown of the concepts into easily manageable chunks as well as the inclusion of a lecture from MIT on Attention, or the ideas behind why we pay attention to certain things and not others-what captures our attention and how to replicate that for learners.  

McLeod expands upon this idea by speaking toward two varieties of attention. The first is selective attention where we shift our attention to something previously not attended to.  (2008) This really speaks toward how things spark an interest, how we can capture the attention of our learners via instructional design. What will pique the interest of our learners enough to ensure that they acquire and retain the necessary material moving forward? The second aspect McLeod speaks toward in regards to attention is that of attentional capacity. This probably intrigued me the most in regards to the theory as a whole because, to me, it speaks toward the efficacy of multi-tasking.

We hear often in today’s world that multi-tasking is no longer thought to be productive. I often instruct my learners during workshop kickoffs as to the dangers and pitfalls of multi-tasking during a learning activity. Prior to reading this piece, however it was always a little bit abstract for me. I understood it to be true, I attempted to instruct others as to the truth of it-but I never truly connected the dots. McLeod lays out attentional capacity as simply how many things we can attend to at the same time. (2008) I think that answer is different for every person and in creating material, one focus should be to ensure that material is engaging enough as to discourage participants from maxing out on their attentional capacity via multi-tasking. My biggest takeaway from this article is in regards to this concept and its implications for my own learning as well as the learners I serve.

Information Processing Theory | Education.com

In this article, the authors seek to break down the Informational Processing Theory into the Information Processing Model (IPM). There is a great deal of detail around each piece of the three components of memory: sensory memory, working memory, and long term memory. The premise here is that this is a successful theory that will lead to successful learning because it is founded in research.

My biggest takeaway here was the detailed description behind each type of memory. I found this to be hard to grasp, and the way it was laid out here really provided a solid framework of understanding. Each of these pieces of the model really build from and rely on one another and I can see how this would be understood as the premier theory in educational success due to its validated research as well as the logic behind it. However, I am certain that the IPM is not the epitome of learning theories. Much has been learned since the 1950s, and much will be learned in the coming years, we must continue to stay flexible as learners and not hold tightly to any one theory or model.

However, the authors did also address the implications for instruction. I feel this to be a valuable tool that I can draw from in terms of creating and developing content. While I would cast my net a little wider, to further encompass other theories of relevance, the implications for instruction really does lay out a good framework for quality instruction that will reach a variety of learners. Probably the most valuable piece for me is the idea of prior knowledge being a facilitator of acquisition of knowledge. Activating prior knowledge goes so much deeper than simply asking what the learner knows about a topic, we must seek to delve into and find out the prior knowledge and experience of our learners if we are to successfully deliver instruction that will be retained and implemented moving forward. When a learner cannot clearly see a way or a reason to implement new ideas, chances are that learner will lean on the comfort of old strategies, methods, or techniques.

I truly enjoy the opportunity to learn more about research, development, and theories around learning. I believe that an instructional designer’s role is to maintain a knowledge level around these things that allows the content being created to be accessible. However, we must remain flexible and open to change or new theory if we hope to maintain relevancy to our learners. Seeking to learn from others is the first step in maintaining relevancy for today’s Instructional Designer.

REFERENCES:

McLeod, S. A. (2008). Information Processing. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/information-processing.html

Schraw, G., & McCrudden, M. (2013, July 12). Information Processing Theory. Retrieved July 06, 2016, from http://www.education.com/ 

Ongoing Resources

As a current trainer, and future instructional designer, I believe it is important to follow those leading the industry and seeking to make an impact on methodology, and the business world as a whole. Part of ensuring that I am keeping up with current best practices means constantly seeking new ideas and information that relates to what I am currently doing, as well as what I hope to be doing in the future. As I searched through the blogs posted for research, as well as others, I came across three that I believe will be assets to be moving forward in my journey. The first of these relates directly to my role as a trainer. The second focuses primarily on the role of being an instructional designer. And the third takes a look at creating a learner centric experience. Each of these ties into the other as each piece is interwoven. Content can be well designed and valuable but unless it is delivered in a way that is accessible and meets the needs of the learner, it will not be adopted for long term retention. As an instructional designer, it is critical for me to not only keep the end result in mind, but also how the development of material translates to presentation.

Train like A Champion

Brian Washburn shares tips, strategies, and out of the box ideas for leading, presenting, and developing training activities. He was noted as a “Top Young Trainer” by Training Magazine and seems to make it his mission to really promote a quality experience in training. Often, training is seen as boring, a necessity-but of little value. Slowly that viewpoint has turned around as trainers, such as those sharing Brian’s mindset, have begun to enter the scene. As a trainer in my current role, I am constantly looking for ways to keep things fresh, interesting, and engaging during my webinar delivery-and in preparation for live delivery as well. I spent a great deal of time looking through and even adapting a couple of strategies for my own use. If you are looking for fresh material to boost engagement and excitement around training, this is a great place to start.

Learning Out Loud

Jody Lumsden takes a look at the challenges, trends, and reflections within the instructional design world. While the first blog I mentioned focuses primarily on the delivery of material, Jody’s blog seeks to enter into the realm of the development of material which is at the core of an instructional designer’s role within a company. However, I believe the two need to be in sync. This blog opened my eyes to many of the additional challenges, strategies, and ideas currently at work in the instructional design world. In addition, the information can function on many levels. There are some broad overview explanations of current concepts and trends, as well as some posting that seek to go deeper into particular aspects-such as gamification-that are trending within the instructional design world. In all, this is an accessible and valuable tool to increase my awareness of challenges and trends within instructional design.

The Learner Advocate

Shauna Vaughan takes a learner centric focus to blogging about instructional systems design and the development of learning situations for organizations. The primary focus of her posts relate to being learner centric. Often in the world of creating and delivering training, there is a focus on just pushing out the material. In companies where talent and training are not valued, this results in training that is less than amenable to even the most astute learner. In this blog, Vaughan seeks to explore the ideas of making learning accessible across a variety of industries, levels of understanding, prior knowledge, and-of course-learning styles. As I am a firm believer in meeting people where they are and taking them where they need to be-her writing resonates with me quite strongly as a trainer. I enjoyed reading her thoughts and ideas around training development and am excited to see what she will post next. When we seek to begin the training process we must keep the end user, the learner, at the forefront to ensure adoption of new methods, means, or strategy.