When looking at the complexities and the profound insights of how people learn, I was surprised to see how the ways in which people learn impact their everyday life. I don’t think that prior to taking this course and sat and thought about how I learn. It wasn’t until I read and learned about all the various learning theories and multiple intelligences. It was striking to see that there is a plethora of ways in which people learn. I was also surprised about how many learning theories there were and how in some capacity they all make sense. This course has definitely deepened my understanding of my personal learning process. In the beginning I thought that I was just a visual and auditory learner. I was a good combination of both. I now realize that in addition to those I also acquire many of the multiple intelligences that Gardner speaks of. One becomes more apparent depending on my assignment and/or learning environment. I also have discovered that I am a terrible procrastinator and that I sometimes lack the motivation to get the job done. I find it better to participate in my learning. Active learning helps me retain the information through my class discussions, and/or collaboration with my classmates.
From what I’ve gathered during my participation in the course is that learning theories provide the framework for the process of learning. It describes the process of what happens when we hear information, process, store, retain and retrieve it for later use. Learning styles describes the learner’s natural abilities or preferred methods for approaching learning. Some examples of this include the use of mnemonic devices as tools to remember certain concepts. Educational technology helps to facilitate what we’ve learned or trying to learn by providing other avenues and resources to research information. Blogs, social media, and the internet are some examples that learners can use as resources for acquiring knowledge and new information. Motivation comes into context when we try to investigate strategies to assist learner with getting involved in wanting to even learn in the first place. Motivation is what grabs the learners attention and assists with giving them the drive to want to learn whether it be intrinsic or extrinsic approaches.
The concepts that Ive learned in this course between the connections with learning theories, learning styles, motivation as well as the use of educational technology can only work to benefit and strengthen my work as an Instructional Designer. I will work to consider the individual needs of my clients and work to adhere to them. I believe a strong ID will use a combination of these strategies to evoke the motivation needed for learning. Education al technology makes it easier for us quickly acquire new information and key concepts and it’s a phenomenon that we can have access to despite our environment. They give us the connections we need to manifest what we need our learners to learn. This course has taught me to acknowledge the various learning styles that individuals encompass and constantly seek and challenge myself to capitalize on the strengths of my students.