Round 2 of ?: Personal Theory of Learning and Instruction

Here is my most recent shot at assessing my personal theory of learning and instruction (in IU P540) . . . it will be interesting to see how this morphs over time . . .

To begin, I am miles away from where I was when I answered this question at the beginning of this semester.  I entered the class with no prior learning theory exposure, little experience as a trainer and even less experience as an online student.  I feel my personal theory of learning has evolved due to not only the material presented in the class, but also by the process of being a learner in an online learning environment.  In my first response during week one, my idea of "learning" was pretty much: a) hear a lecture, b) read a text, c) take a test to repeat back a. and b.  Clearly, that format is not what happened in this class and, yet, I feel I have really "learned" the material while completely changing the way I view the learning and instruction process.Throughout the semester, I found myself constantly reflecting and challenging the validity of the material (from my perspective as a student). As I read the material and completed the assignments, I would ask myself "Does this make sense to me as a learner? Is this how I learn? Would this work for other adults in a corporate training setting?" 

Therefore, it terms of my personal theory of learning, I put self-reflection quite high on the list of important things.  It seems to be what separates rote learning from meaningful learning.  Additionally, I don't feel you can fully reflect on what you are learning if aren't motivated to do so.  Therefore, the section on motivation and self-regulation in learning probably resonates the most with me.  It also builds a bridge between learning theory to instructional theory (how to create and sustain an effective learning environment to help others become and stay motivated to learn).

I am quite sure at the beginning of the semester, I would have been a huge Gagne fan -"Ahh, here is how to drill that information into them."  However, now I am not so sure.  I'm not sure that the objective should be to drill information.  I now see how learning is more meaningful if you spend time seeking it out, trying it on for size, considering other options and opinions- all far more constructivist ideas.  However, in my into instructional systems technology class, we've engaged in some good conversations on how / if you can mix constructivist approaches with Gagne's more lock step instructional methods.  I have a feeling that this will be a key question running in my mind for many semesters to come in my IST program. 

At present, I do thing there is room for both.  For example, while I think learners need to take a stake in their learning objectives and outcome, I feel the teacher plays a vital role in this process, too.  I agree with our prior discussion that a teacher should be a coach helping to scaffold learning.  In this role, they need to continuously monitor progress and help steer the ship.  However, this is in sharp contrast to my prior belief that the teacher is there to "instruct".

And finally . . . interaction (with students, the teacher, the learning institution).  I came into this class with a fairly bad opinion of collaboration in learning – likely way too many late nights bailing out a team in "group project" work.  However, I now feel that "group project" work is only a small (and often misused) subset of what I now define as collaborative learning.  My definition now includes all kinds of interactions and activities among students, teachers and the learning institution.   I feel the interaction and the give / take of working with others is crucial.  For example, in our blog project writing down my thoughts for review and critique by my peers and reading and critiquing the thoughts of my peers was a wonderful experience for me.  It is a great way to see, hear and think about things far beyond what one might read in the text or hear in a lecture.  It not only informs, but also motivates, challenges and inspires!