Fitting the Pieces Together

Now that I have had the opportunity to explore the different learning theories and learning styles my perspective of how I learn has changed. When I first began this course my exposure to learning theory was limited. My perspective was what I would call more classic. I had read the Adult Learner by Holton, Knowles and Swanson and had exposure to some theories on a superficial level. I had the idea of my own learning as being very me centered but after exploring all of the theories I find that my learning is very social and sometimes external from me.

As we moved into the constructivist theory and the role of memory it explained my learning very well. I do not tend to remember things as particular facts I remember concepts. I use the concepts as new situations arise that relate to the concepts and then apply them to the current situation. Social learning is also a big part of how I learn. I may ask for others assistance on various topics and learn from their thoughts or methods of how they approach a task or topic. Working with the matrix assignment is a perfect example. I was programming the interface for my flash program and I was sure that I could make my code more efficient but I could not see how so I consulted with an “expert” to observe how he would approach the problem. This is a good example of the type of social learning activity that I prefer. In addition to face-to-face interactions I also utilize technology to assist my learning.

The Mind Map assignment really made me realize how much I utilize technology and my network of resources. It not only helped me realize that I rely on them but how they all fit together. For example if I have a question about a topic that I am not familiar with I will google it and go to Wikipedia and read the information there. If there is an expert on the topic I will look for a website, blog, book or something written by an expert. If there is not a clear expert I may browse the resources and see what references are cited and then begin researching further. My next step after gathering basic information is to consult an individual with whom I have an established relationship whether that is a coworker, friend, professor, classmate, etc. This might be in-person but most likely the contact will be online. If I do not know anyone that I can discuss the topic directly with then I might post a discussion on Linked In or some other networking site. In addition to becoming aware of my reliance of this process I have also realized that I become quickly frustrated in learning environments where I do not have access to use these technology tools.

Learning Mindmap

The most obvious changes in the way I learn as a result of my network is the speed at which my learning occurs. For example, 15 years ago, if I wanted to learn a new software program it would take a while. I would research the program decide if it was the best one, go to the store, buy it. I might get a book to help me learn how to use it. I could take a class at the local community college, get some help from a friend or a coworker. This already sounds like a lot of time. Now I do a little research and download a trial version. Then I will get on youtube or another site and look at some tutorials and try out the software. We have so much at our finger tips that has really changed that speed at which we can learn information and the type of information that we can learn.

The digital tools that I use the most are google and Wikipedia. I use google to find just about anything. Let’s use connectivism as an example. If I was reading and connectivism came up in an article I would search using google and click on the Wikipedia link that came up. Then I would got to Wikipedia and skim the article. I would then look at the resources if I found what I was looking for in the resources then I might go to one of them. I might use information in the Wikipedia article, in the connectivism article I would look to see if George Siemans or Stephan Downs, the developers of the theory, have web sites, blogs or journal articles. What better place to learn about connectivism then from the developers. Reading blogs that they are participating in maybe even interacting can be a valuable learning tool. This is a good example of learning more about a specific topic but sometimes I am looking to find a solution to a technical problem I am having. Like why my link to a captivate demonstration is not opening in a new window. I might go to a site that has had helpful answers before, adobe’s site or I may search using google. If I am still unable to locate a solution I send an email or call my coworker that usually helps me with technical problems. If I still am unable to solve the problem I may post to a blog or one of my groups on linkedIn. I do have some software reference books that I occasionally use but I mostly find the digital tools to be the most helpful and up to date.

My personal learning network mirrors the central views of connectivism. Learning is like the process I describe above starting at one node like google or Wikipedia and then connecting all of the different “nodes” together. Knowledge is not something that is inside one’s self but you are able to locate in through your personal network. Paying careful attention to note where, how and why all the connections are is critical. Knowing that the things you learn today might be different tomorrow and staying current is important.

Week 2: Online Resources

I browsed many sites and stumbled on to www.business balls.com while trying to look for more information about learning styles. I came onto the site from a search on google.

http://www.businessballs.com/kolblearningstyles.htm

There is some great information on David Kolb’s learning styles model. This site was designed as a free learning and development resource. I noticed several other things worth noting while I was on the site including Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning, Kirkpatrick’s Learning and Training Evaluation Theory, McClelland’s Motivational Needs Theory, and many others. In addition to information on various learning theories there are guides and resources for developing training as well. Some topics that I found interesting were a guide for team building activities, a guide to facilitating effective experiential learning, and many more. I will use this as a resource in the future for brief explanations of theories to ideas and help in developing training.

The second resource that I found is The International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning. The article that drove me to this journal was Brain-Based Learning: Possible implications for Online Instruction. Where Stephanie Clemons talks about brain-based Learning and how that theory can be implemented in an online environment. I browsed through several other issues and there were many interesting topics. There were several articles that spoke to incorporating technologies into instruction such as wikis, blogs, and instant messaging to name a few. I will bookmark this Journal and review past and future issues. The link to this journal is:

http://itdl.org/

In addition to these resources I would like to add that membership in professional organizations is important as well. For the past several years I have been a national member of ASTD. They have a magazine that comes out every month that has great articles in it. In addition to the magazine I also subscribe to an ASTD group on linkedin which offers some great discussions and networking. The national chapter has many benefits but I really find my local chapter to be the most valuable. I get to network with other people in my area that face similar challenges in learning development. They also offer opportunities to attend meetings, luncheons, and hear speakers. The local chapter is of course cheaper than the national chapter but I find them both valuable.

All about blogs!

A quick overview of my “learning” background…my exposure began when I became an instructor. As an instructor I gave a lot of thought to creative delivery of training but I was not responsible for development. After offering my ideas for improvement of the course materials one too many times I was offered the “opportunity” to join the development team where I worked on instructor led development. Our department was just beginning to touch the surface of online course delivery. I was then given yet another “opportunity” to add to my bag of tricks. As with many companies these days are resources are running thin so I am doing all three. I teach between two and five weeks a month. What do you mean there are not five weeks in a month? Maybe someone could tell my boss that! So I teach anywhere from a couple of weeks to everyday and in between I develop and revise courses. One of the challenges that I face is keeping the training interesting. In my instructor led classes I am always looking for new and creative ways of presenting content. I look for games or activities that keep students engaged and help them retain the information.
When developing online courses I want to keep the content moving and make sure that the learners are not bored. Since I develop for the same group of employees they will see many of my courses. I have to incorporate new graphics, backgrounds, and different ways of delivering content so they will not get bored. One of the ways that I look for new ideas or find inspiration is by looking for other developers. I develop using Adobe CS3 package and Adobe Captivate. I look for websites, blogs, and other media for inspiration. Below you will find links to several blogs that I find helpful to me.

These first two blogs are good resources for captivate tricks and ideas.

http://blogs.adobe.com/captivate/

http://www.cpguru.com/

Tracy's blog is not specific to a certain program but has good ideas.

http://discovery-thru-elearning.blogspot.com/