Fitting the Pieces Together: A Changed Perspective on My Learning

Now that you have a deeper understanding of the different learning theories and learning styles, how has your view on how you learn changed?

Undertaking the study of learning theories and learning styles has grown my appreciation for the complex factors that go into understanding learning. Personally, it means I have gone from thinking of some basic concepts of learning styles (like visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) and learning theories (remnants from an adult education class some time ago) to better appreciating not just “maximizing” my options but more holistically stimulating multiple areas of intelligence.

In an early discussion, I pointed to my personal experiences as related to a Montessori “learn at your own pace” approach; my liking for a humanist approach, overall, of facilitating education; and, I find meaning in a constructivist manner. I also mentioned my appreciation of collaborative learning.

As I think through items from this course, I think I have not so much changed any of those views but have instead learned that I need to avoid living in a vacuum: I will benefit from more and broader stimuli to aid the multiple types of intelligence I have. My view has deepened in regard for appreciating the brain’s need for more than a couple of means of learning! In other words, I know now it’s not a luxury to need to collaborate or have multiple stimuli … but is instead a reasonable need to enhance/deepen learning.

What have you learned about the various learning theories and learning styles over the past weeks that can further explain your own personal learning preferences?

Early in the course, I mentioned preferences in learning style that involved constructing meaning, processing information through a combination of visual and oral stimuli, and collaboration. To me, these didn’t seem to ‘fit’ a basic style of learning as I’d previously learned of them. While I had been aware of learning theories, I have recently deepened my perception of how their application reflects my learning needs. That is, while I was thinking previously in terms of whether I fit needed ‘visual’ or ‘auditory’ stimuli, for example, and realizing the different things that worked seemed ‘incompatible,’ I have since learned that collaboration and stimuli of different types is more natural and effective because it stimulates more of the brain/multiple intelligences!

What role does technology play in your learning (i.e., as a way to search for information, to record information, to create, etc.)?

When I think about the role of technology in my current learning, I immediately think of Internet access and search options. But in reality, that ‘wide web’ represents only part of how technology influences my learning. Thinking of my personal learning network (PLN) mind map from just a couple of weeks ago, I can point to a plethora of more specific technological tools for learning: bogs, virtual libraries, learning management systems … and even Facebook and other social media. By offering different stimuli and information, different media stimulate different types of learning.

Resources

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (1993). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 6(4),50-71.

Ferriter, B. (2009). Learning with blogs and wikis  Educational Leadership, 66(5), 34–38.