How Do I Learn?

The activity this week asked me to revisit how I learn since taking the course "Learning Theories and Instruction" and add to my initial response. Although there are often times I think I suffer from Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (AADD), I’m going to have to practice retrieval methods of information to respond. Understanding the different forms of learning and theories have benefited by my increased understanding of what methods work best to achieve that particular type of learning.
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A lot of information, theories, theorists and terms were discussed during this course and all were interesting and applicable. The material was vast, comprehensive and came quickly. Using this concept, I realize that in order for me to best learn, I need to formulate ways to organize the information cognitively so it’s not scattered. Some of the theorists introduced chunking or mnemonics as means of organizing scattered information. I found the mind map to be an excellent tool for this purpose.

The ways in which my views of learning have changed isn’t necessarily how I view or analyze information, but instead, how I process the information. There were discussions about how our mind processes similar to that of a computer. Essentially, my learning first begins with my senses, whether that is site, sound, or smell which can come in the form of words, symbols, or perception. These then tap into my awareness to begin the information transfer through the working memory to either long-term memory or brain dump.

An analysis of my posted connectivism mind map indicates that I am definitely living in a digital world! The mind map is by no means all encompassing of how I connect with my information, but it certainly gives a visual starting point.

What I have learned about the theories over the course of weeks is that learning is not linear and although the process of information is similar, individual experiences, beliefs and perceptions are key to higher learning. Additionally, declarative and procedural learning require different methods to enhance memorization. I understood declarative memory as a response to the immediacy of meaningful information which stores quickly into long-term memory. This might be in the form of new events or experiences. Procedural memorization is typically more time consuming where memory is useful for learning skills and procedures. A personal example of procedural is learning a new song on my guitar which requires a skill for quick chord changing and procedures to learn the patterns.

Along with organizing of information for my own learning, I have to rely on elaboration and encoding too. For encoding, the information has to be meaningful to hold my attention and influence my deeper learning, or that AADD might result. My learning can also be expanded or elaborated if I have a foundation of experience to build upon. Using the example above of learning of a new song on the guitar, this would be near impossible if I didn’t have a foundation of chord structure and the basic concept of music.

The role technology plays in my learning is seemingly endless. Although I’m a baby boomer and can recall having to get off the couch to change the T.V. channel, those days are long gone…unless the remote control batteries die. I’m using technology daily and not only for learning, but for daily living. Probably the biggest part of my technology comes in the form of communication. Since the advent of social sites, I’ve connected with lost friends and established some new friendships. Professionally, I network with other professionals and special interest groups for sharing of information, ideas, opinions, and thoughts.

The computer and the internet are part of my daily routine, almost too much. Probably to the point that I often have to fight the urge to "jump on". It's filled with endless information and for the inquisitive, such as myself, it can be a hazard as well as a blessing.

Connectivism Mind Mapping

Developed using FreeMind software

Reflections of a Mind Map

How do we connect with the world of information that surrounds us? The mind map above is a small illustration of how I learn through connecting with my world. The majority of my connectivism is through technology; however, each of the sources that relay information create a whole that flows right into my mind at different levels and for a different purpose of understanding and learning.

Connectivism is a somewhat new term and theory for the 21st century that discusses how we learn using the expansion of social networks. The advent of social networks in 21st century has expanded our reach in acquiring information by resources and speed and how we learn. As a trainer and instructional designer, the social network has literally expanded another method of facilitating information for teaching.

Reflection of my mind map illustrates all the different sources I can retrieve for learning. The expansion of my social network has certainly changed the way I learn by the various sources of information available. Even the addition of XM radio in my car has now expanded my access to news and talk radio.

Although the foundation of information is available, I still have to know how to best use my resources. Also, what I do with the information and how I learn from it also is distinctive to my learning. Some learning is for pure pleasure and just obtaining some general knowledge, while other learning might be for a cognitive or conceptual purpose. Some knowledge I may wish to retain and some may just be for the moment. Knowledge about Lindsay Lohan going to jail probably won’t be important to me in the future, but at least if it comes up in conversation by one of my daughters, I don’t appear to be totally outdated.

My learning is various based on the knowledge I wish to acquire. Of all my connections, the computer offers the widest range of information and is the most accessible at any time. However, if I’m seeking specific information, navigating through the vast amount of web data can be laborious, but still the Internet is the source I use most. At times, I do still rely on the old fashioned and traditional method of learning from books.

As an inquisitive person, I’m often finding myself asking questions of “why” and “how” when it comes to understanding and exploring, suffice it to say, I enjoy learning, often just for the sake of learning. Of course the information needs to be of interest and within my own Zone of Proximal Development as introduced by Vygotsky. I’ll find information through a quick Google on the Internet or by tapping into my people network. 

My personal network cannot refute the central tenets of connectivism because information is not flowing in a linear sequence and they do not stand alone in a holistic sense. Although the information received are from a different source or spin, it’s all flowing into one main source which is me. Now my own thoughts, perspectives, and ideas will evaluate and make sense of the information obtained.

Each of my social network units offers some type of learning either through facilitation or direct information. As George Siemen proclaims, we live in a society where information is in large abundance and easily accessed. It’s not that learning and information wasn’t available before computers and networks, it’s just that I can now access it quicker and in larger amounts.

My problem is not finding enough information to study, review, or evaluate, but instead, it’s about managing my time better to not get entwined by information overload.

Interesting Blog Reference

Sharing the following blog: http://goldalawsoncohen.wordpress.com// Golda offers some good references and information as it relates to the discussion of congitivism, constructivism and other theories of learning. I'm assuming she is doing this as a class project, but it's always good to reach out and see other's perspectives and references.

From a reference, she discusses in her most recent post how on-line learning can create constructivism in deeper learning. She follows up on an article from Brent Muirhead, Muirhead B. (2006). Creating concept maps: Integrating constructivism principles into online classes. Retrieved from http://itdl.org/journal/jan_06/article02.htm. Mr. Muirhead builds discussion around on-line learning and the creation of concept maps to build constructivism, higher level learning.

Perceptions and the Brain

I’ve often wondered how two or more siblings can grow up in the same household, yet when you ask them how it was growing up, you’ll likely get a few different versions of their home life. I first witnessed this with my mother and her brother. They both grew up in the same home in the Bronx in New York. When you ask them what their home was like, you would think they grew up in different homes. I suppose this is where perception and psychology enters the brain process and quite possibly the evolution of the Gestalt Theory of perception.

Over the course of the week, we explored how the brain processes information. My take away from the studies led me to concur that in order to be effective, it’s crucial for a trainer and designer to have some knowledge of how the brain processes information.

One of the theories we reviewed was the Gestalt Theory. I must have read these few pages in our text Learning Theories and Instruction, (Ormrod, Shunk, Gredlier, 2009) no less than five times to understand the gist of this theory. Like a brick, it hit me, it’s all about perception! Our mind is a mysterious piece of work and many researchers have stated that we barely scraped the surface of how our brain operates.

The Gestalt Theory spawned its origin from a small group of psychologists in the early twentieth-century Germany (Ormrod, Shunk, Gredlier, 2009) and is mostly credited to Max Werthheimer’s article on apparent motion written in 1912. Gestalt is actually a German word that essentially means “unified whole”. The idea behind the Gestalt theory is that our mind perceives visually perceives shapes or configurations in wholes rather the sum of parts. We have the uncanny ability to complete what might initially appear incomplete. Gestalt is based on specific theories, below are a few of the main theories that explain how our brain uses perception based on these studies.

The principle of figure-ground relation. As an example, from a distance, a shape such as a tree might appear very small as it blends into the foreground. As you get closer, you realize the tree is rather large and no longer blended into the foreground.

The principle of proximity is based on the perception that items that are close together are grouped, when in fact they may be separate elements and have no specific relation at all. An example might be bunch of circles in no apparent shape are just circles. But, when grouped so close together in the shape of a tree, they are no longer just circles, instead they formed a tree.

The principle of similarity states that elements that appear to have similarity in size, shapes, color, texture, etc., we tend to view as belonging together. Other Gestalt Theory principles include common direction, simplicity and closure.

From an instruction perspective, having some understanding of Gestalt aids the designer to keep in mind that perceptions are powerful. We have tendency to create or complete what does not necessarily exist to fulfill our own expectations.  The designer needs to be clear of the meaning of the information or it can become misconstrued through Gestalt. Learning is a cognitive phenomenon involving  reorganizing experiences into different perceptions of things, people, or events (Koffka, 1922, 1926). Apparently our prior knowledge and experiences looks for answers and solutions to obtain meaning through organization of information.

The brain is phenominal and often compared to the processing of a computer. However, a computer is linear in it's processing and only as smart as the information it's fed. As humans we are able to process in linear and non-linear, which gives us "think" power and to see things in dimensions.

On the surface, instructors, facilitators and designers might nix the theory believing that it makes sense in the field of psychology, but doesn't fit into a classroom. In my personal opinion, Gestalt has a strong presence in the classroom because learning is psychology in its grandest form. As training professionals, we are forming people's minds by opening up expression, ideas, and think. We help others form conclusions and convince them that they have the ability to connect information of the world to their senses.

Each of the sites that I listed in the references of the blog page offer additional ground-work to better grasp Max Wertherheimer's and his colleagues Gestalt Theory. The sites expand on what I've provided as examples while offering additional references on the subject.

Lastly, I just want to add a brief about another site that is chock-full of information concerning the cognitive mental process of our brain. The webstite, http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cogsys/infoproc.html provides an excellent image that lays out a visual of how the process of sensory registers, short-term or working memory and long-term memory react to stimulus.

Mental processes, perceptions and illusions are quite interesting. Now, take a moment and revisit the picture at the beginning of my Blog. Test your own perception, do you see a young woman or an old woman?


References:

Learning Theories and Instruction, (Ormrod, Shunk, Gredlier, 2009), Custom Edition, Laureate Education, Inc.

The Gestalt Principles. Retrieved July 9, 2010 from the website:
http://graphicdesign.spokanefalls.edu/tutorials/process/gestaltprinciples/gestaltprinc.htm

Bonnie Skaalind (1999), Gestalt Principles of Perception. Retrieved July 9, 2010 from the website: http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/gestalt/gestalt.htm

Dr. C. George Boeree, (2000), Gestalt Psychology. Retrieved July 9, 2010 from the website: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/gestalt.html

Learning and Teaching. Retrieved July 9, 2010 from the website:
http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/gestalt.htm

Huitt, W. (2003). The information processing approach to cognition. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved July 9, 2010 from the website: http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cogsys/infoproc.html

Experiencing Learning

Wow, So much information that seems it should all be learned in a week! I recall a commercial that always made me chuckle...a husband comes out of a room and his wife is in the kitchen; she says to him, I thought you were surfing the internet, his response, I'm done, I got to the end! I couldn't even tell you what the product was, but I remember that dialogue.

Obviously, just like we'll never get to the end of the earth, it appears we'll ever reach the end of the internet. Since I started my new class in Instructional Design, just within the past week, I've learned so much. The computer continues to evolve and it's as though over the last 5 years I've learned absolutely nothing. I had to sit back for a moment and ask the question, Michael, what have you been doing on this thing? If my computer was an airplane, and I were a pilot logging in flight hours - I'd be a seasoned captain on logged-in time alone, but knowledge-wise, I'm an apprentice.

Recapping some of the past week; we explored the beginnings of the nature of learning theories and philosophy. I mean, even Socrates and Plato are fully credited for aspects of early, and I mean early, learning.

In an article by 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, offers an overview of the differences in learning theories based on the processing of information. Behaviorally is learning through mental cues, stimulus-response. Cognitive learning, the learner takes an active role in their learning experience. The most complex is constructivism, where learning effectively creates meaning and applicaton to the information.

You obviously came here to get something out of this other than a recap lesson. Some of the interesting blogs and resources that caught my attention this week are listed.

Experiencing E-Learning, http://christytucker.wordpress.com/. Christy is an Instructional Designer working in Education and primarily writes about developing on-line learning. Why did I find her blog interesting enough to include in my Google Reader? There are a few reasons, first, her blog caught my attention because she discusses in recurring themes and posts the career of IDT, which is important to me since I'm new to the IDT field. Second are the interesting comments from readers. Being a "newbie" to the field of Instructional Design, I find the different viewpoints from IDT professionals from varied experience levels to be educational. From a myriad of information to choose and offering other creditable sites, this blog is useful.

Another blog I found worthwhile is from Tom Kuhlman, The Rapid eLearning Blog, http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/. Tom displays a great overview of different tools that help create those captivating e-Learning visuals and designs that originally drew me into e-Learning. He also offers some great tips and free tools to assist in creating your own training aids. The blog is well-organized and easy to navigate. I haven't found this to be true with all of the blogs - some can be confusing and uninviting. After working all day, I prefer a site that livens me up rather than drains what I have left. Definetly a cool site with lots of colors and quick reads. He also provides samples of visuals and graphics that you can play.

Another excellent resource found is the eLearning Learning site. This can is located at http:www.elearninglearning.com.This particular site is more of a community resource rather than a blog. However, I liked that it is a useful one stop shop for other resources in the IDT world. My only negative critique is that you can find yourself sifting through lots of information, lots of reading and become overwhelmed. On the other hand, if you enter this site looking for a specific piece of information, it's most likely available. You'll also find this library resource to be more text than fancy graphics, but still a worthwhile site for the engaged IDT professional.

Please enjoy the information I shared and the blog recommendation.

Have a great rest of the week!

Deeper Learning

It's clear that the true essence of learning is more than just flipping through a PowerPoint and reading the information on the slide. To really create a learning environment, it all starts before the training begins.

At the top of my post there is a brief statement, "Information is a foundation that creates endless thoughts and practices for new learning". While writing this expression, it came from a thought that information we are exposed to provide the footing or base of our continued learning. If we think of a new born baby who sees the world for the first time, that baby takes in images which begins the learning process.

This probably doesn't complete the answer to the question, where does learning begin; but instead, it proposes that learning has a base and from there continued learning takes place. A great example would be math...at least from my personal experience. I'm not going to say that it's impossible to step into a calculus class without a foundation of mathematics, but it sure would be difficult to gain the concepts.

Interestingly a friend and I just had this exact conversation concerning math. Math never was my strength and as it was pointed out in our discussion, often times this can be due to the foundation of instruction when the subject was very first introduced. I prefer not to think of myself as non-teachable, so I accepted this suggestion.

So, the point of all this is my notion that initial learning needs to start with a solid foundation, or just like a house with cheap wood, it will crumble as the foundation continues to built upon. The learner who is taught with a cheap foundation will also fall behind as the subjects become more complex.

The First of Many

This will be my first post to a newly developed blog. Since it's my first post, I don't expect anyone to be on the edge of their seat. The purpose of the blog is for a few reasons:

1. To satisfy a requirement for school
2. To journal my own journey as I attend school
3. To journal my job search

I hope that as I continue to blog, my own and other's interest will continue to grow. First, let me explain the school thing...I recently began on-line classes at Walden University in Instructional Design & Technology. I'm middle aged and decided it's time for a career change. After 20 years served in the U.S. Air Force and about 11 years working in the private sector, I finally found something that I believe can be a good career move. My intent is to complete a certificate in this field and work in the education or government industry.

Secondly, let me explain the job thing. In late April I was layed off. The company realigned and my position was eliminated. Unfortunately, the company made a bad decision because they lost a great employee -- what more can I say about that! This might be the most interesting part of the blog.

Since this is the opening of my blog, I'm keeping this one short and sweet - check back frequently, my assumption is this requirement and therapy will get better and better!