For me as an international student this first experience at Walden was striking in many respects. Learning Theories and Instruction being the opening course in the certificate of Instructional Design and Technology provided an insight not only into online education and American education in general but also broadened my understanding of e-learning and instructional design. I was happy to find scientific evidence that proves many ideas I have tried to comprehend in layman’s terms.
Thus, I have found the way Cogninitive theory explains the transfer of knowledge most appealing and now I can see what underlies the strategies for successful learning in first place. “Metacognition comprises two related skills. First, one must understand what skills, strategies, and resources a task requires. Second, one must know how and when to use these skills and strategies to ensure the task is completed successfully” (Ormrod, Schunk & Gredler, 2009, p. 101).
Further exploration of learning styles and strategies allowed me to relate Ormrod’s “top-to-down” approach to teach students strategies for "learning effectively rather than cater to these preferences that may or may not actually exist in the self-report kinds of assessment techniques" (n.d.).
Brain theory principles (Gardner
Besides, I had to consider a very important question through the lens of Social Constructivism if online learning environment can be as efficient as a traditional one. "Social constructivists view the classroom as a community whose task is to develop knowledge... where knowledge is socially constructed and distributed among co-participants" (Ormrod, Schunk & Gredler, 2009, p.19).
According to Nicholas C. Burbules (2004) there are four factors that are vital to creation of a successful online environment: interest, involvement, imagination, and interactivity. On my part I tried to consider what theory each factor resonates with.
Interest: Problem solving, pacing, and alternative paths of investigation can all help promote interest. Good teaching and project design can elicit interest even with material that is not immediately interesting or of concern to students. Interesting subject matter is engaging and puzzling at a level that poses an attractive challenge to the learner. Too difficult and the student loses interest out of frustration; too simple and it loses its quality as a challenge. This resonates with Vygotskiy's Zone of Proximal Development and warns us against setting inadequate goals.
Involvement: Learners are involved with things that matter to them. N.C. Burbules suggests that instructors instead of trying to make the subject matter important through extrinsic rewards, or sometimes through the threat of adverse consequences should use Dewey’s advice "to start where students are already motivated and eager to learn, and link our purposes to that engine". This presumption in my opinion is of key importance to construction of meaning as no knowledge or experience would be internalized if it is of no value to a learner.
Engaging: How do I engage the learner’s imagination with this problem? Burbules' examples include simulations, models, case studies, or narratives that construct a plausible version of reality and allow room for the participant to interpolate or extrapolate new content as they work to make sense of it. Those practices can be employed to create social context for learning.
Interactivity: to facilitate interactions between students and the learning situation instructors should make use of team projects, multiple channels of communication, opportunities for open deliberation and for private, personal reflection on course activities. Thus, the constructivist principle of social interaction with knowledgeable members of society is realized.
To address Technology as another component of this program that is meant to facilitate and promote efficient self-directed learning I would like to bring up Connectivism and Adult Learning Theory. As an online student and online ESL instructor I am seeking connections in online social environments through such media as Walden University
In his article Engaging Learners in Online Learning Environments Cher Ping Lim (2004) addresses the key strategies that constitute a learning kit of a successful online instructor. Based on the assumptions about online learners’ strategic skills, knowledge and attitude Lim suggests some effective guiding and supporting activities gradually delegating the control of learning to learners themselves.
But learning no matter how facilitated technologically and strategically it is will not happen without motivation. And we have to keep in mind that “learners are almost always motivated in one way or another… Teachers should never question whether their students are motivated. Instead they should try to determine in which way their students are motivated” (Ormrod, Schunk & Gredler, 2009, p.224). Now I am able to determine that utilizing the ARCS model suggested by Keller (2009) and comprising 4 dimensions of motivation known as attention (A), relevance (R), confidence (C), and satisfaction (S).
To conclude, I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Paige who demonstrated the ARCS model in action and whose support, feedback and genuine interest helped me as a Walden student to make a step up towards fulfilling my dream of starting an online ESL school.
References:
Armstrong, T. (2001) Multiple intelligences in the classroom, 2nd. edition. Alexandria , VA
Lim, C. P. (2004). Engaging learners in online learning environments. TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, 48(4), 16–23.
Nicholas C. Burbules, (2004) "Navigating the advantages and disadvantages of online pedagogy." Learning, Culture, and Community: Multiple Perspectives and Practices in Online Education, Caroline Haythornthwaite and Michelle M. Kazmer, eds.
Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom edition). New York
