So many take-aways from this course. First, the all-important
question of “who is the adult learner?” The adult learner has lots of prior
knowledge and experience that needs to be considered and included in order for
instruction to be successful. The adult learner is more intrinsically motivated
and engaged with learning, especially if the learning is of their own choosing
and they participate in goal-setting. It’s important to consider
differences/preferences among generations when developing instruction, but more
often than not, because they are all adults, they have similar expectations of learning
and instruction: as I mentioned, it should be self-directed, where they have
input on the learning goals; it should be relevant to their lives right now and
help them create meaning; and it should be in a collaborative and respectful
learning environment. These are the traits that make andragogy different than
pedagogy. Additionally, the instructor’s role is more as a facilitator than a
direct imparter of knowledge (as it is in pedagogy).
We covered the spectrum of learning theories and models,
which served to emphasize that humans learn in a variety of different ways. All
the theories start with a premise that knowledge is an attainable thing, either
by releasing or tapping into what is innate, through reasoning, through having experiences,
or through collaboration or knowledge-sharing.
Behaviorism says learning is about observable changes in
behavior brought on by stimuli and responses to those stimuli. Cognitivism says
that learners are like computer processors, taking in data and processing it –
sorting through it and deciding what to keep and what to discard. What is kept
is encoded into long-term memory where it can be recalled. Constructivism
believes that knowledge is constructed by the learner in an attempt to
understand their experiences and to create meaning from them. Experiential
Learning is about knowledge being created through having different experiences that
cover behavior, cognition, perception, and concrete experience, in other words,
by doing, observing, thinking, or planning. It’s the process of doing,
reflecting, modifying, and then doing again until you improve.
Communities of Practice and Connectivism move further
into the realm of social learning theories where individuals make up groups or
networks where learning occurs – learning from one another, learning from the
group as a whole. Learning takes place through interactions, discussions,
collaborations among group members who are peers, novices, experts,
instructors, etc. Culture is a big factor in both CoPs and Connectivism,
defining some of the rules of interaction and how the collective knowledge is
accessed. These two theories feel very relevant to me and I can see them at
work in my personal and work lives. I’ve already purchased books on both
subjects and will be finding ways to incorporate them more intentionally in the
trainings I’m developing at work.
I’m leaving this course with a much deeper tool box than
I had coming in. Awareness of the theories and models, and the traits of adult
learners, are all critical to successful instructional design. I am already applying
the principles to my work and I’m looking forward to learning more.
