Month: May 2023

Reflection

I noticed that while going through my learning network a lot of my nodes have to do with my connections with others. As much as I think I am an independent learner and I just need to review the content and readings, I realized after this activity that this is not the case. After reflecting on my map the best way for me to study is though discussions about the content with others and engaging in the content.  I think that the reason why this is the case is because they happen more frequently than the other learning networks occur. For example, In this class I will read the readings, which take me about a day or two, but I engage on mattermost everyday, and check in on the different chats, with my group, the general chat, as well as any announcements we have. Additionally, I noticed that many of my interactions occur digitally, I think that this is because it is easier to contact others online outside of a school setting. For example, peer feedback and talking with classmates occur in person but also can occur digitally, which is sometimes works better and accommodate other people’s schedules. Another concept which occurs digitally is social media content along with discussions on social media, this showcases how we can reach people outside of the traditional classroom setting, but still have learning occur. I also found that many of my classes are connected in terms of learning networks, many of them have a platform you use to connect with one another, as well as a way to access content, classmates and the instructors.

I choose this as my learning activity because I felt that it was important for me to recognize the multiple different ways that I learn content inside and outside of a classroom setting. I also picked this because it helps me reflect how my learning occurs either physically, digitally or both, in this case it highlighted the importance of digital learning since it occurs a lot in my learning network. I think that this would reflect similarly with others as well, which to me highlights the importance of technology and how it can be beneficial in technology. This aligned with my learning goals of hoping to learn more about the future of education and it’s use of technology, since I am revaluating how I learn and the future of learning networks.

Behaviourism

I believe that behaviorism can be a beneficial theory for teaching others, however personally for me it is not my preference since it is heavily reliant on observation, and trial and error. For example, behaviorism is associated with many rewards and punishments and in turn how your behavior changes depending on stimuli and response. An example of behaviorism in my previous education experiences is my grades. I pride myself in receiving good grades, because I dedicate a lot of time and effort into my schoolwork. However, when I receive a bad grade, I feel upset about my grade and disappointed in myself. Therefore, in order to avoid feeling bad about my marks I dedicate more time towards that subject or topic to ensure that I understand the topic. Additionally, my grades can dictate which subjects and topics that I need to focus more on to avoid feeling bad about my grades.

Cognitivism

I personally believe that cognitivism is the most beneficial learning theory for me to use. I like applying content I am learning into previous related information. An example of when this has occurred in a learning experience is for some of my in-class discussions, my professor would have us think of different examples that related to the topic we were learning about. I found that this way on tests when I had forgotten about a topic, I would think back to my in-class discussion topics to help me remember previous topics. Additionally, it helped me to apply the content we are learning to real life situations, this way you can understand them in different contexts. Additionally, by doing these tasks it allows me to interpret what we are learning, and have it make sense in my environment. All of this helps me understand the new information I have learned and organize it and process it accordingly

Constructivism

I find most of my examples that fit the constructivism theory is when my teachers help give scenarios of the topics we are learning about, and when I am brainstorming with other students. I think a good example is when my teachers give examples in class but also when they say something like think of a situation where this has occurred. I find that it helps frame my thoughts and to also think of different scenarios when this topic has occurred.

Connectivism

Connectivism is finding the links between what you are learning and your past experiences. A good example of this would be my previous EDCI 388 class, we were given content to read and watch however it was left up to us to interpret the information, to ask questions about what does not seem to connect, and which topics do connect. I found that in our discussions online there was a couple of different ways people would interpret the content. These different interpretations where reasonable and made sense but it showcased how differently  people think and how we all have different connections to the content. I found that this helped me understand the content because I would relate it to previous knowledge, but also read my classmates work and understand their viewpoints and see their connections.

Reflection

I choose this activity because it helped me reflect which ways, I prefer learning the most, but also opens my mind up to the different theories that others might prefer as well. This way in the future if I happen to be teaching anyone, I can understand the different ways I can explain the content so that if they don’t understand one way, I can use another way to help them learn better. This a lines with my first learning goal which is that I hope to be able to apply what I am learning to my future career, which I think no matter what future career I choose I will still be helping educate others. Throughout doing my research and reflecting on the different learning theories I noticed that a lot of the theories are similar in that they all connect to the individual’s experiences and thoughts, those who have a connection with the content seem to understand the content the best. So, assignments like this where you have to reflect and connect the assignment back to personal experiences are exactly what you should try to encourage when you are teaching someone content