Instructional Theories

Focussing on how to structure materials for promoting education and how to better help people learn and develop, we were presented with different instructional theories. Among these theories, I was immediately fascinated with action learning and inquiry based learning.

Working in a career center, our students are so much involved with action learning and most of the instruction happens in a hands-on format. We have the students active in the community and what is taught in class is immediately applied to real life outside the school walls. Action indeed speaks louder than words.

Inquiry based learning starts with posing questions, problems and scenarios rather than simply explaining facts and portraying a smooth path to knowledge. Students then researched and develop their own knowledge and solutions. This model increases critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Learning in the digital age

Technology is rapidly changing the way we teach and learn. The traditional way in which only teachers create contents and hand on to the students have given way to learners being actively involved in content creation. "We are all in this together" has become the new approach to learning. The focus now is teaching students how to think and learn for themselves. The ability to find information is more important than the information itself. All these and more, were the highlights of connectivist theory of learning.

As we continue to readjust our idea of learning in the digital age, I must say that education should not be only about coming to school to get the information but should be experiential learning and empowering students voice.

Mind~Mining

Have you ever thought about how fascinating the mind is? How it grows and develops, and all of the influences along the way? Well, I have been thinking about all that and many more. The mind is full of complexities that we cannot explain all its operations or narrow down its evolution, in the theories that had been posited throughout history. Though I must acknowledge that some of these theories are quite compelling.

Among some of these are the cognitive and constructivist theories that we discussed this week. Cognitive theory explains the incredible nature of the brain in processing and interpreting information as we learn new things while constructivist theory contends that we learn through experiencing things and reflecting on our experience.

Be that as it may, I know that connecting new information with prior knowledge helps me learn effectively. It works like a chain reaction. But to attain mastery, I must translate that knowledge into practice.

Theories of Learning~Behaviorism

This week we had a discussion on theories of learning. Our first stop was the behaviorism theory championed by B.F. Skinner. In his writings, Skinner proposed the use of teaching machine that will enhance the learning process and effectiveness. The teaching machine points a lot to some of the current technologies we use in schools today. In explaining how the teaching machine would work, Skinner contended that it will lead to the formation of correct behaviors, the students learn to be right. That it motivates the students and make learning pleasurable.

Watching my students today create presentations about their passions in Google Slides and Prezi, I cannot but agree with Skinner that “the classroom in which machines(technology) are being used, is usually the scene of intense concentration”. These students were motivated and enthusiastic in the use of these tools. However, the true value of technology for learning lies not in learning to use technology but in using technology to learn.