Module 1 Blog Topic 1
What are your beliefs about how people learn best? What is the purpose of learning in educational technology?
How people learn best has been an old age debate and
there are many learning theories that have seeming provided an answer to this
very question.
The most common learning theories are Behaviorism, Cognitivism,
and Constructivism. Behaviorism which asserts that people learn best in
response to stimuli, Cognitivism which suggests that people learn best by
connecting new ideas with prior knowledge (Ally, 2008), and Constructivism
which implies that people learn best through discovery and reflection (Driscoll,
2005).
While these theories do explain how some people learn
best. Does one learning theory alone explain how everyone learns best? “To each
its own” what works for one person may not work for the next. Some people may
learn best in response to stimuli, some people may learn best by connecting new
information to prior knowledge, while others may learn best through discovery
and reflection.
It would simple of me to assume that everyone learns
best through the use of one learning theory, or one instructional method, or
one concept. Some people may learn best through the use of drill and practice
or repetition.
Learning theory in educational technology offers
educators a framework upon which they can build by implementing ways to
integrate technology into their instruction and teach their students through
the use of it. Instructional methods are often at the heart of learning
theories. The presence of learning theories is prevalent in the use of educational
technology. Drill and practice software is frequently used in educational
technology, and drill and practice operates on a learning theory.
References
Ally, M. (2008). The theory and practice of online
learning. (2nd ed.) Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.
Driscoll, P. (2005). Psychology of learning for
instruction. (3rd ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Siemens, G. (2008). Learning and knowing in
networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. Paper presented to
ITFORUM. Retrieved from http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/Paper105/Siemens.pdf
