What are your beliefs about how people learn best? What is the purpose of learning theory in educational technology?
I believe that students learn best in several different learning sceanarios. Research has provided several examples of learning theories that describe the types of learners out there and how they learn best. There are also several different learning syles that offer suggestions on how students learn the best. Theselearning styles are based on periods of research and theories over several years. The belief is that through learning styles such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic styles students can learn what is being taught in the classroom. I believe that with good and effective engaging lessons that all students are capable of learning new material. Teachers have the power and knowledge to create interesting lessons to challenge their students to learn new concepts and ideas. Even if you take the various learning styles tests they provide you with three different learning styles that suit each learner. Effective teachers create lessons that meet more than one of these learning styles allowing more and more students to learn the material. There are several different purposes for learning theory in educational technology. Educational technology can be the motivating factor brings about the changes in a student's performance. "Theories of learning focus on and describe the process of learning." (Driscoll, 2005. p. 23). Educational technology provides the tools of knowledge and accessories that allows learning to take place. Technology provides students with task based instruction and opportunities for practice and positive reinforcement on major skills in all of the core subject areas. For example USAtestprep provides students in Georgia with quizzes, tests, study guides, and games to prepare them for state testing. This website provides standards based practice for everything in the curriculum for all of the students in Georgia. According to Driscoll technology can be used to facilitate a learner's acquisition of a learning goal (Driscoll, 2005. p. 23).
References
Driscoll, M. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Brian, I agree with you, technology provides us opportunities for helping students learn. Do you find that students get bored with some online learning environments? I have a difficult time finding sites that have the right balance between fun and learning so the students don't get bored quickly with it.
ReplyDeleteBrian,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement that “students learn best in several different learning scenarios.” If learners can apply their drill and practice to only one scenario, then true learning did not occur. It is up to the instructors to provide those scenarios that will engage and challenge the learners to ease out of their comfort zone. Educational technology is significant in supporting successful learning outcomes.
Brian,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post. It is apparent that we all understand that technology is the vehicle for the content. It is amazing to see how some teachers feel that technology is the key to making the students understand the content. While it will certainly help, the information does not depend on the technology. In fact, some students may have their learning inhibited by the use of technology. While learning styles play a huge part of the experience, teachers may often neglect the difficulty of the material in relation to grade-level. Not only should lessons be engaging, but they should also be age and grade level appropriate.
Although I am responding to Brian's post, I want to mention something that Marie said in her response. I find that students find it very uncomfortable to struggle with work. While I cannot immediately put my hands on the source I have used in the past, the source stated that students struggle with material just above their grade level. Applying this to the classroom, students must struggle to progress in their depth of learning. As Marie alluded to, the use of technology helps that transition and provides a more active and engaging experience.
ReplyDelete