What are your beliefs about how people learn best? What is the purpose of learning theory in educational technology?
Response:
I define learning as the acquisition and application of information and knowledge. As individuals, it should be a lifetime commitment to be continuous learners, as there are always opportunities to develop and grow academically, professionally, and personally. Because we are all different, we all learn in different ways; and how an individual learns is based on his or her learning style. As it relates to learning styles, Dr. Howard Gartner introduced the theory of multiple intelligences, which says that there are various types of learners. For instance, some individuals are auditory learners (learn by hearing), while others are visual learners (learn by seeing); still others are kinesthetic learners (learn by doing). Therefore, individuals learn best when information is presented in a way that appeals to their style of learning. An effective teacher and an effective classroom consider each type of learning in designing instruction and delivering content. Additionally, students are given opportunities to demonstrate what has been learned through the instruction in a manner that makes the most sense to them.
Educational technology can be defined as “the considered implementation of appropriate tools, techniques, or processes that facilitate the application of senses, memory, and cognition to enhance teaching practices and improve learning outcomes” (Aziz, 2010). Simply put, educational technology involves the use of various media and technological tools to assist in the teaching and learning process, and its purpose is to enhance the learning experience of learners. Learning theory is necessary in educational technology because it provides an explanation of the tools that can be used to appeal to each type of learner. Since the goal of instruction is to improve learning outcomes, teachers are able to incorporate the necessary tools for this to take place. For instance, an auditory learner may benefit from a podcast that explains to them how to save a document, while a visual learner may need to watch a YouTube video that shows how to save the document. Still, a kinesthetic learner may not fully understand the concept until after he or she has demonstrated what was heard or seen by actually going through the steps of manually saving a document. Each type of learner is encouraged to use whatever resources are needed for him or her to gain understanding, and be able to produce. Therefore, it is the teacher’s role to provide the information, and the student’s role to obtain, retain, and be able to apply the information.
Reference:
Aziz, H. (2010). The five keys to educational technology. Retrieved March 12, 2012 from http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/09/16/the-5-keys-to-educational-technology.aspx
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I responded to Sherri Carey's (http://theoryandeducationaltech.blogspot.com/) and David Davis' (http://edtechlearningtheory8845-2.blogspot.com/) posts.
