Learning Comes At All Times

I started this blog during my first course in my Certification for Instructional Design. I don't know if anyone really follows what I post, but it is amazing that 2 months later, I find that I just want to share everything that I find and I feel that blogging may be the best way. I have to say, this comes to me as a surprise...I never expected to like blogging, or feel the "need" to blog but alas here I am.

I am in my second course of Instructional Design and I find myself very heavily relying on change management in many of my analysis and deliverables. I am wondering how many other people out there are looking at change management as such a close partner in ID work? I can't seem to find the line that actually separates these two no matter how hard I try. Change management...something to consider as an alli to ID work...this will be explored more. 

Learning Network

LearningTown is a network for training professionals that Elliott Masie hosts. There are some amazing forums and groups on here for anyone in the training field.

http://learningtown.ning.com/

Engage Your Audience With Mobile Learning

Here is a podcast that is able to be downloaded on mobile learning.

http://talent.sumtotalsystems.com/Mobile-Leanring-Podcast.html?source=EMAIL_POD_TM_Mob-Lrng_04-11&pi=LM%20-%20LMS&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonsqTJZKXonjHpfsX56uslX6OylMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4IT8Z0dvycMRAVFZl5nR9NF%2FSaaIFM6exOH0S%2FSw%3D%3D

Description: On a planet with around 6.8 billion people, we're likely to see 5 billion cell phone subscriptions by the end of 2011. Even during times of economic challenge, the demand for communication services continues to grow. The popularity of using mobile devices to enable business solutions intersects with flexible learning applications. Ambient Insight’s US Market for Mobile Learning Product and Services 2008-2013 Forecast and Analysis reported the demand for mobile learning services is growing at 36.2%. 
In this podcast, you will learn:

• The importance of repetition and relevancy to mobile learning
• How organizations are leveraging mobile trends to reach internal and external audiences
• Where to find resources to answer your mobile learning questions
• Best practices for organizing your mobile learning strategy to move forward

8 Weeks Reflection

Reflection

As I look back over the last seven weeks of this course on Learning Theories and Instruction, I can’t belive how much I have learned and how much I have grown both personally and professionally. In the last few weeks, I have had other trainers and designers from my job comment on the changes that they have seen in me and in my work. Personally, I have been able to network with other professionals that are also in the field of instructional design, and their experiences and feedback have given me so many ideas and insights. I have been able to use many of the learning theories to understand my own learning quest, and being able to understand how I learn has really provided me a stronger foundation. Professionally, which has been the main motivation for gaining this degree, I have grown leaps and bounds in learning about how adults learn and how that influences my designing of instruction.

I was very surprised to learn that there are so many theories for how adults learn. There is very solid research on what happens in the adult brain when presented with stimulus, and how the brain physically reacts. These various theories present the internal factors of adult learning that can’t be tracked with a machine or computer. Each theory presents very interesting and totally valid points of view on how adults learn, and how courses and instruction should be structured to be the most effective. It is surprising that these theories can be so different and all still be focused on how adults learn. It makes it very difficult as an instructional designer to wade through these theories to find one that you can take and apply to yourself and your design. After doing the research on various theories I have come to my own hybrid of cognitivism and constructivism. But I have also learned to keep an open mind and look at these theories for what they are and what they can contribute to my work.

Through this course, learning about how adults learn, I have been able to identify so many of these in myself. I was able to take what I learned and apply it directly to my own learning as I am completing this program. As a designer, I am in a unique perspective, as right now I am experiencing as the learner, and able to look through a learners “eyes”. This greatly enhances what I have been learning from this course because I can relate now to both sides – the designer and the learner.  I have learned that motivation is the keystone to adult learning as well. You can have all of the learning theories, and learning styles in the world accounted for, but in the learner is not motivated to learn, none of those things matter. Seeing how important motivation is to effective learning has been one of the major lessons for me that I am really  taking forward and looking at in all of my designs. As a designer I must enhance and continue to build the motivation throughout the course to keep the learner engaged. This is something that I didn’t realize until taking this course, and I believe has forever changed my perspective on how I design and market learning courses.

This course has been just amazing! I can’t belive that 8 weeks went by so quickly! I have truly enjoyed the discussion topics, and discussions with the other students, and I was also introduced to Blogging (which I have never done before). What an amazing tool for networking in the instructional design community! The information and personal growth that I will take away from this course is priceless.

Narration in E-Learning

I found this article and had to share. This is a great article about narration in e-learning and some research that was done on it. If you do any time of online learning design, this is a definite must-read!

http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/666/how-much-narration-in-elearning-our-lessons-learned

Metrics Are A Must!

In my current role as an instructional designer finding metrics around my work has been - a challenge - to put it lightly. I have found some great resources that I wanted to share around ID Metrics. Happy Reading!!


http://boggse-learningchronicle.typepad.com/the_online_training_conte/2006/08/beyond_instruct.html
Introduction:......."In this paper the argument is proposed that even with the strong foundation of knowledge that informs the appropriate ways to use technology for teaching and learning, too often that knowledge has been misunderstood or misused or ignored.......that it was time to put the simple digitisation of materials behind us and focus on the active, engaging learning opportunities that effectively put the learning back into e-learning to take advantage of collaborative tools, learning communities and mediated conversation for new millennial learners. More importantly the statement that we are beyond delivery also suggests that it is time to embrace change and reflect on new ways to conceptualise the design of online learning environments."

http://community.astd.org/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/7301062/m/66610958/p/
Suggested resource: Instructional Design Competencies: The Standards by Richey-Fields-Foxon. Published by IBSTPI (International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction). This book includes the required competencies and how to recognize them. This group also published Instructor Competencies, which follows a similar framework.

My Own Learning

Seven short weeks ago I started taking a course on Learning Theory. We have researched various theories in these last weeks including; Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism, Social Learning, Connectivism, and Adult Learning. When I first started this course, I saw myself as identifying with a hybrid of Cognitivism and Constructivism. These theories support learning through the learner having a very learner interactive experience where they are able to create meaning and use their own experiences.  Now that I have looked at various other theories, do I still hold to this hybrid theory?

Connectivism and it’s approach to utilizing networks for concepts in rapid change, and needing this continuous flow of knowledge is a very strong argument that I feel is more than valid. However I don’t see this as a theory in and of itself that an instructional designer could solely base learning on. I think that Connectivism is something that designers must keep in mind as a tool to help learners, because face it, in today’s technology world – information is changing faster than we can teach it. Connectivism gives a path for a learner to continue their learning rather informally, but doesn’t provide a foundation for that learning.  I personally have a very strong network to keep information coming in from all different points of view and experience, but through the Connectivism theory, I still find myself identifying with my hybrid Con-Cogism.  I find this same approach when looking a the other learning theories as well, this hybrid theory I feel provides a very strong foundation to designing effective learning that will give learners the best chance at an effective learning experience.

My own learning is very tied to this Con-Cogism learning theory, and using technology is a very effective way to facilitate this learning. Theory gives us the foundation of the effective learning, technology gives learners the tools to build and continue that learning. Technology gives the learner a method to take learning on the road through the use of mobiles such as the iPad and iPhone. Learners are also able to create learning through online research and networks, which would not have been possible before technology.  There are also online storage systems that we can use to store all of the information and share with other’s in the field. Technology has become a common in the classroom as a pencil used to be, the nature of learning has evolved to this technology state. Designers must be technologically savvy to build learning sessions that incorporate the technology that is so valuable in our world today.

"Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand." Confucius, circa 450 BC .