As
this course draws to a close, I have spent some time reflecting upon what I
have learned and how I will apply this new knowledge in future courses and in my
career in the field of instructional design. There were quite a few things that I found
surprising, including the existence of immense amounts of current research
regarding motivation to learn, learning styles, current learning trends,
current learning theory trends, and instructional technology. I am already integrating the knowledge I’ve
learned about these topics into my classroom lessons, and I plan to continue to
apply this knowledge as I move into the realm of online instruction.
Studying
“student motivation” research was particular helpful to me as an educator. A paradigm shift occurred for me when I read
the research regarding motivating students.
According to Keller, motivation can
absolutely be affected by systematic method of attack by the instructor (Keller,
1999). As I perused the assigned reading about
student motivation, I was also reminded about the existence of motivation
dispositions and the importance of viewing assessments as feedback not a
measure of self-worth (Ormrod, et al., 2009). Revisiting MIs and LSs was helpful to me as an instructor. In their article, Gilbert and Swanier say, “Students
often become uninterested and restless during class when there is no
correlation between the way students learn and the way instructors teach.
Students also become: bored and inattentive in class, do poorly on tests, get
discouraged about the courses, the curriculum, and themselves, and in some
cases change to other curricula or drop out of school” (2008, p. 30). As I continued to read about “student
motivation,” it became apparent that novelty motivates students (Ormrod, 2009). The novelty that instructional technology
brings to a classroom motivates students to participate in instruction and work
to create quality products. I have
already begun to incorporate Blogs, Blogsters, Prezis, PhotoStories, QR codes
and Online Discussion Panels (Johnson & Brown, 2012) into my current face to
face classroom instruction. I
already adjust my instructional design to motivate my students. However, this course encouraged me to both
continue to adjust my instruction and adjust it to a greater degree, especially
in the area of assessment and technology.
Throughout this
course, we spent a lot of time discussing the importance of solving a problem,
relevance, connection and feedback in an online learning environment and / or
collaborative learning situation. We
concluded that these four factors greatly impacted motivation over a period of
time. Here are a few of the comments
that I will take with me from our discussion:
“I
think that your comment about expectations is directly related to feedback. If
we state expectations and then never return to them, in the form of feedback,
we breed attrition and lack of motivation” (Artino, 2012).
“Great
example! I was thinking specifically about instructor feedback when I posted my
response, but peer feedback is extremely important while collaborating towards
a product. I'll be sure to instruct my students to encourage one another in the
future as they work on collaborative projects” (Artino, 2012).
“I
think that the biggest factor affecting motivation, which is often lacking in
an online classroom, is emotional connection (affect). As an instructor, I
would work to provide specific, personal, prompt, sometimes unexpected
reinforcement and feedback” (Artino, 2012).
At the beginning of this
course, my understanding of my personal learning process was rather shallow,
based mostly upon the learning theory psychology I learned during my
undergraduate work in education. I had
never considered Connectivism or Adult Learning. “Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on
rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired and
the ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information
is vital. Also critical is the ability to recognize when new information alters
the landscape based on decisions made yesterday” (Siemens, 2005, N.p.). My
favorite learning activities in this course have been the mind web and the
blog, which allowed me to gather and classify information in an organic manner
and to present this information in a dynamic and flexible format. I enjoyed exploring alternate methods of
connecting my world, and I enjoyed evaluating the network by which I attempt to
connect my world to itself. As I
explored Adult Learning Theory, it became apparent to me that perhaps my
learning has shifted since I was in undergraduate school. I am now an Adult Learner. As such, discussing theoretical topics,
solving problems, reflecting and integrating learning into my daily life in a
practical manner are vital to my learning process. I will remind myself of this and adjust my
participation level accordingly the next time I experience a lack of motivation
as I continue working towards a Master’s Degree from Walden University.
References
Artino,
A. (2012). EDUC. 6116: Learning theories and instruction [Discussion
Board]. Online: Walden University.
Gilbert, J., & Swanier, C.
(2008). Learning styles: How do they fluctuate? Institute for Learning
Styles Journal [Vol. l]. Retrieved from http://www.auburn.edu/~witteje/ilsrj/Journal%20Volumes/Fall%202008%20Volume%201%20PDFs/Learning%20Styles%20How%20do%20They%20Fluctuate.pdf
Johnson,
L. & Brown, M. (2012). The
Horizon Report (2012 ed.). Austin, TX:
The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from
http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2012/
Keller, J. M. (1999). Using the ARCS
motivational process in computer-based instruction and distance education. New
Directions for Teaching and Learning (78).
Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., &
Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom
edition). New York: Pearson.
Siemens, G. (2005, January). Connectivism: A learning
theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology
& Distance Learning, Retrieved November 03, 2008, from http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm
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