Week #5 - Reflections - Connectivism

Jason Wells
EDUC-6115-3, Learning Theories & Instruction
Dr. Artino
November 30, 2013
Week #5 - Reflections - Connectivism

 

In considering the theory of connectivism, I have found that my network has drastically changed the ways in which I learn.  As it stands today, my network includes inputs from the Walden University online course resources and the course blackboard discussion forums.  Outside of academia, my network includes instructional design blogs and discussion forums hosted by the American Society for Training & Development and Linkedin.com.  Prior to the advent of social media networks, my network was primarily centered on academic settings with most of the inputs from scholarly materials and the outputs limited to course assignments.

Digital tools have revolutionized my learning experiences.  If I were to select those that best facilitate my learning, I would have to say that it would be discussion forums and videos.  Videos seem to bring otherwise bland content to life and offer alternative perspectives or viewpoints.  Discussion forums are my absolute favorite.  Whether they are in an online course or in the form of a blog, discussion forums afford me the opportunity to be immersed in a community of thoughts and perspectives on various ideas.  Perhaps the best aspect of these forums is that they offer an opportunity to interact with other users in a multidirectional communication flow.

In terms of gaining new knowledge when I have questions, I find that I first consult a reputable online resource.  If my question requires more depth to the answer, I will consult a scholarly or professional resource that serves as the authority on the topic.  In some cases, my question is general in nature and I will simply consult friends and/or colleagues using social networks such as Facebook or LinkedIn. 

I would say that my personal learning network supports the central tenets of connectivism in several ways.  First, the discussion forums and blogs are in alignment with having a diversity of opinions.  Additionally, the technology tools such as video, etc. facilitate and illuminate my learning experiences.  Finally, nurturing and maintaining these connections through continual participation in these learning communities advances my learning.      

Jason's Adult Learning Mind Map

Week #2 - Blog Assignment: Identifying and Evaluating Online Resources

 

Jason Wells
EDUC-6115-3, Learning Theories & Instruction
Dr. Artino
November 10, 2013

 

I have located and evaluated the following resources related the brain and learning:

http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com

The eLearning Solutions Guild has been publishing the Learning Solutions Magazine since 2002.  The magazine is a well-respected industry publication highlighting advances in, and analysis of technologies, theories, and best practices in the learning field.  More specifically, the magazine is home to 100+ scholarly articles related to brain function and learning.  Readers are able to subscribe to RSS Feeds and view content online.

http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/edu/index.aspx

The American Psychological Association's Journal of Educational Psychology publishes original research relating to the broad field of Educational Psychology.  Within its numerous volumes are articles related to brain function and the learning process.  This journal is useful as it covers research across the educational lifespan and is not narrowly focused on one stage of development.  Readers are able to subscribe to RSS Feeds.

Week #1 - Blog Assignment

Jason Wells
EDUC-6115-3, Learning Theories & Instruction
Dr. Artino
November 3, 2013

 

As I searched for blogs that reflected my interests related to the instructional design field, I wanted to focus on those highlighting the learner experience and technology.  My search produced thee blogs as follows:

1.     eLearning Brothers: http://elearningbrothers.com/10-elearning-game-ideas-for-instructional-designers/

 

eLearning Brothers is a blog that is focused on ways in which games can be incorporated into eLearning instruction to make for a more engaging and interactive learning experience.  In addition to providing information about ways to integrate gaming, the blog is also useful in that it features links to templates for graphics, audio, and games.  I plan to use this blog as a resource for the development of eLearning.

 

2.     Voices of Global Online Academy: http://globalonlineacademy.wordpress.com/

 

Voices of Global Online Academy is a blog that highlights educational technology reviews, student testimonials, and teacher contributions.  Global Online Academy is a consortium of independent schools.  The blog has a very clean and user-friendly interface that allows readers to quickly access postings of interest.  After perusing the blog, I found that the online teacher insights are quite useful.  I am especially interested in what motivates learners in an online environment.  The teacher insights often include student satisfaction survey results that back their postings.  In addition to becoming an instructional designer, I also have an interest in contributing to the field by teaching.

 

3.      Learning Snippets: http://learningsnippets.wordpress.com/

 

Learning Snippets is a blog created by an Australian Instructional Designer named Matt.   In addition to his professional work, Matt is completing his Masters at University of New South Wales.  Matt’s postings are created as diary entries of major concepts and useful tips that he is learning in his graduate program.  Matt’s blog has postings related to the use of technology in learning, gaming, learner motivation, learning theories, etc.  I think that this blog will be useful as I am also completing the same program at Walden University.  Matt’s reflections will serve as reminders of concepts that I have been introduced to, and may also present new concepts that I have yet to discover.