Week #7 - Assignment 1 - Fitting the Pieces Together

In the first week of the course, we were presented with an exercise in reflection related to our preferred learning styles.  In that discussion thread, I elaborated on how I thought that my style of learning more closely matched the social learning theory.  I pointed out that I would draw upon prior experiences and memories to inform future behaviors.

Now that the end of the course is drawing near, I have a deeper understanding of the various learning styles and theories.  Although I would not say that my view on how I learn has changed dramatically, I would say that it has expanded.  Most notably, I have a deeper understanding of how connectivism helps to further explain my learning experiences. 

In addition to social learning theory, connectivism is at play through the multitude of social and technological networks that I am a part of.  Although I was aware of my participation in professional discussion forums and associations, I cannot say that I fully considered their impact on my learning process prior to this course. 

Technology is at play in every facet of my learning.  I cannot recall the last time that I actually visited a physical library and thumbed through volumes of journal articles.  In this way, technology has revolutionized research and data retrieval.  With the evolution of online learning, I have found learning to be a far more interactive experience with the use of video, gaming, and discussion forums.  Asynchronous courses have also helped me with meeting the demands of a hectic schedule.  I am certainly among the adult learners who might not have the benefit of furthering my education if online degree programs did not exist.  Perhaps the most important aspect of how technology has impacted my learning may be the ability to interact with learners from across the globe.