TWeaver – Mod 6: Learning in a Digital World

During my undergraduate studies, there was only one way to learn.  Face-to-face (f2f) instruction is all I ever knew until I enrolled in my first online courses for a Master’s Degree in instructional design/technology.  I was sure that online education is quite different than f2f learning environments, but I really did not know that the two formats are more like polar-opposites.  Before the online courses started, I could not for the life of me understand why there was only one hour of actual live chat time between my instructor, peers, and myself.  I thought to myself, “How in the world am I going to learn anything without “proper” instruction?”  It really did not take too long (about the length of one term) to figure out that the proper instructional methods did not include instructors supplying information, but rather that their facilitative roles are to basically be just another resource towards finding formidable and practical information to be used for knowledge construction.  In my second go around in online studies, there was even less time set aside for student-instructor interaction.  In fact, there was/is actually no scheduled time for live class or chat.  But by this time, I had already had it instilled in my educational upbringing that this is a commonality in online studies.  Learning in an online learning environment has had a significant impact on the way I learn as well as the way I prefer to learn. 

 Before online learning, I independently studied to pass tests and rarely created anything to prove what I had learned.  Today, it is the exact opposite.  I do not take quizzes and tests for assessment.  Rather, I motivate myself to research content, synchronously/asynchronously communicate and collaborate with class participants, and develop authentic productions to prove I have been diligent in my efforts to learn.  The lights have turned on so to speak for I now feel inquiry-based learning is indeed a necessity to really learn, and in fact, teach as well even if in a limited capacity.  The K-12 public sector of education is where I currently am employed and I officially support change towards a blended (hybrid) learning environment.
 

Constructivism learning and teaching strategies in my online education has opened my eyes towards my own personal learning theory that somewhat exists in K-12 blended-learning environments.  My intuitive theories towards learning and instruction have indeed changed in alignment with my past, and especially with my most recent, learning and teaching experiences (Driscoll, 2005).  Constuctive-cognitivism is the combination theory I will support and hopefully use as everyday practice in my professional hybrid K-12 future, that is, if I am allowed to do so.  Only time will tell.  Good luck to others who feel the same way I do and my advice to you is to keep the fire burning.  I feel that eventually, the necessary changes for “higher learning” in K-12 education will come around.  I just hope it is during the employed years of my life.  Thanks for reading.         

References

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction. (3^rd ed.). Boston, Mass: Pearson Education, Inc.