ETEC 512
Application of Learning Theories to Instruction
"Theories old and new; connections near and far."
This course was a great refresher and expansion on many learning, cognition, and memory theories which I had encountered at various distances in the past. These included behaviorism, information processing, Piaget, and Vygotsky. The expansion came in applying these theories to teaching and learning in traditional and emerging context; from a face-to-face classroom to fully online learning. I really felt that either this course, or 530, could have been more accurately called “Foundations of Educational Technology”, as opposed to 511.
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One area that was not expanded for me in this course was the use of educational technologies themselves. While I was quickly learning about the Connect platform, the other technologies I utilized throughout this course I was already familiar with. These included Word, Weebly, and Prezi.
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Thought Papers
One component of this course were three “Thought Papers”. These were presented in the form of a question or prompt which required the synthesis and application of salient concepts and content from that area of the course. The biggest challenge for me here was the 300 word limit. This meant I had to be extremely concise and focused in my discussion.
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In the first paper, the feedback I received reflected the unclear connections I drew. In making assumptions that the reader would perceive what I meant intuitively, I actually lost my points and intentions along the way. My second and third attempts, the third is below, went much better. I was able to fine tune my writing to be clear, concise, and to the point.
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One other realization I had as I reflected upon this course, was regarding the feedback I have received throughout the program. Namely, that I didn’t really keep any of it! I would read and attend to feedback, seeking clarifications, etc. as I went along, but when it came to keeping that feedback, positive or negative, I just didn’t! In my future endeavors, I will be making a point to retain such information.
Where to Next?
References:
Therien, J. (2015). Thought paper 2: Neuroscience and Informed Educators. Unpublished manuscript. University of British Columbia
Therien, J. (2015). Thought paper 3: Philosophy of Constructed Knowledge. Unpublished manuscript. University of British Columbia
Therien, J. (2015). Thought paper 2: Neuroscience and Informed Educators. Unpublished manuscript. University of British Columbia
Therien, J. (2015). Thought paper 3: Philosophy of Constructed Knowledge. Unpublished manuscript. University of British Columbia