Link to Abin’s first post: Blog #1 – Abin’s Blog
Link to Hitakshi’s second post: Transformative Learning within a Technology (Mediated Environment) – Post #2 – Beyond the Page
Link to Dilraj’s third post: Video is only useful if it actually makes you do something – EDCI 355 – Dilraj Singh Gulati
I really enjoy making music and had the opportunity to teach myself how to play the guitar, an instrument I find very interesting, and doing this with the guidelines of a class I was taking through my program. Those guidelines were not the easiest to follow and I was left to my own devices (that being google and youtube). From a constructivist perspective, this particular course expected the learners to build an understanding independently through experience. Though, there was little support or collaboration to help construct that experience. I sort of gave up by the end of the course because I was unable to see any progress. Without knowing how to gain the skill of playing the guitar I had little to no direction as to where to start. From the cognitivist perspective, the learning lacked a clear form of organization and structure, which strongly affected my ability to process and apply that learning effectively. I felt the lack of resources was a key factor in my inability to see the progress that would have motivated the learning endeavour. The competence and relevance in my learning was not well supported. There was no real connection between the learning that was happening in class and the self-guided learning I had to do to complete the class. A behaviourist approach may have improved the experience by outlining step-by-step instructions, repetition, and feedback. Because I was mostly relying on online resources, this experience also reflected aspects of connectivism, where learning occurs through digital networks. However, without critical guidance or strong connections between those resources and the course itself, the overall process became very discouraging. If there was a purpose to that learning and help when needed, the course would have felt more supported and I could have continued learning from that point. Outlining the purpose of the learning and providing support for those learning different instruments on their own could have changed the learning outcome greatly. Learning new skills without a way to do so makes retaining information difficult and discouraging.
Ertmer, P. A. & Newby, T. (2013). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features From an Instructional Design Perspective. Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. (pp.133-151). https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/behaviorism_cognitivism_constructivism
Weller, M. (2010). Connectivism. 25 Years of Ed Tech. https://read.aupress.ca/read/25-years-of-ed-tech/section/198057f5-1a3e-4436-a4b8-c6e1a3e0bd69
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