Learner Attributes

Week 2

Hello again! This week's topic is learner attributes and how it affects the learning process.

Our book does not provide a specific list of learner attributes but it does describe it pretty well. It states, "It is a fundamental property of a person's sensory system that is "built in" and that cannot be changed by learning" (Gagne, et al., 2005). After doing some research, I found may different sites and books that label out the learner's attributes. The site that I found that best described them is called worldwide learner. I labels out 5 attributes and they are " 1. Self-directed, 2. Inquisitive/Curious, 3. Self-aware/Honest with self, 4. Risk-taking/not afraid of making mistakes and 5. Open-minded" (Clark, 2012). 

I will briefly describe each one and what affects it has on the learning process.

1. Self-Directed - This is an attribute of a self-motivator. It is someone who has an internal drive to complete tasks on time or ahead of schedule. During class this person is one who is able to stay focused and on task even if the subject is of no interest to them. This is has a huge impact on the learning process. Staying engaged and focused allows a student to receive the entire lesson and retain more of it than one that is not paying attention. 

2. Inquisitive/Curious - This is an attribute that can sometimes help the student and can also hurt them. This attribute allows a person to be engaged and focused when they are interested or intrigued by the lesson or subject. If the subject is one of interest, the learner with this attribute will do well. However, if the lesson is not one of interest they may not be able to focus and will not retain as much information. 

3. Self Aware/Honest with self - Someone with this attribute is aware of their learning abilities. They know what they are good at and what they are not. They also know what the need to do in order to learn the presented material. If they are falling behind or do not understand something they are truthful to them self and seek help. 

4. Risk-taking/not afraid of making mistakes - A risk taker is someone who is willing to take that leap and try something new. This can be a great success or a huge failure. Most people are timid to put them self out there and are unwilling to take that chance to looks silly in front of others. Doing this does not allow you to take advantage of the full lesson/learning experience in front o you.  

5. Open-Minded - An open-minded person is someone always willing to give new concepts a chance. Being closed-minded and set in your ways, shuts you down and does not allow you to learn any new material. A close-minded person will argue against a new concept instead of trying to embrace and understand it. This can severely hinder learning.  

All of these attributes affect the learner and can enhance or hinder their learning environment. As an instructional designer we need to consider these and all other learning characteristics when designing courses to ensure that we provide a positive learning environment for all students no matter what attributes they have.

Clark, S. (2012) The 5 Attributes of an Effective Learner. Retrieved from World Wide Learn, http://www.worldwidelearn.com/education-articles/effective-learner.htm

Gagne, R., Golas, K., Keller, J., Walter, W. (2005). Principles of Instructional Design 5th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage learning. 

Instructional Design

Please be kind this is my first blog!

This week I started a class called Advanced Instructional Design. Each week we are asked to accomplish an assignment. We are provided with a few options and blogging is one of them. Since I have never blogged before I figured I would give it a shot. So here goes!

Week 1

This week I was asked to talk about instructional design so we will start with the basics.

What is Instructional Design? 

Instructional Design is "a set of events embedded in purposeful activities that facilitate learning" (Gagne, et al., 2005). Growing up I thought that teachers were given a subject and they could teach whatever they wanted about it. Come to find out this is not the case. In fact, they use lesson plans that provide them with the structure and activities that provide the best learning atmosphere possible for the students. Instructional design is the method used to create these lesson plans and all of the activities and assessments to support it. 

"One of the most commonly used descriptions of instructional design/development is ADDIE. ADDIE is an acronym for Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate" (Brown & Green, 2010). Many models out there use the ADDIE process and one of them is the Air Force ISD model.

The main part is the inner section that allows the designer to follow simple steps to create a course. First is the Analysis phase. During this phase the needs assessment is conducted. The designer finds out what the needs are of the students by identifying the gap between what they know and what they need to know. The Design phase is where the layout of the course is created.  The designer chooses visual aids needed, medium activities and anything else needed for the course. Next comes the Development phase. During this phase the course is completed and prepared. During implementation phase the first run is conducted and all areas of the instruction is assessed to ensure that all activities contribute to the learning outcomes. The last phase is evaluation. During this phase, the course is evaluated for its effectiveness. To me, this is the most important phase because it never ends. On a regular basis, the course should be evaluated to ensure that it is effective. As time goes on and technology improves, so does the base line of the students entering the course. The course should be updated to ensure that the student's needs are met.

Why is all this important?

I feel that as an educator the most important people are the students. As time goes on, I see the focus in the classroom shifting from learning to passing a state assessment. Many schools have adjusted to spoon-feeding the students information in hopes they will memorize it and be able to pass the state test. However, this is the whole reason why test scores are declining. Students are provided information but have no idea how to process it and apply it to a real world situation. This is completely failing kids and setting them up for failure in the future. This tells me that instructional design is no longer a part of the public school system.

As a parent of four, I am extremely concerned. Last year I attempted to talk to my oldest child's teachers and was amazed at the lack of concern they had for the kids in their class. Because of this, I moved her into a school based on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in hopes that they were more student focused and not test focused. Talking to the teachers and seeing the results they have within the school, it is apparent that instructional design is part of their course planning. After almost a full year of school at the Dayton Regional STEM School, my daughter has learned more than she ever has. On top of that, she is excited to attend class and striving to learn more every day.

Brown, A. & Green, T. (2010). The Essentials of Instructional Design: Connecting Fundamental Principles with Process and Practice for Ashford University, 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions.

Gagne, R., Golas, K., Keller, J., Walter, W. (2005). Principles of Instructional Design 5th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage learning.