Adult learning theory: 10 key principles and best practices https://t.co/niSq0Ssoq1
— Paul Czarapata (@pczarapata) May 26, 2022
On 06/01/2022,
in adult learning, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, instructional design, learner profiles, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning preferences, learning theories, training / L&D, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
On 05/11/2022,
in 21st century, A/V -- audio/visual, adjunct faculty, collaboration, colleges, communications, community colleges, corporate universities / corporate training, digital audio, digital video, distance education, education technology, experimentation, faculty/staff, higher education, Hyflex learning, instructional design, IT in HE, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning preferences, learning spaces, learning theories, liberal arts, pedagogy, platforms, remote teaching and learning, smart classrooms, teachers, teaching & learning, technology (general), telecommunications, tools, training / L&D, United States, universities, user experience (UX), vendors, videoconferencing,
by Daniel Christian
Technology for HyFlex Classrooms: Major Considerations — from hyflexlearning.org by Brian Beatty
Excerpts:
This post describes four aspects of classroom technology that are very important to address when developing a HyFlex approach that can be effective at scale.
…
The classroom technology needs can be organized into four areas:
- two-way audio stream (connection),
- incoming video presentation of remote learners
- outgoing video presentation of classroom and learners
- interactive technology to support interaction, engagement, and formative assessment
Also re: hyflex teaching — where some students are physically present and some are coming into the class remotely– see:
Part I – Motivating Learners by Building Efficacy (Confidence) through Scaffolding and Support— from hyflexlearning.org by Jeanne Samuel
Excerpts:
HyFlex delivery may be new to many learners. Therefore, it is important to provide them with the supports they need to be successful. Regardless of the delivery mode, learners are motivated by success and by instructor presence. In part one of this topic post, we will write about how instructor support and feedback (a form of guidance) can motivate learners and build learner confidence.
PART II- Feedback for Improving Student Success and Satisfaction — from hyflexlearning.org by Jeanne Samuel
Excerpt:
In part 1 of this post, we focused on how feedback and support promote learner confidence. Learner confidence can lead to improved learner retention, progression, and success regardless of the class delivery mode. In part 2, we focus on feedback strategies.
On 03/31/2022,
in Daniel S. Christian, learning, learning theories, memory, personalized/customized learning, psychology,
by Daniel Christian
I Analyzed 13 TED Talks on Improving Your Memory — Here’s the Quintessence — from learntrepreneurs.com by Eva Keiffenheim
How you can make the most out of your brain.
Excerpt:
In her talk, brain researcher and professor Lara Boyds explains what science currently knows about neuroplasticity. In essence, your brain can change in three ways.
Change 1 — Increase chemical signalling
Your brain works by sending chemicals signals from cell to cell, so-called neurons. This transfer triggers actions and reactions. To support learning your brain can increase the concentration of these signals between your neurons. Chemical signalling is related to your short-term memory.
Change 2 — Alter the physical structure
During learning, the connections between neurons change. In the first change, your brain’s structure stays the same. Here, your brain’s physical structure changes — which takes more time. That’s why altering the physical structure influences your long-term memory.
For example, research shows that London taxi cab drivers who actually have to memorize a map of London to get their taxicab license have larger brain regions devoted to spatial or mapping memories.
Change 3 — Alter brain function
This one is crucial (and will also be mentioned in the following talks). When you use a brain region, it becomes more and more accessible. Whenever you access a specific memory, it becomes easier and easier to use again.
But Boyd’s talk doesn’t stop here. She further explores what limits or facilitates neuroplasticity. She researches how people can recover from brain damages such as a stroke and developed therapies that prime or prepare the brain to learn — including simulation, exercise and robotics.
Her research is also helpful for healthy brains — here are the two most important lessons:
The primary driver of change in your brain is your behaviour.
…
There is no one size fits all approach to learning.
From DSC:
This is so important. It’s the underlying cognitive science/psychology involved in the posting I recently created that was entitled, “What are the ramifications of having cognitive “highways in our minds?” It occurs to me that patience, grace, forgiveness, work, new habits, and more are required here.
On 03/30/2022,
in adjunct faculty, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, corporate universities / corporate training, education, faculty/staff, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, ideas, instructional design, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, learning preferences, learning theories, lifelong learning, memory, pedagogy, productivity / tips and tricks, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, training / L&D, universities,
by Daniel Christian
Excerpt:
While studying I misjudged the depth of my knowledge. I confused familiarity with knowing.
When you passively consume information like reading books or watching courses and things start to make sense we often tell ourselves: “Oh, easy. I understand this. Got it.”
But it’s wrong to think you can access something from your memory if you can recognize it.
On 03/17/2022,
in Daniel S. Christian, experimentation, faith, hearts -- matters of the heart, learning, learning theories, lifelong learning, memory, Michigan, morals/values, passions, psychology, reinvent, relationships, religion, society, sociology, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, vision/possibilities, youth,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
What are the cognitive “highways” within our minds?
I’ve been thinking a lot about highways recently. Not because it’s construction season (quite yet) here in Michigan (USA), but because I’ve been reflecting upon how many of us build cognitive highways within our minds. The highways that I’m referring to are our well-trodden routes of thinking that we quickly default/resort to. Such well-trodden pathways in our minds get built over time…as we build our habits and/or our ways of thinking about things. Sometimes these routes get built without our even recognizing that new construction zones are already in place.
Those involved with cognitive psychology will connect instantly with what I’m saying here. Those who have studied memory, retrieval practice, how people learn, etc. will know what I’m referring to.
But instead of a teaching and learning related origin, I got to thinking about this topic due to some recent faith-based conversations instead. These conversations revolved around such questions as:
- What makes our old selves different from our new selves? (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- What does it mean to be transformed by the “renewing of our minds?” (Romans 12:2)
- When a Christian says, “Keep your eyes on Christ” — what does that really mean and look like (practically speaking)?
For me, at least a part of the answers to those questions has to do with what’s occupying my thought life. I don’t know what it means to keep my eyes on Christ, as I can’t see Him. But I do understand what it means to keep my thoughts on what Christ said and/or did…or on the kinds of things that Philippians 4:8 suggests that we think about. No wonder that we often hear the encouragement to be in the Word…as I think that new cognitive highways get created in our minds as we read the Bible. That is, we begin to look at things differently. We take on different perspectives.
The ramifications of this idea are huge:
- We can’t replace an old highway by ourselves. It takes others to help us out…to teach us new ways of thinking.
- We sometimes have to unlearn some things. It took time to learn our original perspective on those things, and it will likely be a process for new learning to occur and replace the former way of thinking about those topics.
- This idea relates to addictions as well. It takes time for addicts to build up their habits/cravings…and it takes time to replace those habits/cravings with more positive ones. One — or one’s family, partner/significant other, and friends — should not expect instant change. Change takes time, and therefore patience and grace are required. This goes for the teachers/faculty members, coaches, principals, pastors, policemen/women, judges, etc. that a person may interact with as well over time. (Hmmm…come to think of it, it sounds like some other relationships may be involved here at times also. Certainly, God knows that He needs to be patient with us — often, He has no choice. Our spouses know this as well and we know that about them too.)
- Christians, who also struggle with addictions and go to
the hospitaler…the church rather, take time to change their thoughts, habits, and perspectives. Just as the rebuilding of a physical highway takes time, so it takes time to build new highways (patterns of thinking and responses) in our minds. So the former/old highways may still be around for a while yet, but the new ones are being built and getting stronger every day. - Sometimes we need to re-route certain thoughts. Or I suppose another way to think about this is to use the metaphor of “changing the tapes” being played in our minds. Like old cassette tapes, we need to reject some tapes/messages and insert some new ones.
What are the cognitive highways within your own mind? How can you be patient with others (that you want to see change occur within) inside of your own life?
Anyway, thanks for reading this posting. May you and yours be blessed on this day. Have a great week and weekend!
Addendum on 3/31/22…also relevant, see:
I Analyzed 13 TED Talks on Improving Your Memory— Here’s the Quintessence — from learntrepreneurs.com by Eva Keiffenheim
How you can make the most out of your brain.
Excerpt:
In her talk, brain researcher and professor Lara Boyds explains what science currently knows about neuroplasticity. In essence, your brain can change in three ways.
Change 1 — Increase chemical signalling
Your brain works by sending chemicals signals from cell to cell, so-called neurons. This transfer triggers actions and reactions. To support learning your brain can increase the concentration of these signals between your neurons. Chemical signalling is related to your short-term memory.
Change 2 — Alter the physical structure
During learning, the connections between neurons change. In the first change, your brain’s structure stays the same. Here, your brain’s physical structure changes?—?which takes more time. That’s why altering the physical structure influences your long-term memory.
For example, research shows that London taxi cab drivers who actually have to memorize a map of London to get their taxicab license have larger brain regions devoted to spatial or mapping memories.
Change 3 — Alter brain function
This one is crucial (and will also be mentioned in the following talks). When you use a brain region, it becomes more and more accessible. Whenever you access a specific memory, it becomes easier and easier to use again.
But Boyd’s talk doesn’t stop here. She further explores what limits or facilitates neuroplasticity. She researches how people can recover from brain damages such as a stroke and developed therapies that prime or prepare the brain to learn?—?including simulation, exercise and robotics.
Her research is also helpful for healthy brains?—?here are the two most important lessons:
The primary driver of change in your brain is your behaviour.
…
There is no one size fits all approach to learning.
On 03/11/2022,
in digital learning, education technology, learning, Learning Experience Design, learning theories, memory, pedagogy, tools, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
Sticky learning: Digital brain dumps with Flipgrid and Socrative — from ditchthattextbook.com
Excerpt:
Retrieval practice is powerful. It can be an easy practice to incorporate in class. Plus, there are some great digital tools that are made for this kind of practice.
In this post, you’ll learn …
- What a “brain dump” is and how to do it
- How to do video brain dumps with Flipgrid
- How to do text brain dumps with Socrative
- Why you don’t need tech to do brain dumps
- Where you can find more info and research behind brain dumps
On 02/17/2022,
in business, career development, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, design, digital learning, higher education, ideas, instructional design, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning theories, online learning, pedagogy, teachers, teaching & learning, training / L&D, UK, United States, universities, user experience (UX),
by Daniel Christian
Is there a skills gap in learning design? — from neilmosley.com by Neil Mosley
Excerpt:
Another deficiency in higher education has also been the dearth of support there is for learning design. Roles such as Learning Designer or Instructional Designer have been relatively niche in UK higher education, they have tended to exist only in online or distance education settings.
This seems to be changing a little and there’s been more of these roles created over the past two years. Hopefully, as a result of growing recognition of the design and planning work that’s needed in higher education as the teaching and study experience grows in complexity.
Whilst broadly positive, this has thrown up another problem – the inconsistency and variability of skills amongst those that might refer to themselves as a Learning or Instructional Designer.
From DSC:
Though this is from the UK, these perspectives and the issues Neil raises are also very much present here in the United States. Neil raises some important questions, such as:
- Aare the Learning Designers and/or Instructional Designers getting the training that they need?
- What’s expected of them?
- Are they utilized properly?
- How do you scale their work?
- How do you get professors and teachers to think of *designing* their learning experiences?
Addendum on 2/19/22:
- A time for learning experience designers — from thetechedvocate.org by Matthew Lynch
And if the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that this collective movement toward learning experience design will be essential to help striving students go on better, more productive, and personally meaningful educational journeys. Indeed, we must help spread the word that education is more than a collection of classes. It may include classes, but it is so much more. At its best, it is a carefully and thoughtfully crafted and curated family of experiences that can help striving students change their lives!
On 02/17/2022,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), communications, content development, aggregation, repositories, creativity, digital learning, distance education, experimentation, future, game-changing environment, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, immersion, innovation, instructional design, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning preferences, learning spaces, learning theories, multimedia, platforms, play, teachers, teaching & learning, vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, XR - extended reality,
by Daniel Christian
A whole new world: Education meets the metaverse — from brookings.edu by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Jennifer M. Zosh, Helen Shwe Hadani, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Kevin Clark, Chip Donohue, and Ellen Wartella
Excerpt:
The metaverse is upon us. Soon it will be as omnipresent as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook (now Meta). As technology advances to bring us new immersive and imaginary worlds, how we educate children and prepare teachers must also advance to meet these new opportunities. When education lags the digital leaps, the technology rather than educators defines what counts as educational opportunity. This is largely what happened with the introduction of “educational” apps designed to be used on smartphones and tablets meant for adults. Today, as the metaverse infrastructure is still under construction, researchers, educators, policymakers, and digital designers have a chance to lead the way rather than get caught in the undertow. To leverage the potential of the metaverse as a 3D, global, interconnected, immersive, and real-time online space, we need new ways to connect the physical world with augmented and virtual reality (VR) experiences.
In the end, we challenge those creating educational products for the metaverse to partner with educators and scientists to ensure that children experience real human social interaction as they navigate virtual spaces, children’s agency is supported as they explore these spaces, and there is a real eye to diversity in the representation and access to what is created.
Also relevant/see:
The metaverse can provide a whole new opportunity for education. Here’s what to consider — from fastcompany.com by Stephen Fromkin
The cofounder of Talespin looks at an existing immersive learning program that delivers results and says our next priority should be getting it into the hands of as many learners as possible through the metaverse.