CUSTOMIZED LEARNING THEORY PAPER

Customized Learning Theory Paper

Liberty University

EDUC 500-C10

My learning theory is a continually evolving process. We will discuss my current theories on learning theory and how they are exemplified in the adult education classroom. While the adult classroom uses many of the theories we have discussed there is an increased demand for performance based instruction. The adult classroom is rarely occupied by the same age or peer group, the same level of cognitive processing, or level of interest in the subject matter. Couple this with work demands, social demands, and the impact of family you end up with a dynamic and fluid teaching environment. Most senior adult instructors always have a back-up to the back-up plan. Let’s move on to the importance of learning theory.

Learning theory does not do anybody any good unless it is applied. Slavin expresses this throughout or text when he employs his Intentional Teacher bubbles. These give theory to practice opportunities and discussion (Slavin, 2012). Theory to practice is one of my foundational aspects. Using our text as a foundation let me outline what I believe. Learning is a lifelong process, God is the center of my life and the teachings of Jesus should be expressed at every opportunity. Everybody has the opportunity to learn and it is my job to exploit any method available to me to ensure a transference of learning. Every adult brings something to value to the classroom and they have an obligation to share that with the participants. Instruction does not take place by accident it requires a plan. A front end analysis, objectives, assessment, and instruction are one coordinated plan each critical to the outcome and must be linked. Objectives must be quantifiable and measurable, these objectives are measured in the same format on the assessment, the student needs to know what they are expected to know and how you are going to measure it (Slavin, 2012). Training aides and technology are valuable tools in the classroom. Every student comes to learning in their own time and by their own method and as an instructor you must constantly asses this in development and in the classroom. Lastly the Socratic method of facilitation brings about critical learning skills. As far back as Rousseau the learner was the focus of instruction (Rousseau, 1762) and our theories continue to evolve as we contemplate the needs of the gen X students and their continual need for interaction and a dynamic teaching environment (Bova and Kroth, 2001).

I will admit that direct instruction is my preferred method. Slavin does an excellent job of laying the foundational work for direct instruction in chapter 7 of his book (Slavin, 2012). It discusses in great detail the coordination between objectives, assessment, and the delivery of the material. It comes up short when addressing direct instruction in a laboratory environment which requires the same level of detail and planning. The highest scores from the Workplace learning and Generation X Study took place in the action learning section, constructed learning by doing (Bova and Kroth, 2001). I scored low on the Parkers Learning Styles Profile because of my beliefs on technology in the classroom. The assessments done in the web based learning paper for the Tel-Aviv University show that student learning is centered on computer access more than ever before (Mioduser, Nachmias, Lahav, & Oren, 2000). I readily embrace and use technology to its maximum extent in the classroom but I don’t feel that it is a requirement. This may be a result of age, I agree up in the age of view foils and started my instructional career using them. The concept that every student needs a laptop in the classroom is not one that I embrace. The one exception to this rule is in the instruction of software, then the computer becomes a necessary training aide. One of my primary classroom management problems stems from personnel electronic devices in the control of students. In the age of beepers, blackberry’s, cell phones, and tablets keeping the student on task is difficult. The my wife, my work, and my doctor provide every moment of the adult learner. Just because it is set to vibrate does not mean it is not a distraction. The problem started with Gen X put as older adults embrace technology in the workplace and their home lives it has become a management nightmare in the classroom. My management style is reminiscent of the old west where you checked your guns at the door, now my students check their portable electronic devices at the door. Motivation in adult learners is a complicated sort of song and dance. They are for the most part self-regulated and intrinsic learners (Slavin, 2012). That being said an instructor of adult learners must be sensitive to Maslow’s theories that are briefly expressed in chapter 10 of the Slavin text (Slavin, 2012). Adult learners are very sensitive to room environment, location of facilities, eating, and drinking. Unlike children they will readily voice their dislikes and the minute their environment becomes objectionable to them learning shuts down. Blair and Seo emphasize another component of motivation in adult learners in their article. They stress, and this is important, that the motivation for adult students starts long before they ever arrive in the classroom. Motivation starts in the development of the course. You have to address questions like how am I going to engage the student, can I make this a group collaboration, how do I make this important to the student, and can I make them take ownership of this process (Blair & Seo, 2007). Having said that bribery is a good tool also, coffee and donuts go a long way in the motivational arena.

In adult instruction ability grouping takes a different form than the traditional definition. Ability grouping takes place after formal instruction has taken place and is monitored by post training follow-ups. An important foundational aspect of my and other adult learning practitioners is the concept of post training follow-up. The principle is simple but useful. After the formal training has taken place you send the worker back to the workforce for a period of time. Then you contact them to see how they have used their training, what they could have received more information on, and how the training could be more effective. This information is taken on board and if required training is modified accordingly. The second concept of ability grouping involves mentoring. Senior employees are placed with junior or less skilled employees in an effort to increase the breadth of knowledge and refine the mentees skills. Berkeley discusses this process in his paper on “Young People Mentoring” (Berkeley, 1994). Of his key observations when mentoring is done correctly there is an increase in ownership by the mentee and that mentors must be changed before their skill set is equaled by the mentee. This is an often overlooked when setting up the mentoring process. Most programs think that assigning a mentor is a one and done deal. This is not true, the relationship between mentor and mentee must be dynamic in order to be effective. Multiple modes of instruction are key to the delivery of my training. It is a method of motivation for the students as already discussed but it is also necessary to address the different learning styles of the learner. Wang states that technology provides an interactive environment to enhance learning (Wang & Cranton, 2013). PowerPoint, embedded video and web based simulators are all critical components of most of the curriculum I develop. Van found in his case studies that the transference of learning and application of learned skills was increased significantly when employers used a formal training to work format. (Van, 2010). The best case I can make for multiple modalities is in one of my own courses. I have a course that utilizes effective training aides, objectives are clearly aligned with the final assessment, the course of instruction is of adequate length to allow the student to grasp the concepts, and the homework that is sufficient to reinforce the course of instruction and is similar to what will be on the final assessment. The course has a 50 percent failure rate. Does this indicate that I am unable to deliver the course or a more systemic problem? I have 35 years of field experience in the method and none of my other courses suffer from this failure rate. After much reflection the problem lies in my inability to deliver one of modalities that is essential to the instruction of the course. The students need access to the actual equipment they are expected to use and environmental constraint prevent this process. On a consistent basis the only students that do well in this course of instruction are the ones that have high cognitive and associative memory processes. They have the ability to process the concepts from training aides and written materials to make the required associations to the given equipment. Multimodalities and their application are necessary to ensure learning takes place.

My Parkers Philosophical Methodology of Learning Profile was extremely accurate. I am a traditionalist and humanist at heart and my teaching style reflex’s this. I believe there is a God and he plays an important and interactive role in all that we do. I believe that we should use every opportunity to express our beliefs and share the benefits of God’s grace every day. I believe that if we do not study history and learn from our predecessors we are doomed to a repetitive cycle of failure. You do not have to get far in the bible until you find out that regardless of their good attentions the Jewish people failed to follow Gods orders and suffered retribution for it. If the bible lays out a clear path of how we should live our lives why would we not pull those concepts forward into the secular history? As clear as Rousseau’s methods of childhood education were we still look to the improvements that Froebel’s made in our current organization of schools. The mistakes that were made at the end of WWI directly contributed to WWII and as a result the final armistice agreement was a document that did not lay blame and for the first time included reconstruction as part of the process. God’s plan is predetermined and how foolish is the man that believes he has the ability to alter it. It is responsibility to learn from His teachings and share that teaching with others. I guess I’m a traditionalist. I think we all have rights but that is not a free license to do whatever you desire. Which is why I scored only part way up this scale. I got credit for the individual is not important based on the concept that I am not important, the glorification of God and his will is what is important. Knowledge is useless without wisdom. There is a reason Solomon asked for wisdom rather than knowledge, he knew the difference and I am a better man because of him. His book of proverbs are essential for a quality life. I have yet to find one I cannot carry and use in my classroom. One of my guiding principles and it often finds its way into my approach to teaching comes from my mother. She was always professing that it is only a mistake if you do it twice, now that’s wisdom. The last tenet of progressivism that I will take credit for is that the individual is responsible for their own learning experience. We will all have to take personnel responsibility for our choices one day. There is no reason why we should not start practicing now. Your behavior is your responsibility, I can lead you in an appropriate manner but I can’t and won’t take responsibility for your choices. As far as the other three, behaviorist, humanist, and socialist that’s just people trying to justify why they do the things they do. None of them take personal responsibility for anything.

Now I need to summarize all this. In a nutshell my learning theory is driven by any method or tool I can use to facilitate a transference of learning to my students. That God controls my actions and the teachings of Jesus must be outwardly apparent to all that I meet. When I am standing on the platform I not only represent the company I work for but the Christian faith and I should always portray them in the best light I am capable of. That you are responsible for your own learning outcomes and I am responsible to use my skills to nurture critical thinking skills on your part so you will be able to stand on your own two feet when I am not available. That we have a responsibility to critically analyze the methods of our predecessors and pull forward the methods that have been tested and proved applying them in the current context. Lastly I must recognize that each student is unique and I cannot allow my preferences for learning to detract from what he needs to succeed. Shalom.

References

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Van, W. M. (2010). Routledge Studies in Human Resource Development: Workplace Learning: Concepts, Measurement and Application. Florence, KY, USA: Routledge. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com

Wang, V. C. X., & Cranton, P. (2013). Transformative learning and technology in adult and vocational education. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 9(1), 26+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com