Types of Learning Reflection Ryan Osweiler EDTECH 503 Instructional Design Chapter 8 Declarative Knowledge Chapter 8 talked about

ut declarative knowledge. This form of knowledge focuses on one understanding a particular subject or topic. There are three types of declarative knowledge: labels and names, facts and lists, and organized discourse. Labels and names refer to the process of making mental connections and organizing them into categories. Facts and lists Refers to the relationships between the concepts or ideas. Organized discourse assumes one connects meaning to what is being learned. I feel that the idea of grouping knowledge by these three types of declarative knowledge was not completely new in my frame of reference. For me, separating the first two types of Declarative Knowledge was difficult. I see some of the same elements in both. I believe what is said in the summary about networks or schemata helps me to understand how this connects to ID. I picture the concept maps of theories and my own for the final project. Each is connected because of a relationship with the surrounding concepts. Some may be linked by the ADDIE model process or by a specific objective. Chapter 9 Concept Learning Chapter 9 discussed the idea of concept learning. This type of learning involves grouping things together based on a similar concept or characteristic. There are two types concrete, which can be perceived by a physical trait, and abstract, something perceived by the mind. Two strategies used to study concepts are: inquiry, which is done through discovery and exploration, and expository, when the concept and its characteristics are already listed and discussion is created based on evidence given. As with chapter 8, I felt most of the concepts were fairly familiar to me. That being said, I hadnt thought about through the lens of a designer. There are some principles, concepts, etc. that may need to be listed out ahead of time like recalling certain characteristics that stimulate prior knowledge. There are other means of design that may take more of an inquiry-based approach. For instance, when I create a training document, I may need to discover the steps on my own first so I know how to guide the learner and anticipate the different avenues he or she may go down through the inquiry process.

Chapter 10 Learning Procedures This chapter talked about learning procedures and the processes involved when applying them. The book refers to procedures as algorithms, meaning the step by step process you would follow. There are two forms of procedures: simple and complex. Simple procedures are taught one step at a time. Complex procedures may begin as simple, but branch out into other areas that cannot be taught and followed all at the same time. With regards to design, I would assume that and procedure based system could become as complex as the designer wishes to create. In some cases, prior knowledge would be assumed. In other cases a designer cannot assume any prior knowledge. I use the peanut butter sandwich analogy. The first step for one may be greatly different than someone else. Chapter 11 Principle Learning Chapter 11 deals with principle learning. This type of learning refers to the relationship between whatever concepts are being addressed. The topic of variables was addressed in that principle learning describes what happens if one or more of the concept variables are changed. In this method of learning, prior knowledge is expected in order to learn the principle. This is in contrast to a Learning Procedure. When I first read this, I immediately thought of the if/then statements. I agree in that in order to create a principle, one must understand some type of prior knowledge about the concepts and the relationships to each other. The book uses the example of statistics. One would have to know what the definitions and meanings are of mean, median, and mode in order to understand the relationship to distribution. For design purposes, I believe one would have to know the audience well before deciding if Principle Learning would be appropriate. If prior knowledge and skill is not present, a procedure may be a better form of instruction than a principle form. Chapter 12 Problem Solving Instruction Chapter 12 dealt with the practice of problem solving for learning. This method involves learners synthesizing what they already know to solve a problem. The chapter states that in problem solving, multiple principles and rules may be used to solve a problem instead of one specific principle. The amount of domain-specific knowledge may be a key indicator of a learner will be able to solve a problem. There is continual research being conducted as to how to teach people to solve problems. I think the one fact that popped out at me was simply stating the fact about what must be present in a learners mind in order to solve problems. It makes sense if I put it in my own

context and think about how I solve problems. I have to have some knowledge, skill, and connection in order to have a starting point when solving problems. For a designer, it was interesting to note that our society still does not really know how to teach people to solve problems. This reinforces my idea that as designers, we must explore every avenue we possibly can and prepare for any scenario a learner may explore (given their frame of reference). I think this is a key concept to try and teach to our young people. Chapter 13 Cognitive Strategy Instruction Chapter 13 focused on the idea of cognitive strategy learning. This form of learning suggests that individuals have methods by which they can control their own mental processes. There are two types of cognitive strategies: learning and thinking. Cognitive learning strategies are those that involve the actual mental processes carried out during learning. Cognitive thinking strategies are the steps and processes a learner follows in order to problem solve, learn, and discover new information and ideas. I thought of thinking and learning as being one in the same until browsing this chapter. If I were to guess that one leads to another, I would have guessed that the thinking strategies aid the learning strategies. The book seems to suggest the opposite. The strategies that a learner performs in the thinking process allow him or her to organize information that then allows for recall and application during the thinking or discovery process. If this were to be applied to an ID model, I believe one would have to plan a series of learning events first. When the desired information is obtained and categorized, then a designer could lead the learner down a given path that allows for discovery and practical application to take place. Chapter 14 Attitude Learning Chapter 14 talked about attitude learning. This form of learning deals with the process of forming or changing a perspective, attitude, or belief about a topic. The chapter refers to the fact that this area is neglected and off limits to trainers many times due to the perceived need to be unbiased with any and every task on society. It also goes further to suggest that most broad goals, when closely examined, may be entirely affective. There are three components to Attitude Learning: cognitive (knowing how), behavioral (application of attitude), and affective (knowing why). Initially, I too thought that this was a biased way to approach design. After reading parts of the chapter, and reflecting on my own design work that I have done, I have to say this is a very valid form of ID. Most trainings I have done do have a desired outcome so in a way, I am manipulating the attitudes about what I want to see accomplished. I believe knowing the "how" and "why" is important. I will get a much different reaction from some learners than from others based on the topic, desired outcome, and perceived ability levels.

Chapter 15 Psychomotor Skill Learning Chapter 15 dives into the topic of psychomotor learning and its effect on the design process. This term is used to show that in every motor process, there is a mental component to it that affects learning. There are three ways researchers categorize psychomotor skills: discrete and continuous, closed and open, and person and object motion. Discrete skills are motions that have specific steps and a clear beginning and end. Continuous skills involve the learner determining the starting and ending points. Closed skills are motions that are not influenced by ones surrounding environment. Open skills are motions that are affected by the environment. Person and object motion describe different scenarios if the person and object are in motion or at rest. The two elements of psychomotor skills are: massed vs. spaced practice (time and intensity of practice) and whole vs. part practice (if the skills is practiced all at once or broken down into chunks). I had never thought of motor skills and learning in this way before. While I inherently knew there is a mental component to physical motions, thinking about the learning linkage between the two stood out to me. The very process of doing something can become engrained in your mind and can teach you a concept, skill, or habit. I do have to agree more with the "open skills". I guess I cannot think of many actions that are not influenced by my surroundings or situations. For designers, I believe the last part of my summary is something to pay close attention to. From personal experience, people would rather have a 2-3 hour training session and get it all out of the way. While it may be convenient, I have noticed that sessions that are broken into smaller chunks get more positive performance results. By that I mean that people's attention span can cut off after 30-45 minutes. I feel that the learners I work with get more out of the shorter sessions. That being said, anything that involves creating and designing, real hands on learning, may be best done in a longer session where learners have the time and opportunity to explore and discover new things.