Personal Experiences of The Learning Theories

Introduction

Reading through learning theories and online learning provided the opportunity to reflect on my educational journey and the various modes I have learned from.

Behaviorism: Reinforcement and Feedback

Behaviorism is all about observable behaviors and external stimuli. In the realm of online education, behaviorism translates to activities like quizzes and automated feedback systems. These tools provide immediate reinforcement, helping learners correct mistakes and solidify their understanding through repetition.

• Personal Experience: I remember using Duolingo to learn Spanish, where the immediate feedback on each exercise helped me quickly recognize and correct my mistakes. This platform heavily focuses on repetition for learning by providing the same phrases and words for users to familiarize themself with. Although this platform did not teach language in a common speaking manner. It became a great resource for memorizing vocabulary.

Cognitivism: Organizing Information

Cognitivism focuses on internal mental processes. This theory emphasizes how learners acquire and organize knowledge. In an online setting, cognitivism is brought to life through multimedia resources, interactive simulations, and problem-solving activities. These elements engage students’ critical thinking and help them structure new information effectively.

• Personal Experience: In one of my computer science courses, we were provided with an initial presentation based teaching regarding a coding concept. This would sometimes be followed by a short quiz reinforcing the concepts from the lecture. Finally, an assignment would be given to allow students to interact with the learned material to understand it further.

Constructivism: Learning Through Experience

Constructivism suggests that learners build knowledge through their experiences and interactions with the world. This theory emphasizes active, contextualized learning. Online, this can be seen in collaborative projects, discussion forums, and real-world problem-solving tasks. These methods encourage students to engage deeply with the material and learn from their peers.

• Personal Experience: During a communications course, working on a group project about constructing an interactive kiosk for Ocean Networks Canada allowed me to experience different scenarios my professor described could arise in a team environment. He described obstacles that often occur and how to overcome them positively. Learning through experience is my personal favourite as I enjoy employing new skills and techniques wherever I am able to.

Connectivism: The Power of Networks

Connectivism is particularly relevant in our digital age. This theory highlights the importance of networks and connections in the learning process. Online education platforms that leverage social media, forums, and content curation tools embody connectivist principles. These tools enable students to learn from a broad network of resources and peers.

• Personal Experience: I found that participating in the Built with Science community provided me a space to seek guidance from members in similar scenarios. Through discussion further motivation is easily built to achieve personal fitness goals.