MY PROGRAM
How People Learn
COURSE DESCRIPTION
How People Learn introduces the research and science of learning, integrating theory with case studies
about learning principles and high-impact practices. Learning takes place in all stages of life: teenagers
who go directly from high school to college, adults who “stop out” and return to school after years of work
or family commitments, and even retirees who pursue learning made possible by expanded leisure time.
Some education takes place formally within higher education; other opportunities are informal, sponsored
by organizations such as museums and libraries or available for free online. This course focuses on
learning in F2F, online, and mobile environments.
COURSE SYLLABUS
ASSIGNMENTS
Case study introduction video and audio transcript
COURSE REFLECTION
Throughout this course I learned about many learning theories that I hadn’t previously encountered and developed my understanding of those that I only had a basic understanding of. I don’t normally enjoy puzzles, but completing the case study and analyzing it by going through all of this course’s resources was challenging and thought provoking. I could feel my neuroplasticity expanding!
In my current position I manage programs for adult learners and so we frequently discuss the importance of eliciting prior knowledge. I had never come across the Iterative Learning Model though, which I learned about while completing my poster. Most of the courses I manage currently do not have any outside of class activities that need to be completed and through the Iterative Learning Model I can see some of the ways that this could be problematic. Skipping “enrich” or making the “enrich” portion of the model optional means that all learners are not starting with a common base of information and the instructor has a much more difficult path of making the course relevant and appropriate for everyone. I have been sharing my thoughts about the importance of work after class, and now I have a poster to help back up my position! There is always room for improvement and I think that considering the Iterative Learning Model when consulting with partners and supporting faculty in course design will be beneficial to everyone, especially our learners.
In my case study I observed and interviewed an adult learner about completing an online module. This process clearly illustrated for me how experts learn and the challenges of including multimedia in a learning experience. I saw how important metacognitive skills are and how they can or should be engaged in a learning experience, as well as the importance of carefully considering the purpose of media and purposefully curating it to make the online module as effective as possible. Because of what I’ve learned I will continue to push for building reflection into our programs and I will encourage the team to be purposeful about the decisions we make regarding synchronous and asynchronous learning and the types of learning resources that we include in these experiences.
Throughout this master’s program I will continue to explore adult learning theories and to reflect on how they can be applied to my programs. I have a stronger foundation because of this course, but I know that I still have much to learn and more learning gaps to discover.