Educ 8845 Module 1 Blog

Topic:
What are your beliefs about how people learn best? What is the purpose of learning theory in educational technology?

Response:
People learn best when the learning takes place on a need to know basis. By this, I mean that only necessary information or wanted information is truly learned. All other means of intaking information are simply stored as facts or bits of knowledge. True learning exists in a classroom for example when a student sees a problem and requests special information to deal with said problem. In life, when one enters a foreign country, true learning comes about of new languages, cultural norms, etc. as a matter of need to survive.

The purpose of learning theory in educational technology is to serve as a solid foundation. Learning theory is to be the basis of all actions taken in an educational technology environment. Learning theory supports educational technology in that as technology is being utilized to enhance an educational environment, virtual or real, learning theory serves as the scaffold along the way. As new technologies improve the learning/educational environment, learning theory is being proven, tested, and enhanced. As Siemen states, "boundaries are being tested."

Two colleagues whose views I found insightful and interesting are:
http://digitalworldlearning.blogspot.com
http://charlottevaughn.blogspot.com