How People Learn Best?

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

This is a great question and one that should be in the forefront of the mind of all teachers.  The one thing, as a classroom teacher, that I have learned is that a) everyone has the capacity to learn and b) everyone does not learn the same.  While I see it in the classroom it has been most evident to me as a parent of two children who learn in completely different ways and require different types of assistance as I help them with their homework and interact with their teachers.  This verifies that differences in manner and process in which people learn and acquire knowledge. 
 
While people learn differently, I believe that there are some basic foundations that all learners must possess and be willing to commit to in order to learn.  First is a willingness to participate or be an active learner.  In other words, seek to understand the "whys", "how’s", and "who's" not just facts, figures, and items.  Make what you learn work for you and enhance you.  Second is to listen and pay attention to details.  I always tell my students and believe as a student myself that if you show up, pay attention, and listen you won half the battle in the learning process.  Finally, is simply hard work and commitment to what students achieving success and goals.  I will take an overachieving B-C student instead of a underachieving A student any day of the week!

It can also be understood that teaching is an process of organizing information that enable students to learn.  It is the process of organizing knowledge, information, and activities in order for effective learning to take place.  Teachers can organize information in the environment by taking into account how people process information, and by linking learning to prior experience and prior knowledge (Darling-Hammond, 2001).  Driscoll (2005) states that the critical elements of learning theory include observation, interaction, analyzing, interpreting, evaluating, understanding or cognitivism, as well as problem solving and solutions. All of these elements are utilized, demonstrated, and displayed in different ways depending upon how students learn. 

The purpose of learning theory in education is to provide a blueprint as to how to take these learning elements and processes and effectively implement them in a manner effective learning.  Educational theory affords teachers the ability to mesh their teaching styles with the learning styles of their students.  It helps teachers understand and implement student learning by managing their curriculum, teaching style, and student learning style into an effective process.  Learning theory in educational technology does the similar thing but in more a support mode.  Learning theory provide educational technology a direction for supporting learners effectively through technology design and implementation.  Without learning theory, educational technology would possibly, be grasping at straws for direction when supporting the educational community.

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
Darling-Hammond, L, Austin, K, Orcutt, S, and Rosso, J (2001) How people learn: the introduction to learning thoeries. (Stanford University) Retrieved from http://www.stanford.edu/ed269/hplintrochapter.pdf