Excellent Book on Objectives

Preparing Instructional Objectives by Robert F. Mager (1997) is the best book on the topic I have ever read. Not only does Mager provide excellent advice about writing instructional objectives, but he also makes what could possibly be a boring topic actually fun for the reader. The book reminds me of the adventure books I used to read as a child. In those books you would be given a scenario and a choice between multiple actions. Each action would have a page number to jump to in order to finish your adventure.

Mager uses a similar approach to allow for formative evaluation throughout this book. You test your knowledge, jump to the page of the answer you believe is correct. If you are correct, move on. If not, you will be directed to additional pages about the topic in which you are having trouble. Then, you can test your knowledge again to make sure you've got it. What a great idea!

The process made the book easy to read, not to mention efficient. I hope anyone who has to write objectives will pick up this book.

Mager, R.F. (1997). Preparing instructional objectives: A critical tool in the development of effective instruction (3rd Ed.). Atlanta, GA: The Center for Effective Performance, Inc.

You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Preparing-Instructional-Objectives-Development-Instruction/dp/1879618036/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337218849&sr=8-1

Learning Theories Exposed

I just had one of those wide-eyed, jaw-dropping experiences.

This website covers 54 different learning theories:

www.gwu.edu/~tip/index.html

For the love of informal learning

Sometimes, I sit back and reflect on just how much informal learning I acquire in a day. The amount is truly astounding. There's the information picked up from family, friends, and neighbors throughout the day. Then, there is all the great information on all my social networks, Google Reader, LinkedIn Groups, etc. I'm in the process of selling my home, renting an apartment, and purchasing land on which to build. Let me tell you, there is a LOT of informal learning going on in that process. Then, there's the learning that comes from observation, from watching the world work around us.

Education professionals spend most of their time talking about formal learning and a little bit about non-formal learning. Informal learning tends to get the short end of the attention stick. Yet, people will almost always describe informal learning as the type of learning that impacts them the most. For my bit, it is definitely the largest percentage of my overall learning.

If we really care about lifelong learning and learning communities, we cannot ignore informal learning. What do other educators and learners think about informal learning? What do educators need to know about informal learning? How is informal learning to be studied?

What kind of teacher are you?

Ever wonder if you are a liberal, behavioral, progressive, humanistic, or radical adult educator? One way to explore this is by taking the Zinn Inventory. You can access it here: http://www25.brinkster.com/educ605/paei_howtouse.htm 

What I find interesting about this particular inventory is that it appreciates the shades of grey. Instead of getting "You are a humanist!" as a response, you receive scores for each category. This tells you just how much of each you are. After all, we are each a little of all of them. Aren't we?

Enjoy!

Philosophy of Learning

My philosophy for learning and education incorporates multiple theories.  When considering how and why adults learn, my view includes aspects of both the humanist and social cognitive learning theories.  The theories of Bandura, Perry, and Knowles have influenced my views in particular.  When considering adult development, Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems Theory stands out to me. 

I resonate with the humanist idea that the goal of learning is self-actualization.  I treasure both freedom and dignity, and I hope that comes forth in my own teaching.  For the most part, I believe people have control over their own reality and destiny and, therefore, have great potential. I also agree with the humanist belief that our own self-actualization carries with it the responsibility to help others on the path.  I appreciate the camaraderie between teacher and student in the humanist tradition.  While I believe a humanistic approach is ideal for many areas of adult education, I do not believe it is ideal for every situation or for young children.  A humanistic approach combined with other compatible approaches can be effective in these areas.  The one area of humanism that I defend most strongly is the belief that perception affects behavior.

Unlike behaviorists, I do not believe behavior can be predicted.  People often respond differently to the same stimuli, as can be evidenced in the marked behavior differences among siblings.  I believe perception makes the difference, and perception cannot be controlled by stimuli. As in the social cognitive orientation, I believe learning involves interaction with others and with the environment.  Bandura separated observation from imitation, and I think that makes the difference between learning as an infant and learning as an adult (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). 

Following Perry’s Developmental Scheme, infants are in the first stage where the authority figure is always right.  Thus, they imitate the authority figure.  As a person’s cognitive development progresses along the stages, he or she observes others and the environment and, then, makes judgments based on those observations.  The results of those judgments will determine whether the person chooses to imitate what has been observed or reject it by acting in opposition to it.  This is often seen in families. My sister and I were raised in the same household with the same parents, yet we are as different from one another as night and day.  We observed the same authority figures, but made different judgments about what we witnessed.  She imitated what I rebelled against, and vice versa. 

As a good humanist, I believe that people have the ability to determine their own destiny, and human nature is ultimately good. People want their needs met, but they also want to improve themselves.  Knowles recognized this when he developed his list of learning outcomes for adult learning. These include such outcomes as:

*Adults should develop an attitude of acceptance, love, and respect

toward others.

*Adults should acquire the skills necessary to achieve the potentials

of their personalities.

*Adults should understand the essential values in the capital of

human experience (Knowles, 1955).

Knowles obviously expected adult learners to develop into the best versions of themselves.  It is because learners seek positive change that they will imitate those behaviors, beliefs, and teachings they perceive will meet their needs, including that of self-improvement.  Because people vary according to their perceptions and values, they also vary according to behaviors (imitation vs. rejection). Returning to the example of siblings, my sister and I chose different strategies for meeting our needs because our values are different and because we tend to perceive the same situation in different ways.  Still, we are both attempting to improve ourselves and our lives.

As far as the social environments on which adults are basing their observations and judgments, Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems Theory provides a good model.  He provides a good overview of the social environments affecting adult development throughout the lifespan. “Each system contains roles, norms, and rules that can powerfully shape development” (New World Encyclopedia, 2008). Yoonkyeung Nah (2000) provides a good example of this idea in practice in the article Can a Self-Directed Learner be Independent, Autonomous, and Interdependent?: Implications for Practice.  In this article Nah explores the results of self-directed learning based on culture.  She states that self-directed learning promotes the American values of independence and autonomy, but other cultures do not value those qualities.  She explored the results of self-directed learning on Korean women and found that they approached their learning from an interdependent perspective because interdependence is a quality valued by their culture.  Thus, the layers of their environment influenced the results of their learning experiences, namely the choices they made regarding imitation or rejection with regard to their careers.  They chose to adapt their learning to their values.

Therefore the humanist and social cognitive theories influence my personal philosophy of learning and education. Learning occurs through a person’s interaction with his or her environment.  What separates adult learning from other learning is the separation of observation from imitation. The effect of the learning on the person’s life is determined by what will aid the person’s self-improvement.  The purpose of education is to support people to that end.

References

Knowles, M. S. (1955). Informal adult education: A guide for administrators, leaders, and teachers. New York: Association Press.  

Merriam, S. B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L. M. (2007). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.  

Nah, Y. (2000). Can a self-directed learner be independent, autonomous, and interdependent?: Implications for practice. Adult Learning, 11(1), 18-19, 25. Retrieved from http://www.aaace.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=66286&orgId=aaace

Urie Bronfenbrenner. (2008, April 2). New World Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Urie_Bronfenbrenner?oldid=678460.