CONSTRUCTIVISM
Constructivism as a view that learning is an active and constructive process. The learner is an information constructor. People actively construct or create their own subjective representations of objective reality and new information is linked to prior knowledge.
This infographic on Constructivism was created in Microsoft PowerPoint using Emoji font symbols as graphics elements.
BEHAVIORISM
Behaviorism is a learning theory that only focuses on objectively observable behaviors and discounts any independent activities of the mind. Behavior theorists define learning as nothing more than the acquisition of new behavior based on environmental conditions.
Makeup and driving perhaps don't mix
By Carmel Tse/Oct. 20, 2019
In looking for an instructional designer job, I had thought of applying to be an ID at a famous cosmetic retailer group, the chain that profits by making people look beautiful. As a male whose only teaching experiences were newspapers and driver education, showing other people how to drive up lipstick and mascara sales remains imaginary until learning theories are applied. Remember, smearing the lip line or smudging the mascara may make a face look ugly, but failing to brake or missing a blind spot check may cause a crash. If you do all at the same time – that is putting makeup on while driving – you die.
Telling the bad joke “Don’t worry, the mortician’s job is to make you look pretty in the coffin” to novice drivers is using behaviorism to warn them of the worst about distracted driving. But if I were to teach a group of equally distracted cosmeticians to stop wearing drugstore makeup, what joke can I use? I have been told the harshest comment for a woman is the word “OLD”. . . .
ZPD
Bridge for behaviorism, constructivism
By Carmel Tse/Oct. 20, 2019
University of Maryland LDT 100 Project with learning experience from the Harvard Deresk Bok Center for Teaching and Leaning.
The zone of proximal development (ZPD) refers to the cognitive region between the knowledge and capability of a learner without the help from a “More Knowledgeable Other”, and their potential knowledge and capability following guidance from an MKO. It is within this region that cognitive development occurs as cognitive functions mature through learning (Kozulin et al, 2003).
In terms of ZPD’s application in education, Lev Vygotsky’s constructivism sees teachers as mediators of their students’ learning journeys. Their responsibility is to facilitate and track cognitive development through instructional resources and continuous assessment, with the aim of supporting a student’s continued cognitive independence (Kozulin et al, 2003). It is due to this understanding of cognition that Vygotsky’s social constructivism is seen as the bridge between behaviorism and constructivism, and that it informs current approaches to teaching and learning (including STEM subjects).
I used two imaginary examples before to explore behaviorism: Teaching up-and-coming cosmeticians at Sephora how to professionally manage beauty products; and that the role of behaviorism – as in cannabis – can be a stimulant or depressant.. . . .
COGNITIVISM VS CONNECTIVISM
Cognitivism is a learning theory which deals with, in particular, how people perceive and remember information, solve problems and ultimately learn. A key focus of cognitive psychology is looking at how to communicate or transfer knowledge to learners in the most effective and efficient way by looking at mental processes.
Connectivism is the integration of principles explored by chaos, network, and complexity and self-organization theories. Learning is a process that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements – not entirely under the control of the individual.
This Venn diagram was created in Microsoft PowerPoint. Venn diagrams can quickly identify similarities and differences between concepts.
COGNITIVE LOAD
How Adobe Bridge helps metadata users
Cognitive load refers to the used amount of working memory resources. Cognitive load theory differentiates cognitive load into three types: intrinsic, extraneous, and germane.
University of Maryland LDT 100 Project / October, 2019
I have always been an advocate for the tagging of media assets used in instructional design with IPTC metadata. The practice allows for the easy tracking of asset information, in particular copyright data. There are different methods and tools to achieve the task. One useful tool is Adobe Bridge as it provides a graphic application program interface as well as very comprehensive metadata sets and templates. Unlike other applications in the Adobe Creative Suite, Bridge is a freeware. Once the software is downloaded and installed on the computer, the “Help” menu will lead to the user guide’s gateway page.
The gateway page is an html page on the Adobe Help Cloud, which in itself is a cognitive overload of information and knowledge. The Cloud also hosts blogs contributed by the Adobe user community. Solutions offered by other users are sometimes helpful, but often outdated or misleading. Just like the world wide web, It’s like a maze of more rumors than facts. . . .
Gateway page comments
Fonts: Information is presented in clear text, black on white, with some headlines in blue.
Print: A 90-page PDF textbook is available for download. You really have to like it to read it.
Navigation: A sidebar appears on left of screen providing topic searches. However, sub-topics are not visible unless clicked on a topic. It took me some time to find my topic on metadata.
Main: The main display area on the right carries some important but lesser searched information. . . .
ANDRAGOGY
Andragogy refers to methods and principles used in adult education.
From newspaper moribund to driver education
By Carmel Tse/November, 2019
University of Maryland LDT 100 Project
In the 1990s, I was a news editor and subsequently systems integrator in news technology. The internet hadn’t exploded yet, but newspapers were losing readers and we sensed that the worst had yet to come. There were two schools: those who believed whoever owned the printing press would remain mighty; and my group who thought we were moribund unless something drastically happened.
