Welcome back! You must have found my first post worthy of a return trip to this blog, or you are my fabulous instructor; here to grade me;-) If you had an opportunity to read about me, you know I am working towards an Instructional Design Certificate. Part of this journey requires the creation of this blog. This week my learning focused on the brain and learning, information processing theory, and problem-solving methods during the learning process. It was a lot to process (pun intended)! In order to further my understanding in these areas I have extensively searched high and low (actually more in the middle, sitting at my computer) for articles and websites you may find interesting or helpful on the subjects I referenced above.
Abstract Math has always been a struggle for me, so I found myself drawn to problem solving this week. I found a Math website called Mrs. Glosser’s Math Goodies . This website is a valuable resource for teachers, parents, and students. There are interactive math lessons, games, puzzles, articles, and more. I located two articles related to problem solving in particular. The first article, Mathematics Through Problem Solving by Margaret Taplin, discusses the shift in mathematics from teaching problem solving as a skill, to teaching math through problem solving. Another article by Margaret Taplin, Teaching Values Through a Problem Solving Approach to Mathematics, takes the process of teaching through problem solving even further. She suggests that teaching through problem solving creates flexible learners who are able to adapt to unexpected situations. This approach has implications well beyond math. This will be an interesting topic to ponder. How can I design instruction that promotes student learning through problem solving? If you want more information, research, or articles on problem solving in math, visit the website National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
If you have struggled at all with learning theories (as I have over the past two weeks), then I have the article for you. After extensive searching through the Walden University Library databases (which should require certification in and of itself) I located the article Yanchar, S., South, J., Williams, D., Allen, S., & Wilson, B. (2010). Struggling with theory? A qualitative investigation of conceptual tool use in instructional design. Educational Technology Research & Development, 58(1), 39-60. doi:10.1007/s11423-009-9129-6. This article contains interviews with real life instructional designers. They answer questions related to their level of understanding of, and application of learning theories in their instructional design projects. This is an interesting read regardless of your current level of understanding of learning theory.
I hope you find the resources I have provided you useful in your quest for instructional design knowledge!
Have a great day!
-Amy S.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Hi Amy,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the the qualitaive study you spoke of about stuggling with theory. It was interesting that the designers referred to theory as "toolbox" in which they could reach into and apply in certain situations. Although most did not stick with a particular theory, there were discussion that the general background provided useful insight in their daily activities. Many of the subjects felt that knowledge of theory increased awareness and intuition. From what I understand about theory in general is that it provides a framework or guide in practice. I can see having a background aids in the design process, as most us in our discussion group noted that one does not usually use one theory, but pull from several in order to create the appropriate application in various situations. Kendra landolt