Week 2: Theories & Models of Learning & Instruction

 
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Epistemology. According to Dr. D. in this week's Reflection Cues, epistemology is the study of what and how we come to know. On page 46 of our text, Brent G. Wlison cites a definition by N. Friesen: "Epistemology is a branch of philosophy addressing knowledge--how we know, what it means to know, etc." (Reiser & Dempsey, 2102). The Venn diagram above shows a simple illustration of the principle. Theories, methods, or models of learning, on the other hand, are research based and deal with practices for designing effective instruction. Historically, these learning theories have trended "toward meaningful engagement and authentic practice" (p. 46).

In studying the distinctions between the three epistemic stances to determine where I fall, I wavered between relativist and contextualist, but after much thought, I would have to categorize myself as a relativist. When I was in college (the first time, right after high school), I changed my field of study several times before finally graduating with a journalism major. In journalism classes, we were taught to be objective in our writing, but I think that view is overly optimistic, even for me, a diehard optimist. I read highlights from several news sources daily, and have tried to choose reliable sources with a variety of slants. But I have yet to find one I would consider completely objective. My experience as a social studies teacher has reinforced this belief, as I have seen how writers of history color their stories with their own perceptions. 

History is a set of lies agreed upon.

- Napoleon

Constructivist teaching methods fit well with well with my stance, especially after spending several years teaching technology classes, where the subject lends itself to more hands on activities. I became very comfortable in the role of facilitator, and now that I am back in a social studies classroom, I dislike days when I spend most of the period lecturing, and try to keep that to a minimum. I cannot bring to mind an instance when my perspective as a learner conflicted with that of my instructor, but as a geography teacher, I have learned to be very careful when discussing topics such as cultural practices and religions so as not to offend students of diverse backgrounds. 

 

Problem solving from a behaviorist standpoint would involve breaking the instruction and practice into small steps and giving frequent reinforcement for successful learning. A constructivist approach might involve the learner testing out his understandings of the problem based on his own prior knowledge. It is learner centered and allows the learner to reach his own conclusions from his practice and experience. I think the learner-centered style of constructivism creates much more motivation for the student because he participates directly in the learning instead of reacting to reinforcements.

 

Reiser, R. A. & Dempsey, J. V. (2012). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology, 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson.