An artifact that demonstrates my competency in the ability to synthesize information is my final paper for my EDCI-53100-0011 Learning Theory and Instructional Design. The final paper was an elementary teacher-training plan to help teachers gain a better understanding of when, where, and why to use learning objectives. Completing this final product required me to synthesize information from theoretical and research perspectives.
Competency Artifact
This narrative explains how my artifact (my final paper) supports the following three characteristics of synthesizing knowledge:
Characteristic 1: Read and understand educational literature
The training that I designed was based on concepts of behaviorism, cognitive, and constructivism theories described in Marcy Driscoll’s Psychology of Learning for Instruction (2005). The training also incorporated Robert Gagne’s approach to behavioral objectives and is designed around his “Nine Events of Instruction.”
This section from page 4 of my training plan supports my ability to read and understand educational literature:
Event 1: Reception – gaining attention (p. 373) Learning Activity – The trainer will alert the trainees’ attention with a cue (i.e., walking on stage, saying hello, tapping the microphone) that the workshop is beginning. Then the trainer will draw in the teachers’ interest and help establish the purpose of the training with a humorous video, skit, or reading that stresses the importance of objectives. An example might be, reading a short passage about a familiar topic, such as doing laundry, without ever introducing the topic. This passage helps establish the purpose of the training because without the knowledge of the topic it makes the passage, even about a mundane event, difficult to comprehend (Driscoll, 2005, p. 127).
Activity Rationale – The cue is based on behaviorism principles because it indicates the desired behavior from the teachers (Driscoll, 2005, p. 48). The engaging activity that helps establish purpose is based on schema theory. Without meaning the learner doesn’t have any prior knowledge to connect the information to (Driscoll, 2005, p. 127).
Characteristic 2: Describe fundamental theories of human learning
There are multiple examples in the training plan that reflect knowledge of how the brain stores and receives information.
Here is an example from page 5 of the training plan:
Event 3: Retrieval to working memory: stimulating recall of prior learning (p. 373) Learning Activity – The training leader will ask participants to recall a frustrating learning experience in which they were confused about the purpose or intended outcomes. What happened? Why do you think you were confused? What would you have done differently? In small groups, participants will share their experiences, followed by a large-group report-out of summaries. Finally, the trainer will highlight key insights.
Activity Rationale – This activity is essential in developing meaning by activating a schema through which the trainees can recognize the value of learning objectives (Driscoll, 2005, p. 155).
Characteristic 3: Apply knowledge of human learning, diversity, and pedagogy to solutions
The entire training plan reflects this characteristic. One example is that the workshop is designed using a variety of theories about how people learn. Another example is that the workshop teaches the pedagogy of instructional objectives to support teachers’ teaching and learning.
This example from page 2 of my training plan reflects this:
Learning objectives, “…can be extremely useful to teachers and other designers of instruction as a plan both for instruction and for testing.” (Driscoll, 2005, p. 366). Objectives also provide more teacher accountability (Gagne, 1972, p. 396). Learning is the observable performance after instruction has occurred. The role of the objective is to communicate the desired performance and learned capability. Learned capabilities are “motor skills, verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, and attitudes.” (Gagne, 1972, p. 395).
I developed the entire workshop plan to be extremely intentional about my choices for certain training events and often included a rationale to support my decision. In my future design work, I need to continue to work with this level of intentionality. I also need to review my work to be sure I have synthesized the knowledge accurately and made appropriate choices according to that knowledge.
References
Driscoll, Marcy (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd edition).Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Gagne, R. M. (1972). Behavioral Objectives? Yes! Educational Leadership, 29 (5), 394- 396. Retrieved February 10, 2017, from http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_197202_gagne.pdf
Allison Brinkerhoff 