Self-Reflection on Learning

1. To become more self-aware as a learner. A college graduate now faces an average of four career changes in the course of a working life. Career success will increasingly depend on mastery of life-long learning skills. Awareness of one's own best modes of learning can help develop those skills.

2. To get you started on design of your final project. What mix of learning modes works best for you? For the other members of the class? (We'll share information). Ultimately, how will you work learning/teaching modes into the design of your project so that it helps people learn most effectively?

Assignment:

Write an organized essay of 500 words on how you learn best 1) in class, and 2) out of class, using specific reference to the materials and situations of this course (print, electronic, instructor and peers). If you wish, you can refer to other classes for comparison.

Send it to the class via e-mail and bring a hard copy to class on Wednesday, Feb. 21. We will meet in the AML that day to practice searching the Internet.

Points to consider:

Different modes of perceiving information: visual, aural/oral, kinaesthetic (touch and body motion).

Different media of communication depending on physical presence or absence:

live speech and sound or recorded, electronic
writing--chalkboard, print, electronic Different means of interacting with the media--passive (e.g. TV watching) vs. active or interactive.

Different methods of learning: lecture, discussion, reading, hands-on, small group work, peer tutoring.

Different learning situations and spaces: classroom, home, library, coffeehouse, lab, computer lab . . . .

Different "learning facilitators": instructor, peers in class, friends, others.

Do you know when you tend to have "Aha!" experiences? (as in "Aha! Now I get it!").

Finally, what motivates you to really want to learn?