Taking Learning Seriously -- A Private Universe
The article "Taking Learning Seriously" was very insightful. In my opinion the author Lee S. Shulman was a head of his time. The article was written over ten years ago and the issues he discussed in education are very present today. To some degree we have not progressed that much. The major pathologies of learning that he discusses; amnesia, fantasia and inertia are very real issues. So far from what I am learning in Educational Technology, these are issues that we have to deal with most. The instructional design we create should stimulate the mind with visuals and sound, that the learner will always remember. If possible we should directly tailor our instruction to the learners knowledge at the present time. We have to remove beliefs that are wrong and replace them with the correct ones. The learner then needs understand the subject and be able to apply that knowledge. Understanding these pathologies, the author points out that we have to take teaching seriously and learn from the student as well.
The video A Private Universe amazed me at the fact that a number of the students could not understand or remember what was learned about seasonal change. Of course I was not totally correct, but I expected the students to know. The video seemed to back up the article "Taking Learning Seriously".
As I think about the major pathologies of learning, I realize that my studies in this program is consistently dealing with these issues. The visual communications work that I have done for over 20 years has armed me with a great deal of knowledge in the field of message delivery. In parts of the classes I feel I know most of the material. I have also forgotten some of the lessons I have learned. At the same time applying the knowledge that I have to effectively create instruction is a challenge. Most importantly I have to really separate "fantasia" from fact. I do not know it all and some of what I know may not be scientifically correct. In my class Message Design and Production, I am learning the reasons behind some of the techniques I use in the visual communications work that I do.
