Learning is a lifelong journey and dynamic process that transcends the confines of traditional classrooms. It is a continuous exploration fueled by curiosity, inquisitiveness, resilience, and a never-ending appetite for knowledge. I believe that the need for learning is a natural craving for humans that we inherit when we are fresh out of the womb. As humans,  we are naturally curious beings, even if we do not realize this about ourselves. 

 

According to Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik, a teacher is someone who is focused more on themselves and their ability to deliver knowledge to their students whereas a learning facilitator is someone who is focused on the learner and the ability to develop an environment for the learner to make meaningful connections and acquire knowledge (Harapnuik, 2021). It is because of this that I too would rather consider myself a learning facilitator than a teacher. Putting it into this perspective opened my eyes to the difference between the two. As educators, we do not wish to make students “better at school”, but rather improve their problem-solving and critical thinking skills and increase their literacy, in other words, our goal is to exponentially expand the learner’s knowledge. Below you can read my learning philosophy. This is not to be confused with my teaching philosophy, which is an extension of a learning philosophy (Harapnuik, n.d.). A learning philosophy includes my beliefs about what I value for the best learning environment and how I view the optimal learning methods for the learner, including myself, to gain meaningful connections and ultimately knowledge. A teaching philosophy is an extension of this in that it includes the pedagogical methods I believe are ideal for teaching my students, including but not limited to classroom management practices. 

 

Needs of My Learners

 

I am currently a “learning facilitator” to two classes full of fourth-graders. They started their school journey out with the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused them some difficulty as to how they learn and they are still showing signs of the critical gaps that were acquired having gone through that. Although they have had a few years to recover since then, we are still seeing many students who have not yet bridged those gaps for various reasons. Many of these students lack the independence and problem-solving skills needed to catch up to where they need to be. This is causing them to be even further behind because time does not stop. Being that we have a strict timeline to follow due to state testing, these students are being left behind. This is why I believe that students must develop the independence and ability to problem-solve through authentic learning. We have seen firsthand the repercussions of these lacking abilities. This brings me to my next topic which is learning theories and why I lean towards the constructivist and connectivism theories when creating a learning environment. 

 

A Constructivist Cocktail Environment

 

An understanding of learning theories is “essential for all educators to be their most effective instructors in the classroom” (Fairbanks, 2021). According to Pamela Roggeman, EdD, dean of the University of Phoenix’s College of Education, 

 

"Just as no two people are the same, no two students learn in the exact the same way or at the same rate. Effective educators need to be able to pivot and craft instruction that meets the needs of the individual student to address the needs of the ‘whole child.’ Sound knowledge in multiple learning theories is a first step to this and another reason why great teachers work their entire careers to master both the art and the science of teaching." (Fairbanks, 2021). 

 

I tend to lean towards the constructivist learning theory mixed with a bit of connectivism. I believe that to create the best learning environment educators should not limit themselves to one learning theory. We can create an environment that incorporates as many learning theories as we need because not just one is correct and, being all students are unique, they require different processes for learning. All of the learning theories have different key elements that I identify with. However, the two that I identify with the most are constructivism and connectivism. The two theories are similar but different. “Connectivism is treated as a separate theory, although in some points it is based on constructivism.” (Mattar, 2018) 

 

Jean Piaget developed the constructivism learning theory. He was considered the “father of the constructivist view of learning” (Minnesota State University, n.d). Constructivism centers on learning that are achieved through meaningful connections and experience. Followers of this learning theory believe that both individual and environmental factors are important to learning. “It is the specific interaction between these two variables that creates knowledge” (Minnesota State University, n.d). The reason I believe in the constructivist learning theory is that students learn best through experience and hands-on learning. The drill-and-kill methods of learning do not work and have been proven to be ineffective. By allowing students to learn through their own building of knowledge, they can truly understand their learning and make meaning of it. 

 

Connectivism is a fairly new learning theory. It “is a learning theory associated with the digital era.” (Jirasatjanukul & Jeerungsuwan, 2018) The premise of this theory was developed by two theorists, George Siemens and Stephen Downes, in 2005. They created this theory with the idea that technology has impacted how we receive knowledge (Pappas, 2023). Since the pandemic this is even more true. Students and educators alike have become reliant on technology to attain the information we need. We live in a time where we are constantly connected to limitless information. 

 

“Connectivism or distributed learning is then proposed as an adequate theory for a digital age, when action is needed without personal learning, using information outside our primary knowledge.” (Mattar, 2018)

 

The connectivism learning theory promotes the use of collaboration, which is also a key element in the constructivism learning theory.  Learners learn best when collaborating with their peers to build on their knowledge. This allows me to be a learning facilitator rather than a teacher who just delivers information without learners making meaningful connections. Those meaningful connections are critical to student learning. 

 

While researching the connectivism and constructivism theories I gathered that many other educators and learners also lean towards both theories in education. This is because they are both very similar with just a mild difference. Connectivism just seems to be a more 21st-century approach to the constructivism theory being that it takes into account the limitless knowledge available to us through technological advances. The primary difference between the two theories “lies in the central role of relationships and networks in connectivism. Rather than supplemental, they are primary sources” (Heick, 2017) In other words, connectivism is constructivism with technology, a 21st-century constructivist learning theory.

 

“Learning is no longer a process that is entirely under the control of the individual, an internal, individualistic activity: it is also outside ourselves, within other people, an organization or a database, and these external connections which potentiate what we can learn are more important than our current state of knowing”. (Mattar, 2018)

 

A Lifelong Learner

 

It may come as no surprise to many who know me, that I am a lifelong learner. I am someone who is consistently looking to increase my knowledge. I find that we can never have enough knowledge and there is always room for growth. Many of my family members and friends have joked with me that I am a “professional college student”. This is why I value the education system and take an interest in the best learning practices for my students as well as myself. I want to give them the same love for learning as I have. I am a hands-on learner and learn best through the constructivism and connectivism learning theories. For example, just the other day my washing machine quit working when I got home from work. Being that I am a woman with no prior knowledge of appliance repair, I went straight to online forums and videos. I quickly gathered the information I needed to get the job done. I followed the recommendations that were shown and managed to effectively fix the washing machine. I now know the different parts of a washing machine and how they work. I also learned that my particular brand of washing machine has a drain pump relay that gets stuck often. My washer has never worked better! The information available to us in the 21st century is endless and has limitless possibilities. We no longer are constrained to textbooks and libraries. We can also collaborate with individuals from around the world with expertise in everything under-the-sun. This makes it accessible to gain knowledge from others that we would not otherwise have the opportunity to learn from, not to mention convenience.

 

I firmly believe that the reason for all of my learning struggles as a child were due to the learning theories and models that my teachers used. Back in the 90’s and early 2000 educators did not seem to know as much about the best practices for student learning. This is not to say that they were not good teachers. They were just doing what they were taught was best. However, the rote memorization and sit-and-get lessons did nothing for me but make me feel as though I was not smart and make me frustrated with my learning. These feelings made me even more behind as I gave up on myself in a sense. If I would have had the opportunities that learners have today I believe I would have flourished. It was not until my college years that I soared and finally developed a passion for learning. This is in part to the constructivism and connectivism learning theories that my professors put into motion for me. 

 

Annotated Bibliography

Fairbanks, B. (2021, September 9). 5 Educational Learning Theories and How to Apply Them | UOPX. Retrieved October 27, 2023, from University of Phoenix website: https://www.phoenix.edu/blog/educational-learning-theories.html#:~:text=There%20are%20five%20primary%20educational

 

In this article, Fairbanks explains the five main learning theories and three other additional theories. Fairbanks also describes why it is important for educators to develop an understanding of effective learning theories. He also informs educators on how they can apply these learning theories in their classroom instruction. This article is very informative for those who are not yet enlightened on the topic of learning theories in general. 

 

Harapnuik, D. (2021, November). Learning Philosophy. Retrieved October 29, 2023, from Harapnuik.org website: https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=95

 

In this article, Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik informs readers of his learning philosophy. This is a great read for educators who have yet to develop their learning philosophy as Dr. Harapnuik’s is a prime example. He describes how certain combined fundamentals can be applied to form a holistic student-centered learning environment where students learn in an authentic learning environment. He also describes how he would rather consider himself a learning facilitator than a teacher due to a teacher is someone who just pours information onto the student whereas a learning facilitator is someone who facilitates learning but the student takes ownership and forms the knowledge on their own with peers. 

 

Harapnuik, D. (n.d.). Educational Development Philosophy. Retrieved 10 C.E., from Harapnuik.org website: https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=4639

 

Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik describes his educational development philosophy in this article, which is says is an extension of his learning philosophy. He goes into depth about how learners learn through experience. He also explains how he can effectively teach his students this because he models this learning in every setting that he instructs. He also dives into his instructional design process. This process is very well designed and organized which is basically what he is explaining that educators need to have in place for any new idea or learning tool to be effective. 

 

Jirasatjanukul, K., & Jeerungsuwan, N. (2018). The Design of an Instructional Model Based on Connectivism and Constructivism to Create Innovation in Real World Experience. International Education Studies, 11(3), 12. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v11n3p12

 

In this scholarly journal, Jirasatjanukul and Jeerungsuwan, research how connectivism and constructivism can work together to create real-world authentic learning experiences for learners. They review the research in great detail that proves when these two learning theories are combined research shows that it is effective in creating authentic learning. They also describe how learning is now formed from the outside world since humans are so connected with the technological advances of the 21st century. The researchers that were reviewed in this journal created an instructional model that was based on the connectivism and constructivism to prove that when combined these two theories provide the learner with authentic learning.  

 

Loveless, B. (2022, March 10). 15 Learning Theories in Education (A Complete Summary). Retrieved October 28, 2023, from Education Corner website: https://www.educationcorner.com/learning-theories-in-education/

 

In this article, Loveless describes all of the educational learning theories in great detail. He also explains how and by whom the learning theories were created. He effectively breaks down each of the learning theories and the top fifteen most influential theories in education. This article is also very well written and provides a plethora of information to any reader who has taken an interest in educational learning theories, what they entail, and how they started. 

 

Mattar, J. (2018). Constructivism and connectivism in education technology: Active, situated, authentic, experiential, and anchored learning. Constructivism and Connectivism in Education Technology: Active, Situated, Authentic, Experiential, and Anchored Learning, 21(2), 201. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.21.2.20055

 

In this scholarly article, Mattar researches how the constructivism learning theory can effectively encompass the technological advances of the 21st century to create an environment for authentic learning for students. He explains that he formed this review by searching and reviewing other scholarly journals and articles to form his position. He shows that constructivism can be framed to include the connectivism theory to create constructivist projects and other activities.