Section 2: Theories & Models of Learning & Instruction

1.  Reflect on whether your stance is primarily positivist, relativist, or contextualist. Then, identify an instance when your perspective or stance as a learner conflicted with that of your instructor. Describe the conflict that you experienced and analyze whether opposing epistemic stances may have been at the heart of the conflict. How was the situation resolved by you (effectively or ineffectively), and what could/can be done?

I really had to research the three contrasting epistemic stances.  I didn’t find a lot in the actual assigned reading so I’m hoping what I researched addresses the question.  The information above was also very helpful.  I feel like Positivist leans too far in the direction of strict fact with little or no influence from personal belief.  While relativist leans too far in the other direct of there being only what something means to you personally and not any part hard facts.  Contextualist is more where I would consider myself.  There seems to be a happy middle ground there where facts are known and things are also open for interpretation based on prior knowledge and beliefs.  I can’t think of a time when a teachers epistemic stance effected their teaching in such a way that it caused a conflict.  I have had several very opinionated teachers but not any that forced their views or style on to the class.  

2.  Various theories/models of learning and instruction are discussed in multiple chapters in this section. Which theories/models of learning or instruction are the primary one(s) you apply to your teaching or you can relate the best, and why? Then, please pick one project or instructional unit (briefly describe title, target audience, and learning goals/objectives) where your designing/teaching or learning was most successful (or less than successful), and describe which theory/model or principle(s) from these chapters can be applied to improve design/teaching or learning. 

I would consider myself to have a Constructivist way of teaching.  I love the way the book states, “…learning is more a matter of going from the inside out. The learner actively imposes organization and meaning on the surrounding environment and constructs knowledge in the process.”  I complete agree that in order for something to be learned students HAVE to connect it to something meaningful or to prior knowledge.  I love seeing students eyes light up when that connection is finally made.

I created a lesson where students were asked to create book trailers after reading a self selected text.  Students would use previously learned text features to describe the story and would present the information in a way that made it personal to them.  Students then presented them to the class to showcase all that they learned about the book but in a way that’s much more exciting a relatable than a basic book report.    

Reiser, Robert V.; Dempsey, John V.. Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (3rd Edition) (Page 40). Pearson HE, Inc.. Kindle Edition.