1). Epistemology is a branch of philosophy addressing
knowledge-how we know. What it means to know. Postmodern critique challenges
stories and assumptions underlying out theories, ideas, and practices (Reiser
& Dempsey 2002). Epistemology is the theory
of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope.
Epistemology is the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from
opinion.
Instructional methods are ways that
information is presented to students. Such methods fall into two categories: teacher-centered approaches
and student- centered approaches. There
is not one "best" approach to instruction. Some goals are better
suited to teacher-centered approaches while others clearly need
student-centered approaches. Teacher-centered
approaches include instruction where the teacher's role is to
present the information that is to be learned and to direct the learning
process of students. The teacher identifies the lesson objectives and takes the
primary responsibility for guiding the instruction by explanation of the
information and modeling. This is followed by student practice. Methods that
fall into the teacher-centered approaches include demonstration, direct
instruction, lecture and lecture-discussions (O’Bannon 2012).
A theory is a supposition
or a system of ideas intended to explain something, especially one based on
general principles independent of the thing to be explained. Learning theories are conceptual
frameworks describing how information is absorbed, processed, and retained
during learning. According
to Reiser & Demspsey(2002) Gagne was primarily concerned with instruction
and how what is known about learning can be systematically related to the
design of instruction. He proposed an integrated and comprehensive theory of
instruction that is based primarily on two foundations: cognitive information
processing theory and Gagne’s own observations of effective teachers in the
classroom.
According to Reiser
& Demspsey(2002) there are five major categories of learning. The five
major categories are:
1.
Verbal information,
knowing “that” or “what”
2.
Intellectual skills,
applying knowledge
3.
Cognitive strategies,
employing effective ways of learning and thinking
4.
Attitudes,
feelings, and beliefs that govern choices of personal action
5.
Motor skills,
executing precise, smooth and accurately timed movements
2). There are three contrasting epistemic
stances: positivist, relativist, and contextualist. Positivists believe that
the only truth or knowledge is objective truth. Positivism is a philosophical
theory stating that positive knowledge is based on natural phenomena and their
properties and relations. Thus, information derived from sensory experience,
interpreted through reason and logic, forms the exclusive source of all
authoritative knowledge (Wiki, Positivism 2016). Relativists
don’t believe that objective truth is possible and that all knowledge is
subjective to perception or relative to a particular frame of reference.
Relativism is the concept that points
of view have no absolute truth or validity within themselves, but rather only
relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and
consideration (Wiki, Relativism 2016). Contextualists
believe that truth or knowledge is relative to context rather than individual,
subjective understanding. In epistemology, contextualism is the treatment of the word
'knows' as context-sensitive. Context-sensitive expressions are ones that
"express different propositions relative to different contexts of use
(Wiki, Contextualism 2016).
I
believe that my stance would be primarily closer to positivism. Positivism is
information derived
from sensory experience, interpreted through reason and logic, forms the
exclusive source of all authoritative knowledge. Students have to have reason
and logic when they are learning. Knowledge is facts, information, and skills
acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical
understanding of a subject. With knowledge comes reason and logic which is all a
part of the learning process. I can’t recall any conflicts that I have had with
any of the above stances.
3).
Constructivism sees learning as a process of construction or making something. Constructivism
says that people learn by making sense of the world, they make meaning out of
what they encounter. Constructivism is centering instruction around a key
statement of problem, prompting team-based inquiry and problem solving process
(Reiser &
Demspsey2002). Behaviorist researchers argued that problem solving was a reproductive process;
that is, organisms faced with a problem applied behavior that had been
successful on a previous occasion. Successful behavior was itself believed to
have been arrived at through a process of trial-and-error.
Both of these
help learner motivation because learners use different technique and ways to
solve problems. Problem solving is the process of finding solutions to
difficult or complex issues. Solving problems is a process of thinking and
doing. Learners have to learn skills help find solutions to problems.
Reference:
O’Bannon,
B. (2012). Planning for Instruction:
Instructional Method. Retrieved from http://edtech2.tennessee.edu/projects/bobannon/in_strategies.html
Reiser , R. A. & Dempsey, J. V. (2002). Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology. Upper
Saddle River, N.J.: Merrill/Prentice Hall, c2002
Wikipedia. (2016). Positivism. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positivism
Great explanation on theories! Your post has a nice flow. This was a lot of information for me to digest this week. I really struggled with it. Your right by saying there is not one best approach to instruction. It all depends on what you're teaching. I teach first grade and some of my lessons are teacher-centered and some are student centered.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you said in the first question, “there's not one ‘best’ approach to instruction”. The classroom has a place for both teacher-centered instruction and learner-centered instruction. You need teacher-centered instruction to help with things such as direct teach. However, you need learner-centered instruction in order for students to be successful in things such as independent practice. In chapter 8 of our textbook it says learners “play a larger role in directing their own learning” if instruction is learner-centered (Reiser, 2012, p. 77). As long as we keep the student in mind, whether we're teaching in a teacher-centered approach or in a learner-centered approach, our students will be successful.
ReplyDeleteMy stance is also positivism. I need to have logic and reason in order to problem solve. However, when teaching I tend to lean more towards a relativism approach because a reader can read a piece of literature in so many ways.
Reiser, R. A., & Dempsey, J. V. (Eds.). (2012). Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
I really like your approach to this weeks reading, I really enjoyed looking at the different theories and methods this week. I do have to disagree with you on the issue between student centered and teacher centered learning. I do not think that it is based on the students that you teach, but rather on the subject. Some subjects the method in presenting the information is lecture because that is how the students will get the important information. Once the important information is presented then the lesson can be student centered.
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