Information Processing Theory

This blogging thing is going to take some getting used to again. I haven't consistently written about a life experience since my Adventure in Afghanistan circa 2010-2011. But I digress.

Over the last week or so, I have taken a cursory dive into ID topics such as the brain and learning, information processing theory, and problem-solving methods during the learning process. Today's blog post discusses two items I found while evaluating and identifying online resources for continued growth and development as an IDer.

What is Information Processing Theory?

The post is a succinct description of the origins and semantics of Information Processing Theory. Very helpful if you don't have the time to study the Wikipedia page. What I like most is that the author provides examples and relevancy on the topic. The target audience is white collar companies, but everyone benefits from the blog post.

Information Processing By Dr. Saul McLeod

To bring emphasis to this blog further, I deliberately sought another perspective on Information Processing. This gem by Dr. McLeod (2008) fit the narrative quite well. Where the above link is from someone active in instructional design, the good doctor discusses from an academic perspective the theory of information processing and its criticisms.

Both of these are valid, worthwhile resources. The wiki page is not that long, but the content formatting on these is easier to digest.

As instructional designers, knowing and understanding how learners learn is paramount to our continued success. An unfettered thought, but I imagine IDers working with manufacturing firms spend much time creating content that involves learning by doing. It makes sense in my head, but I've only just started school for ID back in May, so there's that.

References

Lawless, C. (2022, April 25). What is Information Processing Theory?: Using it in Your Corporate Training. LearnUpon. https://www.learnupon.com/blog/what-is-information-processing-theory/

Mcleod, S. (2008). Information Processing | Simply Psychology. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/information-processing.html

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reflection

What did you find surprising or striking as you further your knowledge about how people learn?  Before attending this course, I cannot say I had a working knowledge of learning styles and theories. Nor did I understand the interconnections of learning. This course opened my eyes to many concepts and discussions I did not know existed. Now that I have an adequate framework to further my knowledge and skill in Instructional Design, I look forward to building on these new skills with future projects. Additionally, I did not realize how learning theory affected the presentation of course material—the different learning styles found in most classrooms. This course helped me recognize the complexity of the learning process and how it differs for others.   How has this course deepened your understanding of your learning process?  This course helped me identify and understand which learning styles I prefer, which learning theories resonate best, and strategies to cultivate motivation t
Read more

Fitting the Pieces Together

Over the last 8 weeks or so I have had the opportunity to critically evaluate what learning means to me. Admittedly, I had a preconceived notion of what the practice entails, but it is so much more than I could have ever realized. I am a guy who is good at following directions or guiding others to the same. Specifically, I learn best when given written or audiovisual instructions. However, the readings in this course quickly showed why and how some students did better or worse than I in my formative years. I was amazed and eager to learn that there were different theories on how one best learns new information. As I continued to learn about the different theories it allowed me to look further into how I learn and why I want to learn. Moreover, the material we covered re-validated my perception that there is a time , a place , and a tool for every occasion. Now that I have this understanding of who I am as a learner, I can harness that bias towards educating myself further on the oth
Read more

Connectivism

Image
  If you have never taken the time to look at how you learn, now is as good a time as any. This week's assignment was to review the theory of connectivism, and how learners use their resources to learn. After creating my network, I realized that I am most comfortable taking in knowledge from all around me, even if it gets overwhelming at times. My family set the baseline for my knowledge pursuits, and life molded my intentions and interests along the way. My travels in the Navy allowed me to reframe my perspective on life. As a result, I have grown eager to share the wealth of resources and knowledge I accumulated over the past 37 years. Technology has allowed me to connect with other likeminded peers around the world who enjoy giving back to humanity. As technology becomes ever-increasingly abundant in our lives, the innate power of the World Wide Web allows me to delve into any curiosity that piques my interest. This includes wanting to go back to school to get this degree. I&#
Read more