Rethinking Learning Theory

Although Chapter III of Bender’s book is called “Rethinking Learning Theory within the Online Class,” I found that many of the ideas discussed had strong relevance to teaching in any setting. Bender’s theories prompted me to rethink some of my current classroom teaching strategies, and also stimulated thoughts about applying these ideas when I eventually teach online.

One concept that truly resonated with me was related to the story about students who held onto incorrect information (about why it is warmer in summer than winter) despite being taught corrected information. The idea that in some cases prior learning facilitates learning while in other situations it blocks learning is compelling to me.

I teach nurse case managers who have many years of nursing experience and in some cases, many years of longevity working at my company. They tend to have preconceived notions about how things should be done. Thinking back on a series of recent in-services on new protocols and processes, I realize that the nurses’ prior assumptions about how things should be done may have detracted from the learning process.

Whether teaching online or in the classroom, it occurs to me that it is incredibly important to assess how the nurses think, and what their assumptions are, before I try to impart new knowledge. Thinking about how to accomplish this, I plan to increase the use of pretests, and scenario-based exercises that require student responses, at different points during a class, i.e., before I start the class, during the class, and afterward. I also plan to consciously ask more questions and elicit more participation to validate true understanding and learning of the material. Lastly, I intend to be more conscious of this issue during future trainings and continue to think about strategies that might capitalize on learners’ past knowledge while simultaneously ensuring that past knowledge does not impede current learning