Online discussion topic 1 – responses

Some of the responses to my post:

I think that virtual reality merely allows people to transcend the rules, laws and constraints of our physical work. We are based in the physical world, like you stated “Truth is Truth and reality is reality”, but VR allows us to suspend those realities and explore and learn without those limitations that may be placed on us. Many years ago I went to a VR conference. On company was working on a system where they would take people with a fear of heights and with a helmet and a controller and would have them walk across a bridge to a bar or something. I tried it out, and I tell you even though it was very crude computer generated graphics it felt very real. When your visualand auditory were controlled by the helmet, it felt very real. In my mind I knew it, but my body and senses told me something way different.

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The part of your learning definition in regards to demonstrating performance when needed is key. As other theorists expect a somewhat immediate response. Intelligence levels and comparisons among earthly species is difficult to measure. Your analogy on “context” is good, context provides focus. I believe the social environment (cultures) plays a very important role in learning philosophies, countless variables, such as religion and government affect philosophies.

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As  I look at the learning in this class, I want one end result.  I want to be able to become an ID professional who creates materials for other businesses, schools, organizations.

So, do you think since we are following the ADDIE process, that different groups may have differing philosophies?  That as we are analyzing the group we will be working with, that we should see if they are constructivist, interpretivist, or behaviorist?  Will their philosophy of life determine our approach to the ID process?  Is this context specific or do we as ID professionals try to go with one theory of learning?  Or are we like chameleons when we actually find employment?

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I like the analogy that you used about truth being like the earth.  How we view the Earth depends on where we are.  If we are at the surface we see it very different then if we are in the space shuttle orbiting it.  Either way, we only see part of the Earth.  The earth is the truth in this analogy.  I would like to add a little bit to that.  I see it this way.  There is only one truth.  It never changes.  Each of us, have different experiences in life, and therefore see things differently.  To me how we see and interpret the truth is our reality.  Everyone therefore can have their own different reality because of the way that they see the truth.  Learning to me is the gaining of knowledge to help us understand the reality around us, and come closer to the truth.

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Someone else’s post and my response:
I totally agree with you that learning happens intentially and unintentially.  I teach computer classes, and one of the things that I find, is that students come into class with a lot of knowledge.  Where does that knowlege come from?  Is it unitential learning from playing on the computer or the internet?  I still am not totally sure that I understand exactly what unitential learning is.  When a student plays a game on the computer and learns something, is that intential or unintential learning.  No one directly was there teaching them, the learning came about by the game play.  I will have to think more about this one a little more.

My response:

I think it’s probably a little of both. In order to move forward in a typical game, there are things that need to be learned and most players will intentionally do that if they have to. They are motivated by the desire to level up (or get more gear or whatever). This type of learning, I think, is situated learning, as it is surrounded by context. An example of non situated learning might be learning a list of vocabulary words for a test with little or no context, like words from a book being read. To stick with the game idea, an example of non situated learning might be to memorize aspects of characters or  their gear (thinking WoW) before picking up the mouse.

I still think there will also be things learned without conscious effort (unintentionally) during the game play. For example, in Second Life, you may learn to hold your PageUp key down when you want to fly because you’ve experienced that tapping the PageUp key makes you jump, not fly. This is still situated learning of course, but it’s not something you looked up or made a specific effort to learn.

To jump up on the soapbox for a sec, this situated learning and motivation is a big part of why games are being incorporated into education more and more.