It has only been one week into this course and I can say that it’s been a pretty substantial one. Although I was glad to meet my classmates for this subject, I have to admit that their age and competency left me in awe. Their insights on the first module were indeed remarkable and significant. My intimidation only turned into appreciation when I thought I could understood the lesson better through their discussions in the fora. They articulated well what I could not completely grasp about the materials given.
This led me to a realization that learning also has its social aspects. It was through Barangay Adhikain that I better understood how change is a result of either experience or maturation, and that learning is characterized by change, consequence of experience, and endurance.
Because of my personal reflection about the social nature of learning, I became intrigued with the social constructivist orientation to the concept. Here, the emphasis is on the collaborative characteristic of education as well as cultural and social contexts. This theory also considers that “all cognitive functions are believed to be products of social interactions” (UCD, n.d.).
Amazing how I’m applying this theory in my own experience with Barangay Adhikain, right? I was able to comprehend the definitions of learning and answer the questions properly through interactions with my classmates.
This only proves how both theory and experience are vital in learning. You don’t have to choose between either of the two because they complement each other to broaden your knowledge. A theory-based approach can help explain issues by providing a perspective to a certain situation.
I’m still new to this concept as EDS103 is the first major subject I’ve enrolled in my program. I am yet to expand my knowledge about learning itself.
Sources:
UCD. (n.d.). Education Theory. Retrieved from
http://www.ucdoer.ie/index.php/Education_Theory/Constructivism_and_Social_Constructivism
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