The learning world is not flat

I have to say that the more that I learn about the various theories, the more skeptical that I become about all of them. To me, behaviorism, cognitivism, connectivism, and so on are not really theories about learning as much as approaches to instructing, teaching, or facilitating a classroom. I believe that an instructor can pick or choose which approach works depending on the topic, the audience, and the setting.

What appealed most to me in my readings this week, was Illeris' explanation of the 3 dimensions of learning. Even the term "dimensions" is important. Each student comes with his or her own history and social/economic background, emotional development (which is changeable even from class to class), and mental/cognitive capacities wholly dependent on an individual's education and experience. All of these elements create a dynamic in the group learning process which needs to be facilitated or led by the instructor. I find that it leads to an exciting classroom experience when I can learn from the experience and knowledge of my fellow students. His theory about what happens in the adult learning process rings most true to me. It takes into consideration the whole person rather than creating a structure around which to mold or define the learner.