Some of the classes offered in the first semester were not too heavily focused on higher education, but they still had some meaning and significance to me. This test taught me how to think very thoroughly. Dr. Wendi Chambers has always been good at challenging me to read, write, and analyze at a higher level. The topic on this test that had the most significance to me regaded Ausubel’s meaningful reception learning. This most appeals to me because he supported a deductive reasoning view by allowing the learner to learn material from general to specific information, as opposed to inductive reasoning which does the opposite. Specifically, I agree that knowledge is organized into hierarchies with the general concepts being higher on the list and easier to remember. Such as musical instruments being at the top, and then the next lower sections could be types of instruments such as brass, woodwind, etc.
What I also agree with are his three essential conditions that are required for meaningful learning to occur. The first is that the learner must not just rely on rote memorization. Therefore, they should employ a meaningful learning set and not just want to memorize information for the sake of getting a good grade on a test. The second is that the material to be learned must be potentially meaningful. This makes sense because the learner should have a reason to remember it. Third, the existing cognitive structure must be conductive to new learning. This means that their prior knowledge must be connected to the new information. This would certainly increase their chances of being able to memorize it.
This information is exceptionally useful to me because I want to help instruct GED classes for Adult Education. Finding unique ways to instruct and encourage students to care about learning is very important. This assignment, and course as a whole, has done a good job of informing me of different teaching methods and how people can learn. This is also important in other higher education setting because if I were an academic director hiring professors, I would want to see if they understand many of these principles to adequately instruct college students.
-ISAAK MENTOURI