As an experienced instructional designer my teaching philosophy is influenced by the importance of organization and structure. That is, I believe that instruction needs to be organized in a manner to help guide students and allow them to organize their own learning. This aspect of my instructional philosophy would most aptly be attributed to David Ausubel (Ausubel, 1960) and his emphasis on the use of advanced organizers.
Other aspects of my teaching philosophy are predicated on two simple ideas: motivation and application. While these two concepts seem to be distinct, I believe they are quite closely related. When students appreciate the application of what is being learned, there is an intrinsic motivation to apply it, and learn more. This belief could be attributed to John Dewey’s concept of progressive education where it is believed we learn by doing (Dewey, 1986). Similarly, it could be viewed as the underlying theme in Merrill’s first principles (Merrill, 2015) of instruction that emphasize prior learning, relevance and application.
An important part of my teaching philosophy also includes the use of technology, and the mechanism of delivery. I believe that technology is a vehicle to assist in the delivery of learning materials, as well as a mechanism to enrich learning experiences. In this regard I adhere to the design principles derived from cognitive load theory, recognizing that technology enabled learning does not provide the same experience for all learners. Prudent use of technology and instructional strategy will help enrich the learning experience and produce more meaningful learning outcomes. However, my belief is that the next innovation in higher education will not come in the form of a technological innovation. Rather, it will come in the design of programs the help to solve a global problem or issue (Johnson et al., 2016).
My teaching experience is broad and diverse. I have taught students from elementary school to graduate school. My most recent experience has been teaching graduate students in the faculty of education at the University of Calgary. I have enjoyed my teaching experience at all levels, but I believe I have been more effective in smaller group teaching where I am able to work with and collaborate with students. Much of this experience has been working with undergraduate students and graduate students working on honors projects and thesis projects.
My educational experience would aptly be described as interdisciplinary. My doctoral research was a mix between neurophysiology, clinical anatomy and the learning sciences. I have been able to work well with various disciplines to accomplish the completion of my doctoral dissertation. Within my professional life I have been able to continue interdisciplinary collaboration to achieve work goals. My hope is that I will learn more about the development of interdisciplinary programs as I believe these programs will result in creative problem solving and critical thinking necessary to solve global issues.
Ausubel, D. P. (1960). The use of advance organizers in the learning and retention of meaningful verbal material. Journal of Educational Psychology, 51(5), 267.
Dewey, J. (1986). Experience and education. Paper presented at the The Educational Forum.
Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Estrada, V., Freeman, A., & Hall, C. (2016). NMC Horizon Report: 2016 Higher Education Edition.
Merrill, M. D. (2015). A Pebble‐in‐the‐Pond Model For Instructional Design. Performance Improvement, 54(1), 42-48.