Rachel completed a synthesis project on mobile/personal learning. She found that incorporating her strong visual learning preferences into class helped her learn, such as using YouTube videos. She was successful using her iPad and iPod to study with flashcards and listen to lectures. Student response systems and microblogs also aided her learning. Going forward, she will continue using her iPhone, iPod, and YouTube for convenient mobile learning and apply multiple learning strategies.
2. Learning
Preferences
At the beginning of the class I scored a 1-3 of all the scales except for
visual and verbal where I scored a 9 for visual. My thinking about my
learning preferences has not really changed at the end of the
semester. I just now know different ways I can incorporate my
preferences into my different classes. My thinking about learning
preferences overall has changed. I just see so many different ways
that professors can teach their classes using different technologies so
that all their students can learn the material. Yes knowing about
learning preferences makes a difference in personal learning success.
Rachel Young
3. Learning Pathway
The learning pathway I selected was learning Warrior. I was very
much successful in getting a broader knowledge of mobile/personal
learning. This semester I was in class where the professor only used
power points to explain the material. The professor moved very
quickly and it was hard to visualize the processes she was explaining.
I was not learning in this class. Then I remembered I could use a
source like Youtube to understand the material better. I watched
videos that broke down everything and would draw/write all the
material as the instructor went. It helped me, as a visual learner, see
all the different steps. I may not have looked at Youtube as anything
more than a site to watch funny videos if it were not for this class. I
never changed my pathway as being a learning Warrior was the best
fit for me throughout the entire semester.
Rachel Young
4. Learning Activities
The activities that helped me get a deeper sense of mobile/personal
learning were the quizzes. They really challenged me to apply my
knowledge that I had learned from this class. It is hard for me to go
through power points and really retain the information that I was
reading. The quizzes were a great way to see how much of the
information I had actually learned so those were definitely the most
helpful.
Rachel Young
5. iPads & Tablets
A technology quest I used for my own learning was my iPad & tablets.
I downloaded a flashcard app called Flashcardlet to help me study for
my organic chemistry class. It was a great app that I would have not
known about if it were not for this class. It helps with my visual
learning preferences as I can add pictures to the cards as well as see
everything laid out. Another great aspect was that it has flashcards
that are already made to download, so you can see how other people
write their flashcards and learn.
Rachel Young
6. iPods & MP3
Players
Another technology quest that I used for my learning was my iPod &
mp3 players. I put the recorded lecture from my organic chemistry
class on my iPod. That way I could take my studying on the go along
with my notes though. It was great to have a way to listen to the
lecture over again while following along with my notes. Although I
prefer visual learning it was great to have the drawings I had in my
notes explained again. I have learned in this class that uses a variety
of different things really helps the best and I would have never though
of putting the lectures on my iPod before.
Rachel Young
7. Student Response
System
In my biology class this semester, we were to use student response
systems as we went along each lecture and answer questions that
pertained to what we were learning that day. The great thing about it
was after the question was answered we were able to immediately
see whether or not our answer was correct. Then we see the
distribution of the class’ answer. It shows where you stand in the
class, maybe you need to study more because everyone else got the
answer right or maybe you are right on track. It is active learning in a
sense except maybe you are not directly interacting with your peers.
Rachel Young
8. What’s so
interesting?
The mobile/personal learning tools that interested my the most as
learning tools were iPods and smart phones. These interested me
because I always have these two things with me no matter where I
am going. It is really easy to make excuses to not study but finding
ways to study/learn with these two things definitely help. The learning
tool that surprised me the most definitely has to be microblogs. I had
no idea that something I am on all the time, tumblr, could help me in
school when it usually just distracts me from my work. The learning
tools that did not seem to work was texting. It is just something that I
would never find convenient or helpful to my learning. The tool that I
want to explore farther would definitely be microblogs. I just want to
find new and different ways that would be beneficial to my learning
through microblogs. I would like to do this because it is a great way to
see how people all over the world perceive different information.
Rachel Young
9. What works best?
The best thing for me and my learning preference once again is
YouTube. It just provides short, simple, and free explanations of
concepts I am not understanding in class. It is the whole thing the
visual part to watching videos of how something works but as well as
having the added effect of audio. It is perfect for me and helps me ace
my tests in a few of my classes. It provides a different perspective of
information given to be in class which is also important to me.
Rachel Young
10. Learning Strategies?
The learning strategy that I will use after this class is probably just a
combination of all of them. I will want to start off with my first learning
preference which is of course visual. Then try to learn the same thing
another way. I have realized, from this class, that is important to try
different and new learning strategies even when it differs from what
you prefer or what you are used to. It can be used at a job just by
showing flexibility and knowing different ways to do the same task is
always valuable.
Rachel Young
11. What’s next?
After this class I will continue to use my iPhone, iPod, and YouTube to
continue learning. The convenience of all of these and the helpfulness
is why I will continue to use all of them. I never knew how many
different learning apps were in the App Store, this will probably be
how I teach myself Spanish over the summer. On the other hand, I will
continue to use these three things for non learning purposes as well.
There is nothing from the mobile learning that I would necessarily
avoid altogether. The only thing is I would never use texting for
learning.
Rachel Young
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