So, I read The AECT Legends and Legacies Project article, and I am impressed by the work Virginia Tech is completing to reserve important work for the present and future researchers in the Instructional Design field. However, I feel some people don't know how beneficial the Archives Department/Section is for research purposes. Storing and transferring all that work can be very tedious and time-consuming. Also, it takes the right team to incorporate the material in various viewing formats. I work at a library, and we have a substantial regional archive department, and the acting archivist gets requests from researchers all over the world, and even students are doing research. I was shocked when he spoke to me about the requests and how valuable the information was for the researchers to complete their project. He even got requests from students to visit the archive department because we offered the information they were seeking. So, I might have to check out that website and browse around.
It always amazes me that learners learn in various ways; some learn by observing, reading, social interactions, and personal experiences. Each theory has many vast, comprehensive ideas that can be applied to the development of all learners in one way or another. Learning happens from educators, family, friends and everyday life experiences.
Upon reading The AECT HistoryMakers Project, I learned that HISTORY is critical to preserve. I feel that without online videos, recording, and print materials saved, then we wouldn't be able to get the research we need to learn more educational technology or simply anything in reference to the instructional design and technology field. I genuinely like that they keep the interview questions standard because it is easy to narrow down the answers one may need when doing a paper on educational technology. I know this might seem odd, but I would love to attend one of the AECT conferences one day because it will be beneficial to see what happens, and I can see great friendships developing from the interactions with the guests.
Lockee, B., & Song, K. (2016). The AECT Legends and Legacies Project. TechTrends, 60(2), 107-109.
Video Lecture Supplement: Curt Bonk on Constructivism, Social Constructivism, Learner-Centered Instruction, and PBL. Archive URL (41 minutes): https://youtu.be/qJKofs2PuBU
Lockee, B. B., Song, K., & Li, W. (2014, September-October). The AECT HistoryMakers Project: Conversations with leaders in educational technology. Educational Technology, 54(5), 42-45. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/44430305.pdf
It is amazing on all the different ways people can learn something new. What I fail to keep in mind is that some people with disabilities do not have a choice on how they learn whereas others do if there are different ways of delivery. In the workplace, it is important to take this into consideration. Although not all employees would have disabilities, it is important to take those with disabilities into consideration when designing instruction. I also like how you mentioned that one can learn from family, friends, and other experiences. It is amazing to think that online videos did not exist at one point in time and that recordings and print materials were the only source. Technology has…
Thank you for sharing your insights. As you said, The AECT Legends and Legacies Project is a great initiative to preserve interviews from recognized professionals at our fingertips. Maybe this will be another alternative for researchers who prefer to listen to the speakers and connect visually. There are different types of learners, and having a variety of activities in classes could provide additional opportunities for each of the different kinds of students. Hopefully, more educational institutions and educators will continue keeping in mind the different learning styles when using more technology in the classroom. - Claudio Eduardo