What type of resources and support would you need to make the learning process effective for you?

Instructions

Create a 6–8-page description and justification of your ideal learning situation. Your ideal learning situation should incorporate learning theory terminology and concepts and be supported by learning theories.

How do you learn best? What types of resources and support would you need to make the learning process effective? The purpose of describing your ideal learning situation is to apply learning theory, evaluate the role of motivation, and be able to differentiate which components can be applied in a broader context.

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By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Evaluate the strengths, limitations, and applications of the foundational learning theories.
  • Justify which learning theory best supports a personal learning situation.
  • Differentiate between the components of the learning situation that are specific to the individual and those that are more broadly applicable.
• Competency 2: Evaluate the strengths, limitations, and applications of the learning sub-processes.
  • Apply learning theory terminology and concepts to describe a learning situation.
  • Evaluate the role of motivation in a learning situation.
• Competency 3: Apply evidence based research in learning theories to guide decision making and problem solving.
  • Evaluate how effective this learning situation would be with the previous case study and broader population.
• Competency 4: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for members of the psychological professions.
  • Write clearly and logically, with correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics; format paper, citations, and references using APA style.

Preparation

If you could suspend reality and create a perfect learning method for yourself, what would that look like? What type of resources and support would you need to make the learning process effective for you? In this assessment, you will describe your ideal learning situation.

Instructions

Start by identifying a skill or concept that you always wanted to learn.

• Which learning theory or theories best support how you would learn this topic?
• Reflecting on your past learning experiences, how you learn best, and what motivates you, describe the perfect situation for you to learn about your selected topic by using concepts and terminology consistent with the learning theories this course has explored.
• Compare this with the case study you chose for assessments 1 and 2.
  • Which components should be tailored to the specific learner?
  • Which components of your learning situation could be applied to a broader population?
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of your learning situation for the case study.
• After applying your personal learning situation to the case study, think about how the same components might be applied to the broader population you may encounter in your specialized field of psychology, supporting your viewpoint with learning theories.

Make sure to include the following in your assessment:

• Apply learning theory terminology and concepts to describe the learning situation.
• Justify which learning theory best supports the personal learning situation.
• Evaluate the role of motivation in this learning situation.
• Evaluate how effective this learning situation would be with the previous case study and broader population.
• Differentiate between the components of the learning situation that are specific to the individual and those are more broadly applicable.

Additional Requirements

• Length: 6–8 pages (not counting your title page or references), double-spaced, 12-point font.
• Number of references: Minimum of 10 references.
• Article distinctions: There are three different types of articles. Research articles present original research, review articles discuss research already presented elsewhere, and survey articles are comprehensive review articles that discuss an entire field or area of research. References to books are acceptable, but they should be kept to a minimum—probably no more than five.
• APA style: You must use proper APA style to cite and list your references. Refer to the Writing Center’s APA Style and Format guidelines (linked in the Suggested Resources) for more information.
• Format: Use the following structure:
  • Cover page (your name, your specialization or program, title and course number, current quarter and year, and instructor’s name).
  • Abstract (optional).
  • Body, including headings and subheadings over the appropriate content.
  • Reference list.
  • Refer to the APA Style and Format guidelines for additional formatting information.
• Style: Write in the third person as an impartial narrator. Avoid the use of I, we, or you. In particular, avoid phrases like “I think” in favor of phrases like “the evidence suggests” or “research indicates.” In science, personal opinion carries no weight unless supported by a combination of empirical research and statistical or logical-mathematical inference.
• Other notes: Avoid long quoted passages from your source texts. Your writing should be a synthesis of your own ideas, in your own words—even if your ideas refer to the original ideas of others, in which case the references should be explicit. Graduate level writing should be scholarly and more than a mere summary. It should present a unique thesis or at least a significant point you are trying to make, adding appreciably to what is already known of your topic. Your point or thesis will stand or fall solely on its strength—that is, the quality and quantity of the evidence you present.