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All of the theorists and theories were new to me. I made my choices based on the fact that I was interested in learning new theories. I'd been exposed to Piaget, Dewey, and Vygotsky, all of whom I believe are equivalent to "canon" in he realm of education. Looking at my choices, I'm proud that I have a fairly decent spread of ideas and information as it relates to learning. Theories that go as far back as the late 19th century and up to now.

The biggest takeaway from all of this is how diverse theories of learning are. There are so many different ideas on how we should learn out there it can be overwhelming. Looking at these theories through the lens of the 21st century learning and teaching, I'd say that we live in a time where individualized learning has become extremely popular. Gestalt and Elaboration are both theories that definitely cater to this mentality, and I think that's the shift that happens between grade school and university level learning. Our learning goes from being a mostly community effort to a more individual effort once we reach a certain level of education.

Overall, these theories show the importance individuals and communities play in both teaching and learning. Thinking back to my vision, I want a more community based learning experience for my students, but also one that emphasizes an individual's approach to their own learning. I think these three theories support that, but I'm left trying to decide which I prefer more as a learner myself, and how that reflects on my decisions.

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Wertheimer is the founder of the Gestalt Theory of Learning. Born in Prague, and eventually moving to the United States, Wertheimer was a successful psychologist that became interested in our perceptions of moving objects after seeing a stroboscope while stopped at a train station. This would later result in the foundation of Gestalt theory

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Lave is an anthropologist that focused primarily in social theory. Lave, alongside another researcher,  Etienne Wenger, theorized that learning occurs in social settings or among a community of what are essentially likeminded individuals, or individuals who share commonalities.

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Professor emeritus at Indiana University, Reigeluth developed the instructional design model that took into account the "paradigm shift" from teacher-centered instruction to more learner-centered instruction. His model is the basis for the Elaboration Theory.

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Basically, the theory focuses on the big picture rather than the individual parts that make it up. This theory acknowledges that we all learn differently, and as a result, we all generally see things differently as well. For example, if you take a strobing light like Max Wertheimer had when he first thought of this theory, and attempt to perceive an image of it your, brain will fill in anything it thinks it sees. Another example, If you have half of a dotted outline of a star, your brain will automatically fill in the missing parts and see it as a whole rather than as a dotted outline. Furthermore, the theory also emphasizes that learning only takes place as students are able to comprehend a concept in its entirety, not as individual concepts that make up the concept.

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Situated Learning Theory is the theory that learning is "situated." This means that learning happens within "activity, context, and culture." This theory is related to Vygotsky's notion of learning through social development. Think of how a child learns to talk . By listening and interacting with the words and the parents, learning is occurring. Parents encourage the child to make sounds, and over time the child eventually learns words based off their interaction with those sounds, and the interaction with its parents. Over time, as the child interacts in this "community of practice" they become more and more skilled and proficient. This is the basis for Situated Learning Theory.

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The third theory on this list is more of a strategy than it is an actual theory. The theory states, instruction should be organized based off complexity in order to achieve the highest possible success at learning. The theory is broken into seven components:

1. Elaborative sequence

2. Learning Prerequisite sequences

3. Summar

4. Synthesis

5. Analogies

6. Cognitive Strategies

7. Learner Control

Other ways to think of this might be a scaffolded approach to learning. Starting with the basics and slowly building upon that knowledge until the goal or overall objective is met.

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This link is to a chart that compares learning theories.

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Useful breakdown of the four major theories of learning.

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Boeree, C. George. “Gestalt Psychology.” The Hippocratic Oath, webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/gestalt.html.

David L, "Gestalt Theory (von Ehrenfels)," in Learning Theories, February 11, 2015, https://www.learning-theories.com/gestalt-theory-von-ehrenfels.html.

David L, "Situated Learning Theory (Lave)," in Learning Theories, January 17, 2007, https://www.learning-theories.com/situated-learning-theory-lave.html.

David L, "Elaboration Theory (Reigeluth)," in Learning Theories, July 24, 2014, https://www.learning-theories.com/elaboration-theory-reigeluth.html.

Smith, M. K. (2003, 2009) ‘Jean Lave, Etienne Wenger and communities of practice’, the encyclopedia of informal education, www.infed.org/biblio/communities_of_practice.htm.