Learning Sciences

I think learning covers a wide range of activities and behavior. It can be as simple as memorizing or acquiring knowledge or as complex as gaining a greater understanding and empathy for another person or situation. An example of this is when I was a teenager, my sister and I liked to cook for fun. We usually made cakes and desserts or whatever we felt like making. We thought we know how to cook. When you get married and have a household to be responsible for, you learn what cooking really is. It's not just about making desserts and the fun stuff, it's about having good meals every day. In addition, it's a good thing if they are nutritious!

Here are my personal definitions of the following terms.  I feel that the definitions are fairly basic and traditional.

Technology:  The use of tools (i.e. materials, resources, ideas) to further a purpose.

Instructional Technology:  The use of tools to help someone: 1-better understand a concept, or 2-become more skilled in a particular action.

Learning Sciences:  The study of: 1-how people become more proficient in performing a skill, or 2-how people increase their understanding of a concept.

I have worked in construction for many years and love to use the "traditional" tools like hammer and nails.  The more I use these, the more I can understand the abstract definition of technology.