Social Aspects of Learning
Using people other than teachers and students is a great way to make the learning more effective. While a great deal of learning happens in school, the reason that students participate so much is often the imposed will of parents on their children. Grading would be less effective if there was no corresponding outside reinforcement or punishment. Parents who are active learners tend to be positive models for their children.
Society also causes learners to keep learning. Humans are knowledge-based animals. There are some things that you must know to survive. Often times, survival is not dependent on knowledge of long division, or geography. Society just demands you know certain things, or you will be teased about it for the rest of your life.
The society of a classroom presents another aspect to learning. Students tend to compete with other students for higher achievement. If the teacher is lucky, students will see learning as a way to become socially accepted. Failure in peer competition can lead to students feeling inadequate. If learned helplessness sets in, it becomes much more difficult for the student to learn. In addition, the teacher's role becomes more difficult as well. [ Back to the top | Next topic ]
Personal Aspects of Learning
Learning is best when the subject has meaning to the student. Attaching meaning to something previously undefined, is my personal definition of learning. The most impersonal way that learning can take place is through observation. Every time something is observed, it can be learned from. By noticing differences or similarities to prior knowledge, students can define the world around them.
Investigation of unknowns is another fundamental way of learning. It is the next step towards a more personal learning. By seeking out desirable information, the learner is most visibly active. Curiosity driven learning often involves investigating why something observed has its visible properties. Investigation can also take place on a more abstract scale by asking questions based on prior knowledge. It is a process of learning that lets the learner find what they are looking for.
Adaptation is the most internal learning, although it often the most visibly inactive. When a learner is determining definitions of unknowns by thinking through them, they develop their own learning. Like investigation, adaptation draws on prior knowledge. It is a process of drawing conclusions, refining skills, and creating new skills to suit a given situation. Adaptation is a good sign of higher learning. When a learner has the ability to draw conclusions based solely on internal resources, they define the world completely in their own terms. [ Back to the top | Next Page]
This page was constructed by Peter Macedo, last modified on December 14, 1997.
If you have any comments please contact me: [email protected].
