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How do students learn?
 The great triumph
of Western intellectual history from the Enlightenment until the beginning of
the 20th century rested on its ability to organize the knowledge of the world in
a rational way. In the last 100 years, nations across the globe have realised
the importance of not only acquiring knowledge, but of effectively utilising it
and passing it on to the next generation. It is vital for a country's economic
growth to have well educated citizens. Therefore, over the last 100 years, many
educational psychologists have investigated and studied how the human brain
learns. A large proportion of modern educational pedagogies are based on, or are
based on work which is based on, the work of Dewey, Piaget and Vygotsky.
The most commonly
accepted general theory in educational circles today is Constructivism.
The term refers to
the idea that learners, individually and socially, construct knowledge and
meaning for themselves. Therefore the focus in teaching has to be on the learner
- not the subject taught, and that there is no knowledge independent of the
meaning attributed to experience by the learner.
Principles of Learning
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Learning is an active process. The
student cannot just passively acquire knowledge - they need to engage the world
and do something to learn.
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Constructing meaning happens in the
mind. Hands-on experience is generally required, however, the mind needs to be
engaged as well.
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Learning is contextual. New knowledge
is always constructed relative to other knowledge.
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The more a student learns, the more
they can learn. The bigger the foundation, the larger the knowledge that can be
constructed on it.
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Learning involves patterns. New information needs
to be connected to other knowledge.
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The more a student learns, the more
they learn how to learn.
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Learning involves language. Our
brains organisational processes require language - this is why many people talk
to themselves when learning.
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Learning is a social activity.
Students learn best through their interactions with others.
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Learning is influenced by emotions, feelings and
attitudes. If a student doesn't want to learn or don't believe they can - they
won't.
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The brain can multitask. It can process and learn
different types of knowledge simultaneously.
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Learning takes time. Learning is the
product of repeated exposure and reflection to it.
Stages of Learning (Children &
Adolescents) - Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
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Sensory-Motor stage (Birth-2yrs) - The
child, through physical interaction with their environment, builds a set of
concepts about reality and how it works. In this stage a child does not know
that physical objects remain in existence when out of sight.
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Preoperational
stage (1yr-7yrs) - The child is not yet able to conceptualize abstractly and
needs concrete physical situations.
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Concrete
Operations stage (6yrs-13yrs) - As physical experience accumulates, the
child starts to conceptualize, creating logical structures that explain his or
her physical experiences. Abstract problem solving is also possible at this
stage.
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Formal operations
(11yrs-adult) - This is the final (adult) stage of cognitive growth, which
includes logic and conceptual reasoning.
Depth of
Learning - Benjamin Bloom (1913-1999)
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Recall - The
student can list, show, name, tell, and identify facts, figures, dates, places,
names and topics.
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Comprehension
- The student can grasp meaning and interpret, summarise, associate,
distinguish, describe knowledge.
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Application -
The student can use information, concepts and methods in new situations. They
can use knowledge to solve problems.
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Analysis - The
student can see analyse patterns, organise parts, identify components and
recognise hidden meanings.
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Synthesis -
The student can generalise from given facts, integrate ideas to create new ones,
use knowledge to predict and draw conclusionss.
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Evaluation -
The student can assess the value of theories, make choices based on rational
arguments, recognize subjectivity, compare and discriminate between ideas.
Types of
Learning - Howard Gardener (1943- )
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Verbal-Linguistic - Learning through language. They
learn best by
saying and hearing words.
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Logical-Mathematical - Learning through patterns and/or numbers. They learn
best by inductive or deductive reasoning.
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Visual-Spatial -
Learning through visualising objects and spatial dimensions. They learn best by
looking at
pictures and watching videos.
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Body-Kinesthetic -
Learning through physical motion. They learn best by hands-on practical
experiences.
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Musical-Rhythmic -
Learning through tonal patterns and rhythmic beats. They learn best by
adapting the knowledge musically.
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Interpersonal -
Learning through relationships with others. They learn best by interacting
with others.
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Intrapersonal -
Learning through self-reflection. They learn best through independent study.
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