Why is learning difficult? How do people learn?
Learning involves “changing our mind” about something that we have already accepted, which can be challenging for us to do because the ideas that we have are thoroughly embedded within our brains and thinking patterns (Madland, 2021c; SmarterEveryDay, 2015). The connection that we have to our own ideas and what we believe can lead us to have misunderstandings about the world around us can lead us to trust ideas that we already feel are “right” and not trust ideas that disagree with our perception (Muller, 2011). This inhibits learning because we refuse to change our mind. People learn in different ways. Learning occurs when we receive feedback from a specific action or when we make new connections to things that we previously understood, which allows us to build our knowledge or skills (Madland, 2021a). We may also learn when we interact with others or the environment around us and find meaning in our experiences.
How are we motivated to learn?
We may be motivated to learn if we have the need to master a new skill or if we need to solve a problem that is currently impacting us (Madland, 2021b). We may also be drawn to learning something that is appealing to us or that we think we might be good at because it is similar to another skill that we have already mastered. Additionally, we may simply be interested in a new topic or idea and want to learn more about it to achieve a greater understanding (Madland, 2021b).
How might you use learning theory to improve your learning?
I could use Learning Theory to improve my own learning through behavioural, cognitive, or constructivist strategies (Madland, 2021a). Using a combination of reinforcement and feedback could help me to develop strong study habits. I could also be mindful of my own bias when approaching new topics and push myself to be flexible and open to new interpretations of familiar concepts to grow as a student. Lastly, actively participating in something new may allow me to better understand it than passively reading about it, as well, because I could find new meaning in my real-world experiences (Madland, 2021a).
How would the learning be designed differently by a behaviorist, a cognitivist, and a constructivist? Scenario: A high school social study teacher is planning a class on climate change.
If a high school social study teacher was planning a class on climate change, a behaviourist might recommend asking several questions throughout the class as the students learned new ideas as well as providing feedback after each answer to make sure that they master the early steps before topics get more complicated (Artimer & Newby, 2013). A cognitivist might recommend having students make connections between the new ideas and things that are already familiar to them, such as local weather patterns, by using visual outlines to build their knowledge (Artimer & Newby, 2013). Lastly, a constructivist might have students watch immersive videos that show a time lapse of changing environmental conditions to allow them to notice changes that they might not be aware of on a day-to-day basis or recommend that the students take a field trip to an area that was significantly impacted by climate change to experience the effects first-hand (Madland, 2021a).
References
Artimer, P.A., & Newby, T. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 43-71.
Madland, C. (2021a, May 5). Learning theories. University of Victoria Educational Technology. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci335/learning-theories/
Madland, C. (2021b, May 5). Motivation and learning. University of Victoria Educational Technology. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci335/motivation/
Madland, C. (2021c, May 5). Why is learning hard? University of Victoria Educational Technology. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci335/why-is-learning-hard/
Muller, D. [Veritasium]. (2011, Mar 17). Khan Academy and the effectiveness of science videos. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVtCO84MDj8
SmarterEveryDay. (2015, Apr 24). The backwards brain bicycle – Smarter Every Day 133. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFzDaBzBlL0
Comment
Hello Ruobing, I love your blog. I have the same opinion as you that you do not agree that “everyone misunderstands the world”. It is true that because everyone’s experience is different, they have different approaches and opinions on everything. Therefore, I do not agree with this statement either.
