How we learn
I believe that learning occurs naturally and is happening all the time. There are some things, however, that are more difficult to learn than others. If we are seeking to push beyond the natural learning that occurs, we need to a) motivate the learner to take that leap and b) make available an instructional setting that will provide them the new knowledge.
If one has the perfect setting and instruction for learning but the student is unmotivated to learn, he or she will not learn (or at best will learn minimally). If the student is motivated to learn, but the setting impedes the learning, I believe motivation will ebb and learning will not progress.
The second step of creating a conducive instructional setting is admittedly rather broad, but I believe that an appropriate instructional setting different for different types of knowledge to be learned. And the instructional setting concept includes a setting where a student simply reads a book as well as a classroom of hundreds of students listening to a lecture.
In this regard, my viewpoint is constructivist in nature. Specifically, the learner's desire to learn creates the atmosphere where they can begin to construct meaning in their situation that will produce new knowledge. Then, the setting for instruction can begin to provide the needed inputs that can be constructed as new knowledge. The instructor need not be present, simple the written word or a story can create the information necessary for the learner to begin the construction. Efficient learning, however, I believe must be guided by someone who can take cues from the learner to make the construction of knowledge more streamlined.
A learner can even restructure existing knowledge within his or her mind without external influence. This is the source of creativity. Ruminating over existing ideas and mismatching them until something clicks and makes sense. But this takes motivation and is not necessarily easy or a natural occurance.
If one has the perfect setting and instruction for learning but the student is unmotivated to learn, he or she will not learn (or at best will learn minimally). If the student is motivated to learn, but the setting impedes the learning, I believe motivation will ebb and learning will not progress.
The second step of creating a conducive instructional setting is admittedly rather broad, but I believe that an appropriate instructional setting different for different types of knowledge to be learned. And the instructional setting concept includes a setting where a student simply reads a book as well as a classroom of hundreds of students listening to a lecture.
In this regard, my viewpoint is constructivist in nature. Specifically, the learner's desire to learn creates the atmosphere where they can begin to construct meaning in their situation that will produce new knowledge. Then, the setting for instruction can begin to provide the needed inputs that can be constructed as new knowledge. The instructor need not be present, simple the written word or a story can create the information necessary for the learner to begin the construction. Efficient learning, however, I believe must be guided by someone who can take cues from the learner to make the construction of knowledge more streamlined.
A learner can even restructure existing knowledge within his or her mind without external influence. This is the source of creativity. Ruminating over existing ideas and mismatching them until something clicks and makes sense. But this takes motivation and is not necessarily easy or a natural occurance.
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