First, people learn by building information from previously
acquired skills. Therefore, learners learn by transferring prior knowledge to unfamiliar
information to draw conclusions or help understand new material. Comprehension
and learning are difficult when information is not presented within context.
However, learners are able to learn new material from drawing conclusions when
appropriate context clues are provided. My first year as a teacher, I taught
one section of sixth grade reading. To help students learn new words they
encountered in their reading material, I would suggest looking for context
clues in the paragraph. Once a student recognized the clues that surrounded the
unfamiliar word, many times they could understand the meaning of the word
without the ability to pronounce it. People can learn new information by
drawing conclusions from familiar information.
Second, people learn by being actively engaged in a learning activity. Being an active participant in the knowledge construction process enables the learner to understand information by constructing meaning from their experiences. I remember reading poems in my high school literature classes. However, once, my ninth grade teacher asked me to memorize a poem by William Wordsworth. I had to recite it to myself, my dog, and my mom in order to remember it. I was actively engaged in learning the poem by reciting it out loud and rehearsing it before I had to present it to my peers. I can still recite the first paragraph of Daffodils, by William Wordsworth, today. By actively involving myself in the learning process, I was able to learn the poem and actually retain some of the phrases from the first paragraph.
Third, people learn from communicating and working with others. Others may have an expertise in a specific area and can offer knowledgeable information or ideas to an unfamiliar concept. In the area of technology, my department is faced with new and challenging tasks each week. I have learned that the best way to solve technical problems is to bring all of my experts to the table; so, we can talk through the technological challenges of managing over four thousand devices in our environment. Once everyone contributes their knowledge, a consensus to the approach of solving the problem is usually reached quite quickly. When people work together, they bring different strengths and expertise which can help solve complex issues.
Fourth, people learn by reflecting upon their own thinking. In addition, feedback from others can provide insight to a person’s thinking. For example, revising a paper and giving feedback about suggestions to add or make the points stronger in the paper can prompt a person to think about ideas in a more meaningful or deeper understanding. Completing a peer review on a classmate’s research paper is a good example of how feedback can help a person reflect on their own thoughts. Once I received my peer review sheets, I considered the information and made corrections if needed. Reflection enables a person to deepen their understanding and learning.
Second, people learn by being actively engaged in a learning activity. Being an active participant in the knowledge construction process enables the learner to understand information by constructing meaning from their experiences. I remember reading poems in my high school literature classes. However, once, my ninth grade teacher asked me to memorize a poem by William Wordsworth. I had to recite it to myself, my dog, and my mom in order to remember it. I was actively engaged in learning the poem by reciting it out loud and rehearsing it before I had to present it to my peers. I can still recite the first paragraph of Daffodils, by William Wordsworth, today. By actively involving myself in the learning process, I was able to learn the poem and actually retain some of the phrases from the first paragraph.
Third, people learn from communicating and working with others. Others may have an expertise in a specific area and can offer knowledgeable information or ideas to an unfamiliar concept. In the area of technology, my department is faced with new and challenging tasks each week. I have learned that the best way to solve technical problems is to bring all of my experts to the table; so, we can talk through the technological challenges of managing over four thousand devices in our environment. Once everyone contributes their knowledge, a consensus to the approach of solving the problem is usually reached quite quickly. When people work together, they bring different strengths and expertise which can help solve complex issues.
Fourth, people learn by reflecting upon their own thinking. In addition, feedback from others can provide insight to a person’s thinking. For example, revising a paper and giving feedback about suggestions to add or make the points stronger in the paper can prompt a person to think about ideas in a more meaningful or deeper understanding. Completing a peer review on a classmate’s research paper is a good example of how feedback can help a person reflect on their own thoughts. Once I received my peer review sheets, I considered the information and made corrections if needed. Reflection enables a person to deepen their understanding and learning.
References
Driscoll, M. P. (2002). How People Learn (and What Technology Might Have To Do with It). ERIC Digest.
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