How we Learn and Future Prospects for Education
‘How Do we Learn?’
Is a seemingly simple question. However, the topic of how people learn is a lot more complex and layered than it may seem. Exploring this weeks content felt a lot like unpacking Russian Nesting Dolls. Not only is the question and topic of learning multilayered but it is also multifaceted- there are so many ways to approach it. From my understanding of the interviews with Dr. Elenanore Hargreaves and Dr. Fiona Rodger; how we learn depends on the purpose, culture and nature of learning; learning can happen in different settings and contexts both formally and informally it can also be conscious or unconscious; learning although individually unique, is fully enabled by the social as without the social aspect one cannot fully engage in a holistic learning experience and finally how individuals reflect and act upon what they have observed, experienced and learnt.
The Purpose and Nature of Learning
‘Learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be’ -UNESCO
How people learn depends on the purpose of learning. Learning to know has a lot to do with gaining and retaining information. For that purpose of learning listening, repetition of tasks, recording information and further reading would be how people learn. This would suit what Paulo Frerie would call the ‘Banking Model’ of education. Where education and learning happens through depositing information where a teacher is a depositor and the learner is the bank of information.
For the purpose of learning to do, observing and working along side an expert (apprenticeship) learning through experience would be how people learn. There is some retaining of information and memory skills required here but there is less emphasis on it than learning to know. Learning to live together and be eudaimonic (individuals that flourish and prosper) requires a more holistic learning approach where learners are exposed to different perspectives, great and or compassionate thinkers. In contrast to the Banking Model of learning, this type of learning tends to happen best through not only being informed, reading and writing but entails being social, sharing ideas and as David Kolb would call it ‘Experiential Learning’ which includes reflecting on ones learning.
Figure 1: Kolb’s Learning Cycle (McLeod, 2017)
These ideas are linked to progressive education which were based off of John Dewey and Jean Piaget’s work which had a lot to do with experiential learning, learners constructing their own meaning of their experiences rather than just being fed information and told how and what to think. Moreover, theorists such as Vygotsky believed in the social aspect of learning to construct ones meaning of the world. To these theorists, learning is not limited to an accumulation of facts but rather having experiences, engaging in the social, exploring different perspectives, reflecting on these experiences and constructing an individual view based on this. Moreover, it is about what actions one takes in result of their learning experience and how it changes their behaviour.
How people learn also depends on the culture of education. The current focus in education amongst many cultures focuses on learning to know which fits the traditional didactic education setting which goes back to the ‘Banking Model’ of education. This in particular takes me back to my experiences in many of the Arabic classes I took which required a lot of memorisation and very little understanding, discussing and reflecting. Dr. Hargreaves mentioned the misinterpretation of the word authority, mistaking it for authoritarianism in the formal learning context. My experience in these classes were the most extreme form of a traditional passive didactic authoritarian learning environment. We were told what to learn, how to learn and we had no say in anything. Moreover, instilling fear was how teachers kept control of their classrooms. I will never forget, at the age of 6, being whacked on the head with a thick hard text book for not reading an Arabic text correctly- I was terrified of my Arabic teacher and never felt comfortable in her class room. This was a theme in many of the Arabic classes I took after it. I always wonder whether it was because of, what I later found, my Dyslexia or the overall class room environment or both that contributed to me struggling to learn the language.
Learning in Different Contexts
Learning can happen in either formal or informal settings. Formal settings tend to be more structured and often take place in or are guided by educational institutions this learning is usually conscious. Informal settings are usually less structured and the learning in these settings can be conscious or unconscious. Individuals have preferred learning contexts whether it be in a formal or informal setting.
I read many of the Padlet Wall posts (see reference list) which were addressed the question ‘learning contexts: where do you like to learn?’ It was interesting reading the different posts as most people did not only mention a physical setting but what that setting has to make them feel or enable in order for learning to occur. There were two common contexts that people seemed to mention a lot which was firstly being in a learning context where they can discuss ideas with other people. I was not entirely surprised as ‘The process of learning is inherently social. Our experiences and processes are ‘overlaid and saturated’ with ideas and feelings that are borne of interactions with others, and often takes place with others.’ (infed) Secondly, comfort, numerous people mentioned the importance of comfort whether it be an overall positive learning environment or physical comfort. I could completely relate to this due to my experiences of discomfort in my Arabic classes throughout my life. Comfort is extremely important- if a learner is not comfortable in their environment it becomes increasingly difficult to learn.
There were many similarities in the way in which people learn but also many differences, which may seem subtle to me but extremely essential to them. Learning is individually unique which makes exploring the best ways to learn that suits them essential for eudaimonia.
The Social and Constructivist Perspective of Learning
Although learning is individually unique and partly occurs internally, it is fully enabled by the social. Without the social aspect one cannot fully engage in learning. As goes the famous quote by Lev Vygotsky ‘It is through others we become ourselves’.
From a social and existential standpoint, it is in a way true that we are our own person- which entails the independence of thought, feeling and action. However, who we are and have become is also a culmination of observations, experiences and learn’t behaviour shared with people in our environment. The culture and belief systems we were born into both feeds into who we are and the education we experience. Moreover, education both feeds into and is fed by culture and belief systems. So, yes through others we understand more about ourselves. Even when it comes to improving ones learning we ought to look unto others to explore our alternatives and adjust to create a learning context that works best for us. In other words, we need others to truly understand and explore who we can become.
To Conclude
‘The process of learning is inherently social. Our experiences and processes are ‘overlaid and saturated’ with ideas and feelings that are borne of interactions with others, and often takes place with others. We engage with experiences, reflect upon them, frame them (consciously or not), and act (or not). These processes are inevitably infused with the nature of the environment and experiences.’ (infed) Learning happens in different contexts and preferences vary amongst people, however, environments that provide opportunities for individuals to discuss and build upon their ideas as well as comfortable positive environments are a common theme.
The Future of Education
Based on what I have learn’t from week one’s material and my own opinion of the future of education; In order for education to be effective in the future it ought to be progressive and to focus more on ‘learning to do, live together and be’. This does not go to say disregard ‘learning to know’ but rather in addition to this, incorporate more experiential applied learning as that is how individuals can be eudaimonious (flourish as individuals and prosper). Moreover, there needs to be a paradigm shift in thought that turns educationalists and governments away from creating a mass standardised one size fits all model education as it is evident learning is individually unique. Traditional didactic passive classrooms that follow the ‘Banking Model of Learning’ need to die out as they are not giving individuals room to truly explore their potential and becoming. The shift in thought needs to be focused on creating a mass individualised education. I believe, more integration of technology can enable this. However, one must remember that technology is a tool and if people do not know how to use this tool effectively then it is rendered useless. All of the above needs to be considered when using this tool to aid learning.
I would describe myself as an educational enthusiast and a learnaholic. I have had a rocky formal education experience throughout my K-12 with being diagnosed with both Dyslexia and Dyscalculia in a country and school which lacked support at the time. It wasn’t until university that I was given the opportunity, support and resources to truly explore my potential and I flourished. Even then, my path to reach the goals I set myself have been windy to say the least. However, on this messy windy road of exploring my potential and trying to achieve my goals I happened to learn a lot about education and learning and what works best for me. Moreover, it sparked my interest in learning more about education as a whole in order to find a way to make it easier for people like me to flourish or rather find a way to create an education system that accommodates all individuals including people like me in- because it is not easy… it is almost like the system is working against us at times. So, my windy path to reach my goals and interest in education led me to this Coursera. I am hoping to gain more clarity on what the future of education may look like and exposure to new and interesting perspectives on the topic.
References
-Coursera (2020) The Future of Education provided by University of London & UCL Institute of Education. [Online] Available at: https://www.coursera.org/learn/future-education/home/welcome (accessed 09/ 05/ 20).
-Freire, P. (1972) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Harmondsworth: Penguin.
-infed What is learning? A definition and discussion. [Online] Available at: https://infed.org/mobi/learning-theory-models-product-and-process/ (accessed 09/ 05/ 20).
-Mcleod S (2017) Kolb’s Learning Styles and Experiential Learning Cycle. [Online] Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html (accessed 09/ 05/ 20).
-Padlet (2020) Learning Contexts: Where do you like to learn?. [Online] Available at: https://padlet.com/mooc/wfecontexts (accessed 09/ 05/ 20).
-UNESCO (2014) Learning to live together. Paris: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
-Vygotsky (1987) The genesis of higher mental functions. In R. Reiber (Ed.), The history of the development of higher mental functions (Vol. 4, pp. 97–120). New York: Plennum.
