Activities
Overview
  • Introduction
  • Objectives
  • Definition of Learning
  • Learning and Education
  • Perspectives of Learning
  • Teaching and Learning
  • Conclusion
    Introduction:

    Learning is an intrinsically satisfying feeling. Hence, it’s a personal experience of a change in one’s mind and behaviour. Although it is an inner process it can be observed from the overt behavior. It takes place through daily life in different ways and variety of contexts. The aim of this page is to introduce learning and its perspectives. It will also emphasize on combining the learning and teaching techniques.The page focuses on providing information on learning and teaching to all the learners generally and student teachers particularly.

    Objectives

  • Describe learning and its definitions.
  • Demonstrate the perspectives of learning.
  • Understand the learning and teaching strategies in a new meaning.

    Definition of Learning:

    It can be described as, relatively permanent change in an individual's behavior or behavior potential (or capability) as a result of experience or practice. According to different authors, It can also be defined as an internal change inferred from behavior. It is a process of mental growth that may also change your physical and social abilities. As a learner, the experience of learning is felt as personal, both as an inner process of intellectual improvement in learner’s mind, as well as a change in behaviour.‘Learning is a relatively permanent change in the potential for performance as the result of our past interaction with the environment.’ (Lovell,1982) ‘Learning is a relatively permanent change in the potential for performance as the result of our past interaction with the environment.(Lovell,1982) Meanwhile, it is a change in human disposition or capability which persists over a period of time, and which is not simply ascribable to a process of growth (Gagne, 1977). ‘Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.’ (Kolb, 1984). Combining all the definition above it can be described as the process which individuals go through as they attempt to change or enrich the knowledge, values, skills, strategies and behaviour possessed by each individual.’ (Brundage and Mackeracher, 1980). Read more

    Learning and Education:

    Another term which is related to learning is education. Learning and education are interconnected. According to many perspectives education is developing the capacities and potential of the individual so as to prepare that individual to be successful in a specific society or culture. From this perspective, education is serving primarily an individual development function. There are different types of learning styles in learners. They are audio, visual and kinesthetic learners. To cater to all these groups of learners, teachers need to use a variety of strategies and methodologies. Hence, following one strategy of teaching cannot be appropriate to all learners. Read more

    Perspectives of Learning:

    There are many learning perspectives. read more about them from the information below. Behaviourist

    Classical Conditioning:

    According to behaviourism we learn primarily by responding to external conditions. Behaviourists (such as Ivan Pavlov, Edward Thorndike, John B. Watson, Edwin Guthrie and Burrhus F. Skinner) didn’t really consider what goes on inside the mind of the learner. Because they felt that the inside workings of the learner’s mind couldn’t be seen or known, they described it as a ‘black box’. They felt that they could only infer what appears to take place when learning occurs. Their main research into the basic building blocks of human learning was based on the assumption that they must develop blocks in a very similar way to that of learned behaviour in animals (i.e. around the basic responses to their environment). Read more

    Operant Conditioning:

    In this perspective people are essentially free to choose their behaviours. These behaviours are emitted more spontaneously than in classical conditioning. Operant conditioning investigates how best to bring these naturally occurring behaviours under control, using reinforcement schedules. Read more

    Cognitive view of Learning:

    In contrast to the behaviourists, who were more concerned with how learner’s behavioural responses to external conditions were structured, cognitivist theorists (such as the German Gestalt psychologists, the American Edward Chase Tolman and the Swiss Jean Piaget) wanted to know more about the processes that go on in the mind of the learner. To the cognitivist theorists, the processes of learning are more important than behavioural changes (Goodwin, 2000). Read more

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    Teaching and Learning:

    Different teaching techniques and styles are imperative in teaching. In this piece of information the emphasis will be given on active and cooperative learning.

    What is active Learning?
    Does this scenario indicate active learning?

    Think about this scenario and the next scenario: analyze the differences.

    Based on the two elaborations, it can be concluded that active learning is students’ active participation in their learning. It is not possible to teach anyone anything. It is only possible to arrange for someone to learn. Hence, learners take their own responsibility for their learning.

    What is Cooperative Learning?

    The components of cooperative learning include many techniques and elements in teaching. However, following one strategy is not appropriate for different types of learning as mentioned above. Therefore, using the techniques below will help majority of the learners in a classroom.

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    Conclusion:

    Understanding learning cannot be relied on one approach. However, the underlying principle of each approach is essential to describe learning. We expect the piece of information above would be helpful to understand and reflect to learning and teaching with the help of supportive materials linked.









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