Since my students are writing about this I thought I should do it too. So what is learning? It is the age old question. If you ask B.F. Skinner he would say that it is response strengthening. If you were to ask Lev Vygotsky he would say something entirely different, probably the construction of knowledge about the world through social interaction. So is one wrong and the other right? No. There is an element of truth in what each of them said. Theories are all about explaining and predicting phenomena. For a phenomenon as complicated as learning, there are bound to be different theories. While theorist now tend to not look at the mind as a black box as did behaviorists like Skinner, there still is no interpretation of what learning is that can be considered the only correct interpretation. The brain is a complex organ...the most complex in the human body. There is some research now into the physiological changes in brains when learning occurs. However it is not clear that knowing this will really help us understand more about learning and be better able to explain and predict learning. Of course I am biased as an instructional technologist, but to me the most important thing to think about when discussing learning theories is the extent to which they can provide guidance on instructional strategies that will lead to learning. If they don't do that they are not much good to me.
I think a good definition of learning is a change in the ability to use information to solve problems. Problems are where there is a difference between the current state and desired state. There are obviously different types of problems. Some may just be a difference between one's current knowledge and desired knowledge, or others may be roofs that leak. If you don't already know how to solve the problem you have to learn. I noticed a slight leak in my house and to fix it I needed to learn about flashing...no not the raincoat kind but the metal stuff that covers transitions in roofs. I learned about what it is and how it should be attached to the roof and how to fix it if it is not working right. Luckily a lot of information to help people learn about that is online. But it takes good information literacy to use it appropriately. Anyone can publish online and so I wanted to make sure any information I found was from a reliable source. So I looked for information from reliable sources and made sure that at least two sites said the same thing, and went to work and fixed the problem.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I liked what you said that learning was using information to solve a problem. I had to ask my husband what is flashing and what it is used for. He said it was a metal strip that fastened to the edge of the roof under the first row of shingles. You are a brave person to take on home repairs on your own. My husband knows how, but he is blind. So when something needs to be fixed, he instructs me and I have to do it. I do not have confidence in myself and easily become iratated. So to learn something you have to want to know it and have some level of confidence in order to learn it. I would rather pay someone. Congratulations on winning the award for your paper.
ReplyDeleteWow! After reading Toni's post about her husband, I have a ton of questions...! Trying to teach someone how to do something physical over the phone, e-mail, or just by speaking is nearly impossible.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that by reading your post I should know some more names of researchers in instructional technology. Lev Vigotsky is a new name for me, so even in your blog you are
teaching the underinformed. I think a very important part of learning that you used as an example is the desire to learn. Many would simply pay for an expert, or try and give up. The truly educated do not just sit in the library, they are the experienced as well. I am amazed at the wisdom and experience and knowledge of many of the older generation. It saddens me to see so many "learned" skills disappearing by the wayside, simply because most of society can't or won't find the time to "learn" to do it themselves. Nice job learning about flashings. One of my goals during retirement is to apprentice myself to an real glass blower. It is a skill I want to learn. Fun!
we are going to learn about Vygotsky later in the semester....the second to last week or something like that..
ReplyDeleteLearning about home repair has been fun; even though I have a Ph. D. I always have lots of new stuff to learn. Learning about home repair actually lets me use my brain in a slightly different way that I do with academic research and teaching, and it feels good to get a job done well, and know that I did it myself.