INTRODUCTION TO THE SEVEN WAYS OF LEARNING

PART TWO CONTAINS SEPARATE CHAPTERS on seven different ways of learning. Each way of learning brings about different outcomes and, therefore, has different purposes. By reading these chapters you will be able to

• identify when these ways of learning are being used.

• know more about how learning takes place within the framework of each way of learning.

• understand your role as participant and what you can do to maximize your learning.

LEARNING THEORIES
Foundations of Effective Learning

People tend to confuse learning styles and learning theories. In Chapter 2 we mentioned learning styles as one of the sets of characteristics, along with several others, that are important in forming your self-concept as a learner. In the last fifteen years there has been a frenzy of interest in learning styles, and this has heightened our awareness of individual differences in learners. Although this was an awareness that needed to be cultivated, putting the spotlight on learning styles has relegated to the shadows the fundamental theories of learning that guide the activities through which all people can learn.

It is very important to distinguish the difference between learning theories and learning styles. Learning styles are the ideas about how personality differences and certain sensory capacities lead to preferences for particular ways of learning. Learning style is but one of the many human characteristics that are important in learning. Learning theories, on the other hand, are the basic theories about how learning takes place for people in general. They are the sound, well-researched theories of learning that support the seven ways of learning presented in the chapters of Part Two of this book. Understanding and grasping the importance of these theories is essential for the process of managing your own learning.

During the last century, scholars have greatly expanded our knowledge about learning and have provided many useful theories about how people learn. The theories are different from each other because they describe different ways of learning. For example, learning a set of skills through a very carefully developed sequence of steps is quite different from learning new attitudes through a group process. Similarly, learning to attend to, process, and remember information from a presentation is different from the holistic learning that comes through having and reflecting on a new experience. Each of these different ways of learning is supported by theory.

Don’t be put off by the word theory. A theory is just a comprehensive explanation that accounts for facts and processes. A good theory makes a convincing argument for how things work. A famous saying attributed to Kurt Lewin, the well-known theorist of group behavior, tells us, “Nothing is as practical as a good theory” (Morrow, 1969).¹ We agree. Theories help us to see more clearly things that otherwise would be a blur.

Some people are inclined to say, “Theories are just theories; real life is different.” Some theories are like that, of course, but many theories have been tested extensively. Theories that have been tested carefully can be called well-established theories. Fortunately, we now have a number of useful, well-established learning theories. Learning theories are valuable because, when used effectively, they can describe a particular way of learning, establish what role facilitators should play, clarify what learners should be doing, organize the communication process, and maximize outcomes.

After conducting a great amount of research on learning, and after giving significant thought to how to organize and categorize various ways of learning, we have settled on seven ways of learning that encompass most of the kinds of learning you might need or encounter. You should develop a working knowledge of these seven ways of learning. This includes a basic understanding of how each way of learning functions, what outcomes it best produces, and what you can do to maximize your own learning when you are learning in that way.

The seven ways of learning presented in the chapters in Part Two are introduced below through a series of questions. (Davis and Davis, 1998, 91–92).² The questions will help you to identify each of the seven ways of learning and will enable you to distinguish one way of learning from another. This introduction will also help you decide which chapters you want to read next or focus on most.

1. Learning New Skills: Behavioral Learning. Does this learning involve a skill? Is this something concrete and observable? Is it a routine (though not necessarily easy) set of mental or physical operations that can be tested or observed? Is this a task that you can learn to do or learn to do better?

2. Learning From Presentations: Cognitive Learning. Does this learning involve information? Does it involve new ideas, new terminology, or useful theories? Does it require understanding of how something works or functions? Is this information that might be presented through an explanation? Is it possible to identify key concepts, main ideas, or points to be understood and remembered?

3. Learning to Think: Inquiry Learning. Does this learning focus on thinking? Does it involve criticizing information, evaluating arguments and evidence, or reasoning to conclusions? Does this learning involve creative thinking—actually producing unusual but relevant new ideas? Does it involve appreciating how other people think?

4. Learning to Solve Problems and Make Decisions: Using Mental Models for Learning. Does this involve learning how to find and define problems, how to generate solutions, and how to evaluate and choose among solutions? Does this learning require that you deal with issues where you need to make choices, weigh the value of different options, and predict outcomes as probabilities?

5. Learning in Groups: Collaborative Learning. Does this learning involve changing opinions, attitudes, and beliefs? Does it deal with feelings? Does it build interpersonal speaking and listening skills? Does it cultivate empathy? Is teamwork or collaboration being addressed here?

6. Improving Performance: Learning Through Virtual Realities. Is this a kind of learning that needs to be practiced in a safe environment? Does this learning involve activities that could cause damage, expense, or even loss of life? Will you feel more confident and be more competent if you have been able to work first in a simulated environment before going into the real world?

7. Learning From Experience: Holistic Learning. Is this a kind of learning that bubbles up from experience? Is this the holistic learning that occurs when you go out and get immersed in a new experience? Could you learn something more from this experience if you had a chance to reflect on it and construct meaning from it? Is there potential here for learning to see something in a new way?

Sometimes you will have the chance to choose learning opportunities that are exactly what you want. At other times you will find yourself in learning situations that are demanding, uncomfortable, and not what you prefer. In the new era, there are simply many things one must learn, and sometimes you have little choice, no place to hide. Some people hate to be placed in groups, some are bored with cases, others panic when faced with problem solving. The question is not whether you will like it. The more important question is: Can you profit? This is why learning about learning is so important. You need to be able to maximize your learning in any situation.