Learning is a process of acquiring knowledge that occurs within an individual. It may take place at any given time, in any given place, and in any given situation. Learning is not confined to the walls of a classroom. ALL individuals can be defined as learners.
The learning that an individual experiences can be affected by different stimuli, making each learning experience unique to the individual. Every learner has his or her own unique learning style. This is crucial for teachers to understand as they begin to design learning experiences for their students. The they must take into account each student’s unique needs when it comes to their learning to ensure that a learning experience is available to ALL.
Understanding also plays an roll in the process of learning. “[Learners] come to formal education with a range of prior knowledge, skills, beliefs, and concepts that significantly influence what [they] notice about the environment and how [they] organize and interpret it” (Bransford, Brown & Cocking, 2000, p. 10). In other words, these aspects mentioned help shape an individual’s understanding.
When I am designing a lesson in my classroom, for example, I assess my students’ prior knowledge of the content area. If I am planning on introducing long division and I discover half of my students already have mastered basic division facts, I can anticipate they will not need as much instruction with long division. These students will be able to draw upon their understanding of the related concept (basic division facts) to help them interpret the new concept of long division. Will the learning experience of all of my students be this way? No, certainly not. While learning is available to all, it is our understanding that makes it truly unique.
This varying level of understanding brings a distinction among learners: novices and experts. An expert is defined as “a learner that has an extensive knowledge of the content and is able to draw upon their knowledge to help them better understand new learning experiences” (Bransford, Brown & Cocking, 2000, p. 31). Experts are able to identify patterns and organize their learning, which also sets them apart from novices. The learning process of an expert is ‘sped up,’ as they are able to draw upon their previous understandings and transfer them to new learning experiences. In contrast, a novice is a learner that might share the same knowledge but not on as deep of a level.
According to authors Bransford, Brown & Cocking, most k-12 students begin as novices (p. 17, 2000). It is then the responsibility of the teacher to recognize this and assist students in becoming experts. How might we do this, you ask?
Recent advancements in the study of learning suggest that teachers must pay attention to the understandings or pre-exisiting knowledge of students. Authors Bransford, Brown & Cocking mentioned that there is now even evidence that learning is enhanced when teachers pay attention to this (p.11, 2000). If teachers utilize the understandings of their students as a starting point for a lesson, they are providing them with opportunities for building upon or question their own thinking. This creates the opportunity for students to take control of their own learning, which can be defined as an active learning approach (Bransford, Brown & Cocking, 2000). By taking an active roll in their learning, students have a greater opportunity for metacognition and are well on their way to becoming experts.
In addition to honoring the pre-existing knowledge of students, teachers must also model metacognitive thinking (Bransford, Brown & Cocking, p. 18, 2000). In order to experience a deeper level of learning similar to what an expert would experience, students must understand how to be reflective in their learning. In order to encourage metacognitive thinking in my classroom, I introduced my students to thinking stems. I modeled for my students how to ask themselves questions during the learning process using stems such as: “what connections can I make?”, “what am I wondering about?”, and “what is brand new to me?”. This thinking process allows students to pay close attention to their learning, which again will aid in creating a deeper level of understanding.
Learning is an active process that is unique to all learners. An individual’s learning style & level of understanding play a large roll in learning. In an effort to enhance learning, teachers must take understanding into account when designing learning experiences.
Reference:
Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience and School (pp. 3-78). Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
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Natalie D'Amico 