Improve learning means knowing ourselves best

Do we realise that we are learning 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 12 months a year… throughout our live? Every time we interact with others, each book we read, each picture we see, each song we hear or each meal we taste … we receive and process information, therefore we learn. We use communication to explain, argument or convince and at this step there are two situations: While we are trying to explain efficiently what we want to express, the others are learning the way we explain and the things we say…  As a result, learning is a complex process which is further from teaching classes, on-line courses or self-study tools. Bear this in your mind, because I firmly believe knowledge is the best present we have as humans and we have to develop it day by day.

The first reference about Learning Styles came from early 1970’s. David A Kolb and Ron Fry developed the Experiential Learning Model based in the ideas of concrete experience, abstract conceptualization, reflective observation and active experimentation. After him, in the mid 1970’s Peter Honey and Alan Mumford adapted their model for middle/senior managers in business, and later the Fleming’s VAK model was one of the most commonly used. The VAK model establishes three groups of  learners: Visual -who prefer to see and to read new concepts-, Auditory –who prefer listening and speaking- and  Kinesthetic ones who loves learning via experience, this is touching and doing experiments, projects…

In 1980’s decade Richard Felder and Linda Silverman developed another of the most widely models of learning styles: they called it Index of Learning Styles which is based in four dimensions of learning styles: Sensory versus intuitive, visual versus verbal, active versus reflective and sequential versus global.

As Richard Felder said in an interview (pulbished in Journal of Science Education.2002) I had recently read, teaching can mean two completely different things. First, it can simply mean presenting information whether or not anyone learned it. The second meaning of teaching is helping someone to learn. “Rather than defining a course by simply writing a syllabus, I try to define as much detail as possible the knowledge, skills and attitudes I want the students to acquire by the end of the course”, said Felder.

First of all, I would like to say that I totally agree with Doctor Felder when he says that the most important point in all learning procedures is: Be able to know what is our goal (or sub-goals) and when you want to achieve them. It has to be specific, practical an assessable goal rather than being vague or abstract. Only if you know where do you want to arrive, it is more likely to find the best and shortest road.

There are a lot of studies about learning styles, and all of them try to put into groups people’s abilities to learn.  Linked to this, I’ve just found another web site (learn-source.com) were they encourage you to know what kind of intelligence one has.  They distinguish seven sorts of intelligence⁾: Linguistic -if you are good with words, letters and phrases; Logical/Mathematical –if you are number smart-; Spatial –which means you are creative-; Kinesthetic –if you well-managed with experiences-; Musical –you are music bright-; Interpersonal –if you enjoy interacting with others and argue with them- and finally, Intrapersonal –if you love self-study.  However intelligence you have, it is probably a mixture, therefore you have to search which one fits better with you and then, adapt your method of study to your abilities. The right balance is the key to exit.

Once you know yourself best you are prepared to study efficiently. If you draw a calendar for each goal or sub-goal you want to achieve, it could help you to rid yourself of distractions. One of my secrets, I would like to share with you is: each time you succeed in a sub-goal, you have to be rewarded. A little gift which encourage you to continue working. It might be a chocolate piece, your preferred meal, a walk …

I’ve never loved learning by rote, but I can understand that there is some time it could be useful. When I was a teenager, learning by rote used to be the general study strategies, therefore, I need more time than others to learn the same. Now I’m an adult learner and as I could see throughout my life, you could achieve better results if you feel in control with what you are learning and when you have choices in the direction of the learning process. If you want to take notice of my experience, I like to build what I’m learning on my previous experience, I need to support the new knowledge with something that affected me, because as I told you, I didn’t have good memory.

In addition to tat, if the learning environment is friendly, informal and often humorous I’m completely sure it has different results in an adult learner than in a young one. In the first case, it improves interaction, because adult learner feels free to ask questions, without fear, embarrassment or condemnation. But with teenager learners I believe this situations is quite complex to manage, because they could think that go to class is like go to a party. They don’t have developed all tools of argument and criticism... The balance is a slight line.

The relationship between classmates is so important because it improves the discussion and with it you learn to think in other terms than ones in which you are used to. It is common knowledge that even in cultures where learning has traditionally been hierarchical and unquestioned (often they learn by rote) people quickly respond to this better form of communication after a short time of acclimatization (Strategies to help students learn effectively. Art & Science Education. April 2004).

In conclusion, learning is a way to know ourselves best and we can improve our learning skills if we pay attention in which kind of learner we are and we use the tools and resources we have. And nowadays, we have a lot of them at hand. We only have to choose the best for us.