Learning to learn

Adult learning
The way we learn changes as we get older. As children, we are usually ‘taught’
something by being told. On becoming adults, the way we gather information changes.
Adult learning is usually based on:
 recognising experiences
 building on experiences
 being action orientated
 self direction
 self motivation
 task centredness
 a focus on the learning process

Experiential Learning
Learning from experience is sometimes called reflective practice. It involves learning in a
cycle. The most commonly used model is a four-stage cycle designed by Kolb.
Concrete Experience Do
CE

Active Experimentation Plan Observe

Reflective Observation
AE RO

Think
Abstract Conceptualisation
AC

A simpler form of the cycle involves 3 stages:

Do

Plan Think

Your path for most effective learning is through knowing

 yourself
 your capacity to learn
 the process you have successfully used in the past
 your interest in, and knowledge of, the subject you wish to learn
It may be easy for you to learn physics but difficult to learn tennis, or vice versa.
All learning, however, is a process which settles into certain steps.

These are four steps to learning.  

Begin with What was your experience about how you learn?  Did you
the  like to read?  solve problems?  memorize?  recite?  interpret?  
past speak to groups?
 know how to summarize?
   ask questions about what you studied?
 review?
 have access to information from a variety of sources?
 like quiet or study groups?
 need several brief study sessions, or one longer one?

What are your study habits?  How did they evolve?  Which worked
best?   worst?

How did you communicate what you learned best?  Through a written
test, a term paper, an interview?

Proceed to How interested am I in this? 

the How much time do I want to spend learning this?
present What competes for my attention?

Are the circumstances right for success?  

What can I control, and what is outside my control? 
Can I change these conditions for success?

What affects my dedication to learning this?

Do I have a plan?  Does my plan consider my past experience and

learning style?

Consider the What is the heading or title?

process, What are key words that jump out?
Do I understand them?
the subject
matter What do I know about this already?
Do I know related subjects?

What kinds of resources and information will help me?

Will I only rely on one source (for example, a textbook) for
information?
 Will I need to look for additional sources?

As I study, do I ask myself whether I understand? 

Should I go more quickly or more slowly?
If  I don't understand, do I ask why?

Do I stop and summarize?

Do I stop and ask whether it's logical?
Do I stop and evaluate (agree/disagree)?

Do I just need time to think it over and return later?

Do I need to discuss it with other "learners" in order to process the
information?
Do I need to find an authority, such as a teacher, a librarian, or a
subject-matter expert?

Build in What did I do right?

review What could I do better?
Did my plan coincide with how I work with my strengths and
weaknesses?

Did I choose the right conditions?

Did I follow through; was I disciplined with myself?

Did I succeed?
Did I celebrate my success?

SAVI model

Somatic Key words: feel, experience, touch, remember

Learning by moving, touching and doing; tactile, kinesthetic, hands-on learning, getting physical
and using & moving your body while you learn; have an experience; simulation or game; write,
draw, talk about an experience; interview, create an active exercise for all class; remembering the
real things that happened, using case studies.
Auditory Key words: hear, music
Learn by sounds, dialogue, reading aloud, telling someone what they just experienced; listening to
audiocassettes, repeating sounds in their heads; talking out loud when solving problems; read out
loud from books & computer screens, read & paraphrase.
Visual Key words: look, see, imagine
Learn by seeing. Using visual imagery in learning results in 12% better on immediate recall &
26% better on long-term retention; helps all to see what the presenter is talking about, see real
world examples, diagrams, idea maps, icons, pictures, ppts, posters and images while learning;
Intellectual/ Through senses Key words: think, analyze, reflect
Intellect is the sense maker of the mind, the means by which we “think”, integrate new
experiences and learn; intellect connects the body’s mental, physical, emotional and intuitive
experiences to build fresh meaning for itself; intellect is the means by which the mind turns
experience into knowledge, knowledge into understanding and understanding (we hope) into
wisdom. Need sufficient intellectual challenge for the exercises to be meaningful to the learners.
Solving problems, analyzing experience, doing strategic planning, generating creative ideas,
formulating questions, creating mental models, creating personal meaning.

Learning is a very personal matter. There isn't one study/learning skill or strategy that
works for every person in every situation. Therefore, learning to learn strategies are about
learning what you know, learning what you don't know, and learning what to do about it.
Your repertoire of study/learning strategies will:

 enable you to take more responsibility for your own learning

 allow you to spend your time effectively and stay on task
 help you select the best approach(s) for each assignment or task
 provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to begin, follow through, and
complete assignments/tasks
 present you with access to a variety of content and reference materials
 give you the confidence to know when and who to ask for help

1.Know Yourself
Begin by honestly assessing your strengths and weaknesses in basic college skills—
reading, writing, listening, and mathematics—and study/work habits such as as
organization, time management, concentration, listening, and note taking.
Next, identify your learning style preferences. Many factors affect learning, but
consider whether you learn most effectively by reading, by watching, by listening, or by
doing? You must also become familiar with your instructors teaching styles to help you
adapt your learning style to the best advantage.
In addition, consider when (Are you a morning person or a night owl?) and where
(Do you concentrate best in a bright room with noise or in a cozy, quiet corner?) you are
at your best for learning.
2. Manage Your Time and Life
The first step in learning to manage your time—controlling your own life—is to
identify what your goals are and then to establish priorities to help you reach them.
Analyze how you are using your time. If you aren't spending time on your
priorities, you must make the necessary adjustments or you won't reach your goals. If
school, learning, and good grades are a priority, then you must make and follow a
schedule that gives a significant amount of time to go to class and study.
3. Improve Your Concentration
As a good student, you will not necessarily study more than a poor student, but
you will definitely use your study time more effectively.
Learn to keep your attention focused on the task at hand—concentrate. When
you are in class or ready to study, give it your full attention.
 And remember, how well you learn something, not how fast you learn it, is the
critical factor in remembering. You must "get" something before you can "forget" it.
4. Know What Study Means & How To Do It
Learning takes more than just going to class and doing homework. It is really a
four-part cycle:
preview>>class>>review>>study
When you establish a learning-cycle routine you will be able to learn more in less
time with less stress.
5. Develop A Thinker's Vocabulary
English is the richest language with the largest vocabulary on earth. Each of our
words is a symbol that represents an idea or object. Your ability to understand the
meaning of the words others use and to select the right one(s) to communicate your ideas,
information, and feelings is very important to effective learning.
To develop a thinker's vocabulary, you must become sensitive to words and
develop strategies for unlocking the meanings of new words and a process for
remembering the new words and their meanings.
6. Become An Active Reader
Did you ever fall asleep while playing tennis or when watching your favorite
television show?
Probably not. How about when you're reading?
Probably so. What makes the difference?
If you are actively involved, physically and mentally, you stay interested and
committed. When you become passive, you rapidly lose interest and drift away.
To learn from study/reading material, you must be an active, thinking participant
in the process, not a passive bystander. Always preview the reading and make sure you
have a specific purpose for each assignment. Read actively to fulfill your purpose and
answer questions about the material. Keep involved by giving yourself frequent tests over
what you've read.
7. Become An Active Writer
Writing that accurately expresses your ideas demands not only writing skill but
focused attention, critical thinking and active involvement. Only if you become actively
involved in the writing process will you be able to communicate your ideas clearly.
Your writing must have:
-a purpose,
-a controlling idea or thesis,
-organized development of your idea with major and minor supporting details, and
-a logical conclusion.
8. Build Listening & Note taking Skills
Accurately listening to a lecture and deciding what is important are two skills that
must be mastered before you worry about how to write the information in your notes.
Again, being an active rather than a passive participant is the key to your success.
Taking good notes demands that you :
-prepare for class,
-become an active listener,
-distinguish major from minor points,
-use a note-taking system,
 -participate in class, and
-review often.
9. Know How To Study For & Take Exams
Exams are your way to show a professor how much you've learned. Preparing
for exams will give you a better understanding of the material, lower your anxiety, and
improve your scores.
Find out as much as you can about the exam, study and review the material over
a period of time (use the night before as a final review not a cram session), pace yourself
during the exam, and always go over your graded exam with your professor.
10. Master Every Course
You can't get something for nothing. You can, however, get nothing for
something and that's exactly what you will get from any course if your only investment is
money.
True education is not about cramming material into your brain. True education is
the process of expanding your capabilities, of bringing yourself into the world.
Professors can merely set the stage for you to create learning through your own
action.