Theory of Learning

Learning occurs during expert-novice, teacher-student, parent-child, and peer-peer interactions and results in the learner gaining more knowledge about the world and greater skill to perform. When humans are isolated in extreme ways, their ability to develop, learn, and grow is hindered. Learners need teachers to construct learning experiences that are social, authentic, meaningful, engaging, relevant, and appropriate for the learner’s current level of knowledge and skill.

Learning is continuous, and the learner progresses in their knowledge over time. A learner must continually build on prior knowledge. Scaffolding, or building upon prior learning is essential for teachers to consider when developing relevant lessons. What prior experiences and knowledge do my students come to the classroom with? How can I use their prior knowledge to build new knowledge?

People learn and grow by giving their time and attention to the observation and practice of a skill. With the help of expert guidance and feedback, learners maintain motivation to take on challenges and solve problems. Teachers guide learning, so misconceptions or mistakes can be identified and corrected, and skills can be perfected. When a competitive gymnast performs a skill, they cannot always tell when they are making a mistake. It takes a skilled coach to point it out and correct the learner.

Experts are not born, but made through hundreds of hours of practice in devotion to their subject. A person may possess natural talent for a skill, but they only develop into an expert through practice. Learners must develop a growth mindset, and over time, become more fluent in their skill. Fluency and automaticity are not achieved quickly. It takes time, practice, and a lot of mental energy to develop them. Novice musicians have to expend a great deal of mental bandwidth on reading and playing the correct notes and rhythm. Once achieving fluency, musicians can focus on the tone and emotive qualities of a song, taking their performance to a whole new level.

Experts have a heightened way of seeing and speaking about their area of expertise. They can see connections, and recognize patterns. Most importantly, experts have conditionalized knowledge, or the ability to access relevant information quickly and apply it to a real-world situation. Without experience, novices have difficulty drawing on the most pertinent knowledge to solve a problem. Teachers must provide learners with real-world experiences that help them practice this ability to retrieve relevant information.

Observational learning can be seen during interactions with a typical toddler. Like tiny copycats, they mirror the behaviors of those around them. It is important for teachers to model, because one way humans learn is through observation. Students look to the experts and adults in their lives to show them the way. Schools must be intentional in providing students with a wide-range of diverse models that they can identify with, observe, and learn from. Teachers must model how to be lifelong learners, how to persevere when things are tough, and how to treat others with respect and compassion. If students do not have the opportunity to observe these behaviors in others, they will struggle to learn them.

Schools are a key player in helping students learn and develop habits that are healthy for the individual and for the wider community. Our thoughts become actions, and our actions become habits. Overtime, the habits we’ve grown accustomed to become who we are, and determine the health of our bodies, minds, and relationships. Our brains are used to running a certain sequence of behaviors, and we are addicted to the rewards that result. Schools need to develop habits in students that promote lifelong learning, health, and happiness.

School must provide students with authentic educational experiences that will equip them with necessary skills to achieve and problem solve in the real-world. Students must be able to do more than just memorize facts or a sequence of steps. They need to be able to develop healthy habits. They need to be able to transfer their knowledge to new problems in new settings. They need to be able to select and use the best tools for the job at hand. Technology enhances human abilities, and students must be able to use the technologies and tools (and other support systems) that are available to them in the real-world whenever possible. Too often schools ask students to perform tasks without tools, and without the support systems (both social and physical) that they would normally have access to. Schools and teachers must do our best to open up the world to learners, so that their learning is meaningful and relevant to their lives and futures.

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Wiseman, Dennis. February 2008. Scheme Theory: Using Cognitive Structures in Organizing Knowledge. Research Brief 10. Spanoni College of Education. Biddle Center for Teaching and Learning.