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Learning – An activity we practice all our lives

The word learning evokes different meanings for different people. For many, it causes anxiety, because it reminds them of hours upon hours they spent pouring over books, whereas for others, it brings joy, because such people are always ready to learn something new that can help them improve their lives in some way. Regardless of the emotions the concept of learning arouses in you, it is important to know that learning is almost as vital and as natural an action as breathing.

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The concept of learning

We share our concept of learning with animals, some plants, and more recently, with certain machines. However, this process is still by far the most developed in people. Simply, human life is defined by learning from the very beginning. When we crawl as babies, trying to stand up on our two feet, or as we spend days and nights pouring over books at school or university, when we attend courses, or try to learn the secrets of the craft from our older co-workers, we never actually stop learning. Although we are often unaware of this, each new experience in the store, gym, at work, in meetings with other people represents a potential learning opportunity for us.

This means that learning can be formal and informal. If we learn from experience, everyday situations and open contexts, it is informal learning. However, if we obtain knowledge at school, through structured courses, we are talking about formal learning. In any case: whichever type of learning we utilize, this process has a great impact on our life.

Simply put, the concept of learning plays a very important part in all stages of our life, helping us to adapt and creatively respond to the challenges posed by the environment.

But, what exactly is the learning process?

The definition of learning states that it is a process of acquiring new knowledge, skills, understanding, behaviors, values, beliefs, even affinities and inclinations. Hence, learning covers a very wide spectrum of things that make our life: from adopting customs, to mastering intellectual skills, accepting ethical principles and developing artistic taste.

Research from different disciplines, such as psychology, education, science, and neuropsychology agrees on one thing: there are several forms of learning. For example, learning can be the result of certain habits, classical conditioning, but also operant conditioning (reward and punishment) in both humans and animals. Although many see learning and play as two opposite concepts, associating the former with effort and boredom, and the latter with joy and entertainment, the truth may surprise you – learning can be the result of play in humans and intelligent animals.

The incorporation of play in the learning process is becoming increasingly popular in modern educational institutions, especially since the beginning of the rapid technological development. Namely, research has confirmed that educational video games have a great impact on learning, which is why they are increasingly used in primary and secondary school teaching. This application of video games is called edutainment, referring to the unique combination of learning and play, which has proved particularly effective in the acquisition of knowledge and skills of the 21st century.

Learning can be surface and deep. To understand the difference, remember learning a foreign language. If you didn’t use new words in everyday life, they would soon disappear from your memory, and this is an example of surface learning. However, if you were forced to use these words, e.g. if you lived abroad, they would stay with you for years, and this is an example of deep learning.

Although we identify the acquisition of new knowledge with a voluntary action, it may surprise you that we can learn things unconsciously. In fact, some research shows that people learn even during the prenatal period. So, the learning process is so important for life on earth that it even occurs in unborn babies. One thing is certain, as we learn, we change and become more mature. This is why learning is so important in education.

What is learning in education?

Nowhere is learning so all-pervading as in primary and secondary school. It is a period when children have to acquire a large corpus of knowledge of different subjects and areas that will enable them to continue their education, find a job and build a career. However, at the same time, they adopt numerous ethical, esthetic, social and other concepts. Simply put, learning in that period is most suitable for the acquisition of comprehensive knowledge which is the opposite of specialist, strictly focused knowledge acquired later at university, or through various formal and non-formal courses people attend when they want to improve their career.

So, learning in primary and secondary school is actually a moment when a child is introduced to the civilization to which they belong, and acquires knowledge, values and behaviors that will help them to creatively contribute to that civilization and find their own place in the world.

Hence, learning in education is inseparable from teaching. Schools are institutions designed specifically to facilitate knowledge acquisition, and teachers are those who need to transfer knowledge to their students. Therefore, teaching and learning are the essence of every school.

The process of acquiring knowledge, skills, behaviors and beliefs is far more efficient if the teacher is able to transfer them to children in an appropriate way. Motivation is crucial in this process. Namely, it has been shown that motivated people acquire knowledge much better and faster than those who lack motivation.

And motivation is nothing more than the ability to understand the meaning of what you are learning. For example, some people are motivated to learn in order to acquire new knowledge and skills that will help them improve their career, others are motivated by rewards, and some learn only to pass an exam. None of these factors should be neglected when it comes to learning, and the teacher should find out what motivates each of their students, so that they can arouse their desire to learn.

However, neuropsychologists have discovered that one of the strongest types of motivation to learn that helps people acquire knowledge and skills over a long period is – intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation means that you learn out of curiosity, or because you are interested in the subject you are learning about, or because you enjoy intellectual challenges. Students who are intrinsically motivated don’t think about things outside of the subject of learning, such as rewards. They are entirely focused on knowledge and derive their satisfaction from a successfully completed task, achieving the best possible results.

Therefore, the main objective of every teacher is not only to instill knowledge and skills into their students, but to kindle their love for learning that will enable them to practice lifelong learning.

What do we mean by lifelong learning?

We have already mentioned that learning is a process we practice formally or informally, consciously or unconsciously, all our lives. However, the concept of lifelong learning is something else. It involves a voluntary action, i.e. lifelong commitment to the acquisition of new knowledge and skills in order to develop as a human being in different fields.

In the 21st century, defined by dynamic technological development and global availability of information, a century of change and unpredictable future, one thing is certain – knowledge becomes obsolete quickly.

Therefore, anyone who wants to be successful at their job, or who simply wants to be informed, must continuously learn and improve themselves. Only that way can a person be up-to-date with the changes brought about by the modern age. That is why every individual must nurture lifelong learning, and that requires motivation, but also ability that can be learned. Therefore, modern schools have a s special task:

A good school must teach its students how to learn

This may sound strange, but human beings don’t only possess the ability to learn skills, knowledge and behaviors – we can also learn how to learn. This is exactly one of the most important lessons a child learns at school. When we master the learning technique of filtering and evaluating information, when we learn how to look for and check facts, master the means and materials for knowledge acquisition, and when we finally awaken a lifelong desire and curiosity in ourselves, only then will we be ready and able to learn independently, even after completing our formal education.

Good private schools have long since understood that education has changed. It is impossible to predict what the future will be like at this moment, what professions will disappear and what new jobs will arise. Therefore, when preparing children for the future, such schools actually prepare them to deal with a variety of unpredictable contexts. And the way to do it is to teach them to acquire 21st century knowledge and skills at any time and any place.

In other words, children who attend these schools have the opportunity to experience some of the best learning practices that they can later implement on their own in different aspects of their professional and social life.

Best learning practices

Active learning

This form of knowledge acquisition requires students to have an active relationship toward the learning process. That means that they interact with the learning material, have the opportunity to choose the teaching style in which the learning material will be presented, and can even determine their own study time and pace of information acquisition. Simply put, with the teacher’s advice and supervision, the student takes control over their learning. Knowledge acquired this way becomes permanent, which is why active learning is one of the most efficient forms of learning.

Contextual learning

There is a simple reason why we forget so many of the things we learned at school: because we never had the opportunity to see their significance, nor apply them in real life. Contextual learning tries to bridge this gap between school and everyday life by placing learning in different real-world contexts, demonstrating how information from the classroom can be used in real life. So, students gain insight and understand the meaning of what they are learning through practice. It is quite simple – any knowledge we apply in practice will stay with us longer than the knowledge we simply memorized, which is why contextual learning is one of the best learning practices.

Problem-based learning

In traditional education, knowledge was largely acquired mechanically, through repetition and memorization. However, the 21st century demands a different approach. Instead of filling them with ready-made facts like empty receptacles, students need to acquire knowledge on their own, and this is achieved through problem solving. Namely, students encounter various challenges and problems in real life, the solution of which requires knowledge of different subjects. Then they devise an approach, propose solutions and look for the best ones.

The problem solving approach doesn’t offer any ready-made solutions, each solution can be valid, and the point is to find the most effective one. Thus, instead of fearing wrong answers, students develop the courage to think outside-of-the-box, and seek creative and innovative approaches, because problem solving will enable them to better cope with the challenges of the future.

Edutainment learning

Modern educational technology has a significant role in modern education. Learning with the help of mobile phones, educational apps, 3D printers, scanners and many other smart gadgets allow the adaptation of the learning process to the needs, style and schedule of each individual. Hence, this is one of the most effective forms of learning, because it introduces a contextual environment, interactivity and a personalized approach. Children grow up with smart devices and advanced technology in the 21st century, which is why this form of learning is most familiar and relatable to them.

Allison Academy nurtures a state-of-the-art approach to learning

Allison Academy is known as a truly different school, because it provides comprehensive learning that helps its students acquire relevant knowledge, contemporary skills, and a complete education that helps them develop into intellectually, socially and emotionally fulfilled individuals.

By practicing education focused on 21st-century skills and needs, STEM concepts and dedication to comprehensive student development, Allison Academy introduces its students to the concept of lifelong learning, helping them to become curious individuals, capable of acquiring knowledge independently and creatively responding to different contexts.

Provide your child with a state-of-the-art education that will turn him/her into a lifelong learner.

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