Learning as a Lifelong Process - Term Paper Example

Learning as a Lifelong Process al affiliation Learning is an integral part of every person’s life. What is more, it may be regarded one of the vitally important human needs. It is one of the key aspects of personality growth. Learning is a lifelong process. It cannot be reduced to school studies only. People learn new things every day. To read a new book, to watch a new film, or to see a new place means to learn something new. Communication with other people is an important source of learning as well. That is how children learn from their parents. Thus, people may learn a lot of new things not only in educational institutions, but from life too. Efficiency of learning process may depend on a person’s age. Thus, brain size peaks during adolescence. Cognitive processes are on their peak too. That is why it is so easy for children to learn something totally new. However, mental abilities decline with age. For this reason it is really difficult for older people to start learning something which is far beyond their knowledge. For them the easiest way to learn something new is to relate it to the knowledge they already possess. There is a lot of theories which describe and explain the process of learning. Among the widest-spread ones it is possible to mention behaviorism and Gestalt. Humanistic, as well as social and situational approaches, should be taken into consideration too. Key words: learning, personality development, informal learning, mental abilities, learning theories. Learning as a Lifelong Process To find an acute and precise definition of such phenomenon as learning is quite a challenging task. Such a definition would depend on a concrete point learning is viewed from. Thus, pedagogics would approach learning as a process of systematic studies which helps a person acquire certain knowledge and skills in a certain scholarly field. In this case learning is regarded a conscious, purposeful interaction between a teacher and a pupil. In other words, it is an organized and thoroughly regulated pedagogical process. At the same time, psychology may view learning as an act or process of behavior modification. As defined by APA, learning is a process based on experience that results in a relatively permanent change in behavior or behavioral potential. Thus, didactic approach is replaced by a psychological one. In general, learning may be defined as a process or act of acquiring new knowledge, skill, and behavioral patterns. A person may also acquire new preferences, moral values, and priorities. The process of learning may also mean that a person reinforces or modifies knowledge and skills they already possess. New knowledge and skills may be gained while studying, being taught, practicing, or experiencing something. It is interesting that learning is a lifelong process. To feed the own curiosity is a vitally important need for most teenagers. This may be explained from physiological viewpoint. The human brain size achieves its peak at the age of 14. It is possible to notice that a lot of teenagers are sure they know much more than their parents. Besides, such cognitive processes as reasoning, memory and learning are on their peak during adolescence. They also remain strong by age 30. However, cognitive processes start weakening as a person is becoming older. It is possible to say that human brains begin shrinking in a literal sense of the word (Chylinski, 2011). It is also accompanied by the fact that more and more people lead not so active lifestyle as they age. Thus, to learn something new is quite a challenging task for the older generation. That is also the reason why it is wrong to blame those who do not seem to be curious and knowledge-hungry. Thus, physical and mental abilities of people wear out with age. Dr. Robert Epstein, former editor-in-chief of Psychology Today, states “We do not know how to stop or reverse this decline, but it is important for us to resist it. There is some evidence that if you keep learning and stay active cognitively, it probably slows down the deterioration. In fact, there is good evidence that people can stay cognitively active even as their brains are deteriorating” (Epstein, 2007). However, it is sometimes easier for older people to learn new things just because they may resort to their memory, former experience, and existing knowledge and skills. In other words, adults may relate something new to the things they already know. As Dr. Mattes notices, “Every interaction and experience shapes the way we think and act. As an adult we bring a wealth of experience that allows us to learn, assimilate, question and think critically about what is being presented” (Chylinski, 2011).  Thus, it is much easier to learn the second foreign language. Another example – a person may easily learn how to dance waltz in case they can dance tango. However, it does not work with something totally new. For some adults and older people it is hard to learn something that is far beyond their knowledge and former experience. Youngsters are much more successful with it. Besides, children and teenagers have almost nothing to compare new information with, that is why they easily accept new opinions and changes. For instance, it is almost impossible to make an old person change his or her life priorities, formed many years ago. At the same time, psychologists insist it is really useful to start learning something comparatively new. As Dr. Epstein says, “When people learn outside their area of expertise it helps them become more creative. It leads to generation of new ideas” (Epstein, 2007). Thus, to learn something genuinely new is a challenging, but worthy task. Thus, every person continues learning throughout the whole life. On the one hand, some people have a desire to change their profession. Of course, they are supposed to learn a lot. They may need to do a special course or even to receive the second higher education. On the other hand, some people may consider the process of learning to be a form of entertainment. People learn new things just for fun. Even more, to master a new game means to learn something new too. It is possible to continue the list of motives which may make a person develop their knowledge. Whatever it is, people keep looking for new information and gaining new skills. Thus, people do not necessarily learn in classrooms only. It is wrong to think that learning is reduced to cooperation between teachers and their pupils. Instead, a person has an ability to learn every day. It is possible to learn a lot of new things just in the process of informal communication with other people. It is necessary to understand the difference between formal and informal types of learning. Formal learning is a familiar thing to all the students. This is the mentioned teacher-student relationships, a part of a well-organized and directed school system. Informal learning occurs in everyday situations when a person is supposed to learn from life. For example, that is how children learn from their parents and other adults. A person may form some new skills while playing a game. To visit a museum or another town, to read a book or to watch a film is a part of informal learning as well. It is also worthy to mention non-formal learning, existing outside the formal school system. Club of interests may be a good example – people of different ages are welcome to come there in order to exchange different ideas and share opinions. Thus, learning is a lifelong process. A person’s education should not stop the moment they receive their diplomas. And it does not. Official statistics may submit data of formal learning only. However, it is not precise. It is possible to trace someone’s education only within the limits of formal educational system. In other words, it is possible to find out which school, college, or university a person has graduated from. However, such a statistics does not take into consideration how many books and films a person reads and watches every month. It does not take into account how much a person travels and what hobbies they have. Thus, the number of learned people is much higher than statistics may show. That is also the reason why a child should be taught how to learn from its earliest years. It is necessary to prove a kid that learning is a joyful process, but not a torture. It is also worthy to say that learning is not just thinking and memorizing. This process involves the whole personality – human senses, intuition, feelings, values, and priorities. One of the most important things in the course of this process is motivation. Nothing can be learned without motivation. At the same time, a person changes when some new knowledge and skills are gained. In order to estimate how successful the process of learning was a person may try to find out whether its results meet the goal they had set. In case their personal needs are satisfied it is possible to consider the efforts to be worthwhile. In other words, the process of learning is successful in case the acquired knowledge and skills let a person achieve the set goals. Thus, it is possible to call an act of learning successful and completed when a person obtains a physical and mental grasp of what they are trying to learn. A reliable way to check this is to ask a person repeat what they have learned in their own words. One more important thing is to make sure a person uses the acquired knowledge and abilities along with those they already possess. Finally, the act of learning may certainly be called successful if a person is able to apply new knowledge in practice, especially in situations which require immediate reaction. Generally, researchers distinguish four stages of learning. It is possible to say that the process of learning resembles a repetitive circle. The idea of the four stages of competence was initially offered at the Gordon Training International by one of its employee Noel Burch (Adams, 2011). The first stage is referred to as unconscious incompetence. It may be described as “I do not know that I do not know something”. The process of learning cannot start on this stage simply because a person is ignorant of his or her lack of knowledge. Conscious incompetence is the second stage. A person may say “I do not know how to do this but I may learn it”. This is a really difficult stage – a lot of people just give up because they lack motivation, time, money, or something else. Others do not want to continue the process of learning because their failures disappoint them. Those who overcome all these difficulties finally get to the third stage – conscious competence. They may say “I know that I can do this”. This stage may be dangerous because a lot of people believe they are already experts in their subjects and they just stop making further progress. However, this stage is still much easier than the previous one. Good results may serve as an additional motivation. Finally, the fourth stage is unconscious competence. People just do not pay attention to their knowledge and skills. Someone may say “Oh, you are so good at it!”. People on the fourth stage may look surprised just because they take their good results for granted. The acquired skill becomes a natural part of a person. Thus, these four stages may be used as a model of learning. A person is initially unaware of the deficit in their knowledge. The only way to learn something new is to become aware of the personal ignorance. Sooner or later a person becomes conscious that they may apply their new knowledge and skills in practice. However, the main thing is to make a person able to use his or her abilities without thinking about this. There is a variety of theories which attempt to describe the process of learning. Some of them are rather contrastive since the explanations they provide depend on an approach their authors choose. Besides, some of them are quite dissimilar as they describe different types of learning. For example, traditional learning theories are usually associated with formal school system and children, engaged in the process of school studies. On the other hand, the principles of adult learning may be quite different. As defined by behaviorism, one of the widest-spread learning theories of the 20th century, learning is a change of behavior. Thus, learning is viewed as a result, but not as a process. Consequently, the process itself is not as important as its outcome. Its crucial aspect and aim is to make a person change his or her behavioral patterns. According to the principles of behaviorism, the way a person behaves may change in dependence to their experience. Thus, F.B. Skinner, one of the best-known representatives of behaviorism, views learning as a means to produce behavioral changes in a desired direction. The task of a teacher is to provide such circumstances which would help elicit a desired response. However, it is necessary to take into consideration that not all the behavioral changes which result from a person’s experience presuppose learning. Nevertheless, it is difficult to overestimate the influence of Skinner’s theory over the principles of modern school system. Another popular psychological approach of the 20th century is Gestalt. According to K. Koffka, one of its representatives, new knowledge and skills cannot be obtained unless a person understands their true nature. In other words, mechanical repetition of similar actions is not enough to learn something new. However, imitation may be quite helpful in case it precedes understanding. Imitation may also make the process of learning easier, though teachers must pay special attention to what is actually imitated. One more thing which is important is cognitive development. The task is to develop a person’s capacity to learn better. Thus, to learn something means to grasp its structural whole. Mechanistic response to certain stimulus is not enough. One more approach was offered by humanists, Maslow and Rogers. The process of learning is viewed as an act which gives a person an opportunity to fulfil their potential. A person is eventually supposed to become self-actualized and autonomous. The strive for self-determination is what actually makes humans unique among other animals (Maslow, 1968). According to humanistic theory, this quality is ignored by representatives of behaviorism. As defined by person-centered theory, elaborated by Rogers, the crucial feature of personality is self-actualization (Rogers, 1993). That is why the task of an educator is to develop the whole personality of their students. Finally, it is necessary to mention social (Bandura) and situational (Lave and Wenger) approaches. According to them, the process of learning occurs in relationship between people and the surrounding environment. The main principles are socialization and social participation. In other words, learning is considered to be an integral part of social practice. A person is supposed to acquire certain knowledge and skills within certain communities of practice, formed by groups of people who share the same domain of human activities (this may be a tribe that needs to survive, a group of colleagues working on a project, musical band, and so on). The task of an educator is to provide such communities of practice (Wenger, 1999). In order to sum up it is necessary to say that learning is not only involvement in formal educational system. It is an integral and vitally important part of personality development. That is the reason why the process of learning cannot be completely directed by others. That is a key skill each person should possess. To show a child that learning may be a joyful process means to enable them towards personal growth. At the same time, it is necessary to remember that personal successes at school cannot be regarded an accurate indicator. The results of essays, tests and exams may show how much a student has learned. However, they cannot measure and illustrate the actual processes of learning. Learning is a lifelong process which cannot be reduced to formal education only. References Adams, Linda. (2011). Learning a New Skill is Easier Said Than Done. Gordon Training International. Retrieved from: http://www.gordontraining.com/free-workplace-articles/learning-a-new-skill-is-easier-said-than-done/ Chylinski, Manya. (2011). The benefits of lifelong learning. Phoenix Focus. Retrieved from: http://www.phoenixfocus.com/2011-08/feed-curiosity-benefits-lifelong-learning/ Epstein, Robert. (2007). The Myths of the Teen Brain. Scientific American Mind. Retrieved from: http://drrobertepstein.com/pdf/Epstein-THE_MYTH_OF_THE_TEEN_BRAIN-Scientific_American_Mind-4-07.pdf?lbisphpreq=1 Maslow, A. (1968). Towards a Psychology of Being.( 2nd ed). New York: Van Nostrand.  Rogers, C., and Freiberg, H. J. (1993). Freedom to Learn (3rd edn.), New York: Merrill. Wenger, E. (1999). Communities of Practice. Learning, meaning and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More