learning and the individiual

Question 1

learning includes not just acquiring the underpinning knowledge but also

Answer 1

developing skills and changing attitudes about something.

Question 2

Learning can be described as

Answer 2

‘the process of acquiring knowledge through experience which leads to an enduring change in behaviour’.

Question 3

So planned change demands an effective learning environment enabling people to

Answer 3

unlearn old ways or methods and develop new ones in a way that suits them, because people are all different.

Question 4

David Kolb developed a theory of adult learning, called the learning cycle.

There are four steps in the cycle,

Answer 4

Concrete Experience, * (Experience is something that happens)

Reflective Observation, ( You think about it)

Abstract Conceptualization ( You identify a pattern)

Practical Experimentation (You test your theory and the cycle then repeats to ensure a clear and full understanding)

Question 5

• Experience is something that happens

Answer 5

• You think about it
• You identify a pattern
• You test your theory and the cycle then repeats to ensure a clear and full understanding

Question 6

Honey and Mumford further developed this cycle and identified that different people had preferences to where they started on the cycle and called these preferences:

Answer 6

• Activist
• Reflector
• Theorist
• Pragmatist

Question 7

How do you think Activists prefer to learn?

Answer 7

I think in at the deep end, doing something, such as practical exercises.

Paul:
And if we presented lots of facts and theories to them?

Steph:
They would be bored and demotivated.

Question 8

So Activists prefer to do something, what about the others?

Answer 8

…

Question 9

Theorists would prefer

Answer 9

the background, lectures on theory, all the details on the reasoning before being asked to apply it.

Question 10

Whereas Pragmatists like

Answer 10

simulations, workshops and problem solving exercises, that allow an understanding of how the theory should be applied.

Question 11

And the Reflectors?

Answer 11

They like to review, observe others, and compare the theory with the practical.

Question 12

We all have preferences to where we start on the cycle but for effective learning we should cover all the steps.

Answer 12

This should encourage us to think about designing and delivering learning in different ways to engage with all our audience.

Question 13

Both using a new DVD player without reading the instructions, and jumping into the swimming pool as soon as you arrive on holiday, are

Answer 13

activist statements.

As they are about having an experience, which is considered an activist behaviour.

Question 14

Whereas reading the highway code before getting in a car, and reading the instructions in the recipe before you start cooking,

Answer 14

are theorist statements.

As they both try to understand the rules before trying something, which is typical of a theorist.

Question 15

Then we have making lots of cakes for an event in order to try out the recipe, and rehearsing a best man’s speech in front of a couple of friends, these are both

Answer 15

pragmatist statements.

Practicing allowing you to test a theory, this is typical pragmatist behaviour.

Question 16

Finally, this leaves us with carrying out a review of lessons before starting a project, and adding a new number on your phone in the same way you did on your old one, which a considered

Answer 16

reflector statements.

Reviewing previous work and using your experience, this is common of a reflector.

Question 17

As well as understanding how we learn we also have to consider where we are in terms of competence.

There are four levels of competence in this model, these are:

Answer 17

• Unconscious Incompetence
• Conscious Incompetence
• Conscious Competence, and
• Unconscious Competence

Question 18

So, Unconscious Incompetence means I don’t know that I can’t do it.

Answer 18

Yes, or that you know how to do the current job, but don’t know about the new way, yet.

It is often said that if you are not aware of your short comings then it is impossible to do something about them.

Question 19

Then Conscious Incompetence says I am aware I don’t know how to, I have something to learn.

Answer 19

I am aware of my lack of competence.

Question 20

Conscious Competence is

Answer 20

I know how to do the task but it is new to me, I have to think how to do it and will have to check I do it right.

Question 21

But when I’m Unconsciously Competent,

Answer 21

I no longer have to check. I can do it right.

Paul:
That’s correct, let’s look at an example.

Question 22

One of the simplest examples is learning to drive.

At seventeen, most young people assume that having played video games that they can drive, but have never sat in the driver’s seat of a car.

Answer 22

At this point they are Unconsciously Incompetent.

At this point the safest thing to do is take them to a large open area and let them try.

Question 23

What normally happens is that they start the car, put in gear and then stall when they try to pull away or kangaroo jump the car along.

At this point they know they can’t drive properly.

Answer 23

They are Consciously Incompetent.

With this raised awareness it is possible to learn.

During driving lessons and in fact even during the driving test, the new driver is constantly thinking about what they are doing and how it should be done.

Question 24

And in fact during the driving test they are also trying to show the examiner they know what to do and how to do it.

Answer 24

We are Consciously Competent at this point.

Once they have passed our test, they drive, they gain experience.

They apply their knowledge in a real way.

Question 25

They stop having to think about how to change gear, it becomes an automatic response to the sound of the engine and the speed of the car.

Answer 25

They are Unconsciously Competent.

Of course, the difficulty here is we are no longer concentrating on what we do and therefore shortcuts and bad habits can develop, which could lead us back in to being Unconsciously Incompetent.

Think about how many times you have tried to change up a gear when you are already in top gear.

Question 26

Importantly, if you have to concentrate on what you are doing and how, what happens to your productivity?

Answer 26

Well, it drops.

Question 27

when we learn something or change something there is always a drop in productivity.

Answer 27

Absolutely, we call this the Learning Dip.

Question 28

We will be working in an old process, quite effectively, then we’re required to learn something new,

Answer 28

the effectiveness drops as we start to learn.

Question 29

As we add the new skills, knowledge the effectiveness remains low, then as we practice and integrate the new skills and knowledge

Answer 29

the effectiveness starts to rise.

Question 30

There are a number of explanations given for this; one of my favourite analogies is that, in our brains we have two computers.

Answer 30

A huge super computer that runs all the day to day activities and acquired skills and a small handheld device which we use to learn things on before transferring it to the super computer.

When learning new skills, we are loading a lot of information on to the handheld device, it is therefore slow and often crashes until we learn how to carry out the task well.

At this point we transfer the programme to the super computer, which has vast capacity and is able to run the programme at full speed without glitches.

This explains why we often find learning new knowledge and skills challenging, but once learnt they become almost second nature.

Question 31

Why is it important that we clearly define what people have to learn?

Answer 31

Without a clear definition we could be learning the wrong subjects.

Or not enough of the right subjects.

Question 32

Yes, but it’s not enough just to learn the subjects, what else do we need to consider?

Answer 32

Well, it’s also how we apply those subjects, how we use them.

Question 33

Yes, in fact there are three elements we should define when looking at the learning to be undertaken; these are Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes.

Answer 33

• Knowledge is what must they know, the subject
• Skills is how to apply this knowledge, and
• Attitude is how they behave whilst applying the knowledge.

This is about enabling people to change their behaviour, not just what they do, but how they do it and why they do it.

Question 34

As a last question, when should the learning take place?

Answer 34

As near to the situation when it will be required.

Karen:
Yes, do the learning a long way in advance and it has been forgotten by the time it’s needed.

Question 35

Let’s check we understand the differences between Knowledge, Skills and Attitude.

Answer 35

Knowledge is about what you know.

Understanding the three areas of learning, Listing the four levels of Competency, and Identifying all the planets of the solar system, are all knowledge statements.

Whereas skills is about how to do something.

Completing an activity, and resolving a conflict situation, are both skill statements.

Finally, there is attitude, which is about showing you can do something in the right way.

Demonstrating how to defuse conflict, is an attitude statement.