2.1 The Power to Learn - College Success | OpenStax [Link]

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Questions to Consider:

• What actually happens to me when I learn something?

• Am I aware of different types of learning?
• Do I approach studying or practicing differently depending on the desired outcome?

Welcome to one of the most empowering chapters in this book! While each chapter focuses on
showing you clear paths to success as a student, this one deals specifically with what is at the core
of being a student: the act of learning.

We humans have been obsessed with how we learn and understand things since ancient times.
Because of this, some of our earliest recorded philosophies have tried to explain how we take in
information about the world around us, how we acquire new knowledge, and even how we can be
certain what we learn is correct. This obsession has produced a large number of theories, ideas, and
research into how we learn. There is a great deal of information out there on the subject—some of it
is very good, and some of it, while well intentioned, has been a bit misguided.

Because of this obsession with learning, over the centuries, people have continually come up with
new ideas about how we acquire knowledge. The result has been that commonly held “facts” about
education have been known to change frequently. Often, what was once thought to be the newest,
greatest discovery about learning was debunked later on. One well-known example of this is that of
corporal punishment. For most of the time formal education has existed in our society, educators
truly believed that beating students when they made a mistake actually helped them learn faster.
Thankfully, birching (striking someone with a rod made from a birch tree) has fallen out of favor in
education circles, and our institutions of learning have adopted different approaches. In this chapter,
not only will you learn about current learning theories that are backed by neuroscience (something
we did not have back in the days of birching), but you will also learn other learning theories that did
not turn out to be as effective or as thoroughly researched as once thought. That does not mean
those ideas about learning are useless. Instead, in these cases you find ways to separate the
valuable parts from the myths to make good learning choices.

“Research has shown that one of the most influential aids in learning is an
understanding about learning itself.”

What Is the Nature of Learning?

To begin with, it is important to recognize that learning is work. Sometimes it is easy and sometimes
it is difficult, but there is always work involved. For many years people made the error of assuming
that learning was a passive activity that involved little more than just absorbing information. Learning
was thought to be a lot like copying and pasting words in a document; the student’s mind was blank

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was thought to be a lot like copying and pasting words in a document; the student’s mind was blank
and ready for an instructor to teach them facts that they could quickly take in. As it turns out,
learning is much more than that. In fact, at its most rudimentary level, it is an actual process that
physically changes our brains. Even something as simple as learning the meaning of a new word
requires the physical alteration of neurons and the creation of new paths to receptors. These new
electrochemical pathways are formed and strengthened as we utilize, practice, or remember what
we have learned. If the new skill or knowledge is used in conjunction with other things we have
already learned, completely different sections of the brain, our nerves, or our muscles may be tied in
as a part of the process. A good example of this would be studying a painting or drawing that
depicts a scene from a story or play you are already familiar with. Adding additional connections,
memories, and mental associations to things you already know something about expands your
knowledge and understanding in a way that cannot be reversed. In essence, it can be said that every
time we learn something new we are no longer the same.

In addition to the physical transformation that takes place during learning, there are also a number of
other factors that can influence how easy or how difficult learning something can be. While most
people would assume that the ease or difficulty would really depend on what is being learned, there
are actually several other factors that play a greater role.

In fact, research has shown that one of the most influential factors in learning is a clear
understanding about learning itself. This is not to say that you need to become neuroscientists in
order to do well in school, but instead, knowing a thing or two about learning and how we learn in
general can have strong, positive results for your own learning. This is called metacognition (i.e.,
thinking about thinking).

Some of the benefits to how we learn can be broken down into different areas such as

• attitude and motivation toward learning,

• types of learning,
• methods of learning, and
• your own preferences for learning.

In this chapter you will explore these different areas to better understand how they may influence
your own learning, as well as how to make conscious decisions about your own learning process to
maximize positive outcomes.

All Learning Is Not the Same

The first, fundamental point to understand about learning is that there are several types of learning.
Different kinds of knowledge are learned in different ways. Each of these different types of learning
can require different processes that may take place in completely different parts of our brain.

For example, simple memorization is a form of learning that does not always require deeper
understanding. Children often learn this way when they memorize poems or verses they recite. An
interesting example of this can be found in the music industry, where there have been several hit
songs sung in English by vocalists who do not speak English. In these cases, the singers did not

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truly understand what they were singing, but instead they were taught to memorize the sounds of
the words in the proper order.

Figure 2.2 Learning has many levels and forms. For example, collaborative
learning and showing your work require different skills and produce different
results than reading or note-taking on your own. (Credit: StartUpStockPhotos /
Pexels)

Memorizing sounds is a very different type of learning than, say, acquiring a deep understanding of
Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

Notice in the comparative examples of music and physics that the different levels of learning are
being defined by what they allow you to know or do. When classifying learning in this way, people
usually agree on six different levels of learning. In this next section we will take a detailed look at
each of these.

In the table below, the cells in the left column each contain one of the main levels of learning,
categorized by what the learning allows you to do. To the right of each category are the “skill
acquired” and a set of real-world examples of what those skills might be as applied to a specific
topic. This set of categories is called Bloom’s Taxonomy, and it is often used as a guide for
educators when they are determining what students should learn within a course.

Example 2: Historical
Category of Skill Example 1: Musical information on Charles
Learning acquired ability the Bald

Write a paper on Charles

Produce new Compose a piece of
Create that draws a new
or original work music
conclusion about his reign

Make critical decisions

Justify or about the notes that Make arguments that

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Justify or about the notes that Make arguments that

Evaluate support an idea make up a melody— support the idea that
or decision what works, what Charles was a good ruler
doesn’t, and why

Compare and contrast the

Play the specific notes historical differences
Draw
Analyze that are found in the key between the reign of
connections
of A Charles and his
grandfather, Charlemagne

Use Use knowledge to play Use the information to

Apply information in several notes that write a historical account
new ways sound good together on the reign of Charles

Understand the
Explain the historical
relationship between
Understand/ Explain ideas events that enabled
the musical notes and
Comprehend or concepts Charles to become
how to play each on a
Emperor
musical instrument

Recall facts Recall that Charles the

Memorize notes on a
Remember and basic Bald was Holy Roman
musical scale
concepts Emperor from 875–877 CE

Table 2.1

A review of the above table shows that actions in the left column (or what you will be able to do with
the new knowledge) has a direct influence over what needs to be learned and can even dictate the
type of learning approach that is best. For example, remembering requires a type of learning that
allows the person basic memorization. In the case of Charles the Bald and his reign, it is simply a
matter of committing the dates to memory. When it comes to understanding and comprehension,
being able to explain how Charles came to power requires not only the ability to recall several
events, but also for the learner to be able to understand the cause and effect of those events and
how they worked together to make Charles emperor. Another example would be the ability to
analyze. In this particular instance the information learned would not only be about Charles, but also
about other rulers, such as Charlemagne. The information would have to be of such a depth that the
learner could compare the events and facts about each ruler.

When you engage in any learning activity, take the time to understand what you will do with the
knowledge once you have attained it. This can help a great deal when it comes to making decisions
on how to go about it. Using flashcards to help memorize angles does not really help you solve
problems using geometry formulas. Instead, practicing problem-solving with the actual formulas is a
much better approach. The key is to make certain the learning activity fits your needs.

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