{"id":107,"date":"2018-01-19T19:21:24","date_gmt":"2018-01-19T19:21:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-mcc-cos2master\/chapter\/the-learning-process\/"},"modified":"2019-08-07T15:33:30","modified_gmt":"2019-08-07T15:33:30","slug":"the-learning-process","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-wcc-collegesuccess2\/chapter\/the-learning-process\/","title":{"raw":"The Learning Process","rendered":"The Learning Process"},"content":{"raw":"
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It's Like RIding a Bike<\/h3>\r\nThink back to a time you learned something new like riding a bike, learning to drive, or making a meal. How was it the first time you tried? How about the fifth? The fiftieth? What helped you learn? What were your challenges?\r\n\r\nCreate a visual to describe your learning process. Include the steps you took toward success.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\"Person\r\n
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Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom. \u2013 George Washington Carver<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\nNow that you've developed some strategies for coming to class prepared and getting ready to learn, it's important to learn how to learn. Although there are many strategies, and although each person learns a bit differently, there are some key stages and styles of learning that are similar for most students. One example is that practice is almost always necessary in order to get better at anything. Certainly any athlete or musician can attest to the importance of regular practice, and that same dedication to practice applies to college learning as well.\r\n

The Importance of Practice<\/h2>\r\nTake a moment to watch the following\u00a0video by Kristos called The Process of Learning<\/em>. As you watch, consider how painful\u00a0it can be\u2014literally!\u2014to learn something new, but also how much joy can be experienced after it's\u00a0learned.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/G1eQ6JWAi9Q\r\n

Stages of the Learning Process<\/h2>\r\nConsider experiences you've had with learning something new, such as\u00a0learning to tie your shoes or drive a car. You probably began by showing interest in the process, and after some struggle it became second nature. These experiences were all part of the learning process, which can be described in four stages:\r\n
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  1. Unconscious incompetence:<\/strong> You don't know what you don't know<\/em> yet.<\/em> This stage happens to everyone when they approach a brand new subject or discover something they've never thought about before.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Conscious incompetence:<\/strong> You know what you don't know.<\/em> This stage can\u00a0be the most difficult, because you begin to register how much you need to learn. Think about the saying \u201cIt's easier said than done.\u201d In stage 2, you begin to apply new skills that contribute to reaching\u00a0the\u00a0learning goal. Successful completion of this stage relies on practice.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Conscious competence:<\/strong> You are feeling some confidence about what you do know, but you can't fully explain what you have learned to someone else.<\/em> Even though you may be able to process the information you're receiving in a lecture, you may not yet be able to fully answer a question about it. Stage 3 requires skill repetition.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Unconscious competence:<\/strong> You can explain what you have learned to someone else.<\/em> This final stage is mastery; you have successfully practiced and repeated the process you learned so many times\u00a0that you can recall and use that information in a variety of contexts.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nAlthough you may feel you are a \"master\" of a particular skill by the time you reach stage 4, constant practice and reevaluation of which stage you are in is necessary so you can keep learning. [footnote]Mansaray, David. \"The Four Stages of Learning: The Path to Becoming an Expert.\" DavidMansaray.com<\/em>. 2011. Web. 10 Feb 2016.[\/footnote]\r\n

    The Study Cycle: A Five Step Process<\/h1>\r\nThe study cycle, from LSU's Center for Academic Success, gives the big picture, so you can study more efficiently and have success on your exams.\r\n\r\n\"\"Preview<\/strong>: Before class look over your notes from the last class and any assigned readings. Note headings, subheading, pictures, graphics, learning objectives, and summaries. Prepare questions to ask about the content.\r\n\r\nAttend<\/strong>: Take notes, answer questions, and ask any new questions.\r\n\r\nReview<\/strong>: Review your notes, find answers to any missing information or questions within 24 hours.\r\n\r\nStudy<\/strong>: Review your notes and ask yourself how? why? and what? to make connections. Repetition will move the material from short-term memory to long-term memory, so create study times throughout the week to review content.\r\n\r\nAssess<\/strong>: Test yourself by seeing if you can explain the material to another person without looking at your notes or textbook. Ask yourself if you are spending enough time studying and if your study methods are working.\r\n\r\nWatch the following video for an overview of the study cycle.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6vEWBnIqxcg\r\n

    Identifying Learning Styles<\/h1>\r\nMany of us are accustomed to\u00a0very traditional learning styles as a result of\u00a0our experience as K\u201312 students. For instance, we can all remember\u00a0listening to a teacher talk and copying notes off the chalkboard. However, when it comes to learning, one size doesn't fit all. People have different learning styles and preferences, and these can vary\u00a0from subject to subject. For example, while one student might prefer listening to recordings to learn\u00a0Spanish, that same student might prefer hands-on activities like labs to master\u00a0the concepts in a biology course.\r\n\r\nLearning styles or preferences are also called\u00a0learning modalities<\/em>. Walter Burke Barbe and his colleagues proposed the following three learning modalities (often identified by the acronym VAK):\r\n
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    1. Visual<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. Auditory<\/li>\r\n \t
    3. Kinesthetic<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nExamples\u00a0of these modalities are shown in the table, below.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
      Visual<\/th>\r\nKinesthetic<\/th>\r\nAuditory<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
      Picture<\/td>\r\nGestures<\/td>\r\nListening<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
      Shape<\/td>\r\nBody Movements<\/td>\r\nRhythms<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
      Sculpture<\/td>\r\nObject Manipulation<\/td>\r\nTone<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
      Paintings<\/td>\r\nPositioning<\/td>\r\nChants<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nNeil Fleming's VARK model\u00a0expanded on the three modalities described above and added \"Read\/Write Learning\" as a\u00a0fourth.\r\n\r\nThe four sensory modalities in Fleming's model are:\r\n
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      1. Visual learning<\/li>\r\n \t
      2. Auditory learning<\/li>\r\n \t
      3. Read\/write learning<\/li>\r\n \t
      4. Kinesthetic learning<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nFleming claimed that visual learners<\/em> have a preference for seeing (visual aids that represent ideas using methods other than words, such as graphs, charts, diagrams, symbols, etc.). Auditory learners<\/em> best learn through listening (lectures, discussions, tapes, etc.). Read\/write learners<\/em> have a preference for written words (readings, dictionaries, reference works, research, etc.) Tactile\/kinesthetic<\/em> learners prefer to learn via experience\u2014moving, touching, and doing (active exploration of the world, science projects, experiments, etc.).\r\n\r\nThe VAK\/VARK models can be a helpful\u00a0way of thinking about different learning\u00a0styles and preferences, but they are certainly not the last word on how people learn or prefer to learn. Many educators consider\u00a0the distinctions useful, finding that students benefit from having access to a blend of learning approaches. Other educators find the idea of three or four \"styles\" to be distracting or\u00a0limiting.\r\n\r\nIn the college setting, you'll probably discover that instructors teach\u00a0their course materials according to the method they think\u00a0will be most effective for all students.\u00a0Thus, regardless of your individual learning preference, you will probably be asked to engage in all types of learning. For instance, even though you consider yourself to be a \"visual learner,\" you will still probably have to write papers in some of your classes. This is a good thing: research suggests that it's good for the brain to learn in new ways\u00a0and that learning in different modalities can help\u00a0learners become more well-rounded.\r\n\r\nConsider the following statistics on how much content\u00a0students absorb through\u00a0different learning methods:\r\n