Hi Guys,

I hope you'll forgive the off topic post, it's something I try to avoid, but just occasionally feel I may be allowed to be humoured.

I was wanting to know if anyone had any links / references to books about how to learn. It's a funny subject, as far as I can tell it's totally unsearchable because of the specifics of it (I can find links to learn spanish, just not how to learn). My goal is to understand what makes someone better at assimilating knowledge, how to teach it, and how different people actually acquire skills.

Teaching websites in themselves are too concerned with developing minds, this is not my interest. I'm concerned with how to impart knowledge, or enfuse the desire for knowledge (result in that knowledge being acquired). I know this is a diverse group, and I'm hoping someone has information that they can point me to on this subject.

TheJoe - Sorry, no this is not about games. I'll find something soon to be relevant, or not post...

Short answer? You can't.

What you are describing is more towards behaviourist / neo-behaviorist theories of learning, and they are generally found to be not working very well (especially on adults, it depends alot on age group)

The only thing you can do is make the learning material as interesting as possible, and be enthusiastic about it yourself, you need to create a positive learning environment. You can never actually enfuse someone with a desire to learn, nor impart knowledge, both these things are internal, personal psychological processes, and all you can do is provide the right environment.

There are straight from the bat a few does and don'ts

- do treat your learners as human beings
- respect your learners
- never use sarcasm or satire
- never forget you can learn as much from your learners as they from you
- you can never know everything about a subject, never be afraid to show this to your learners

For the rest, it is my belief that most learning happens in conversations and any form of communication. Learning is a social process, and it will never happen in a vacuum. There are theories that learning only happens when information is appropriated, transformed and communicated in any shape (consider the difference between learning a subject and memorising a subject)

This might help. It's Josh Waitzkin's "The Art of Learning". Waitzkin is best known as the child chess prodigy subject of Searching for Bobby Fisher. But he also went on to become a world champion in Tai Chi Chuan.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Learning-Journey-Performance/dp/0743277465/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375827735&sr=8-1&keywords=waitzkin+art+of+learning

I'm not really sure what you want to hear?

Have you considered Pavlov and his classical conditioning?
B. F. Skinner and his operant conditioning (skinner box)?
I could list another few but sorry I'm too lazy right now.

Check the wiki pages on that keywords or person and you will find a lot of reference and more material.

A cricket bat with a breezeblock nailed to it can be quite effective! ;)

In truth it sounds more like what you want to be looking for is how to teach (any good website referencing this should cover the bases of what you want to know I would think!).

Not sure what exactly it is you're looking for, but here are a few links that you might find interesting:

-- Faces of Learning - How do I learn?
-- Faces of Learning - The Science of Learning
-- Study Guides and Strategies - Learning to learn: metacognition
-- [url=http://sunburst.usd.edu/~bwjames/tut/learning-style/index.html]Three Different Learning Styles[/url]
-- Felder & Soloman - LEARNING STYLES AND STRATEGIES
-- CAS - How I Learn
-- WorldWideLearn - How do you learn? The 3 types of learning styles

While I kinda agree since in my own experience most teachers who have taught me a lot followed these rules I wouldn't go as far as saying that these are universal rules that have to be followed at all times. I mean, I recall one particular teacher who was a mean bastard, who really induced fear in the students, and actually was highly successful this way. And I can also name a few teachers who followed all these rules and still failed to convey knowledge because they simply had no authority. Also: "*never* use sarcasm or satire"? Would you mind elaborating on that? I mean, are you talking about offending the students or applying these things in general? I mean, sure, with younger students you may want to keep the sarcasm at a minimum (although my GF actually has successfully taught kids sarcasm at kindergarten :p) but then again, sarcasm and satire may help the students perceive him as someone strong, interesting, fun and someone they can identify with. While I must also say that I think that the social aspect is very important in education and will largely determine the outcome of a program I wouldn't go as far as saying that learning is exclusively a social process. I totally agree that communication is extremely helpful, even if it's just repeating the stuff you've read in a conversation, but I know so many people who have this very rational kind of mind which can just suck up raw information from really "boring" literature in huge amounts and keep it there and actually *understand* it. I understand that you have this very social and friendly approach to teaching and learning (which I personally respect a lot) but I think you may consider it more universal than it is - I mean, I know people who just need this illusion that their teacher is a living breathing encyclopedia which knows everything and isn't ever wrong or else they loose interest. I think the true challenge for a teacher is to satisfy every students' individual needs, I think an excellent or brilliant teacher (not just a good one) needs the willingness and ability to understand all his students and deal with them in the corresponding ways and - here comes the kicker - *without* making the students feel that some are receiving a special treatment, that there's some form of injustice, which is probably the worst thing that can happen.

Yeah, pretty wide topic.

Good question, though, because really, in my opinion, schools don't really teach you how to learn, they teach you how to memorize. They tell you what they want you to know, and forget about learning to think for yourself.

But anyway, I'll let other people get into the more technical details. For me, I prefer a combination of printed words and hands-on experience.

Or if it's not something "practical" but something I want to "learn about", reading and taking notes, and then transferring them to pc. Repetition helps things sink in.

For vocabulary, I like "overlearning" - take one or two words, write them and the definitions over and over, and then add another word, and add another. Time consuming but effective, for me anyway.

Fascinating body of work by this guy...

http://howardgardner.com/multiple-intelligences/

Well, there's one catch to your question: not everyone learns the same way.

So, depending on your audience, sometimes it's a as simple as telling your students "xyz". Sometimes people do better by seeing/reading information. Still others need to learn by doing. So until you know your audience, your best bet would be a multi-sensory approach. Explaining <whatever it is> while you demonstrate, then ideally give them a hands-on demonstration would be the best way to make sure that the most people got the most out of your presentation. You might want to try a search for "learning styles" like http://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/
and then look a little further into each type.

AND, to actually get people's attention - YOU need knowledge and enthusiasm. You can cover every learning style under the sun but if it sounds like you are reading VCR instructions, no one is going to give a rat's ass and most people will take nothing from your lesson.

Couldn't agree more. As the OP will know, the English education system is all about meeting targets to please ofsted.

Really interesting thread and sorry to go off topic - it's just frustrating when my wife works in education and I have two teenage kids.

As far as i know there are 4 rules for learning stuff:

- Repetition
- Variation
- Using stuff
- Logic principles and dependancies

Repetition helps, but the more things you learned (like vocabulary) the longer the gaps between each repetition should get (there is a program out there that helps you find the ideal time between each repetition).

Variation means that you write stuff down, you read it, you hear it, you get to see it. Different methods of aquiering the knowledge help your Brain learn it.

Using stuff is liek Brain Gymnastiks. If you look things up on Wikipedia you learn to look them up, but if you use them somehow instead, you leanr to use them.

Logic principles and dependancies means the more you know the more you know. sounds stupid, but its like that: Lets say you want to Lern Subject A. Subject A can be divided into Category A1, A2, A3. If you know A1 and A2 in and out, the easier it is for you to learn A3. Two things happen there: 1. you aquire enough knowledge to fill in the gaps, 2. you know enough so you can conclude many things because of logic.

Simple Example:
3 Facts:
A specific place is called Sahara
Deserts are hot
Sahara is a Desert
Conclusion:
Sahara is hot

Which country and which system doesn't?
Thats the global or human flaw about education, isn't it?

Yes, you should never use sarcasm or satire in a teaching situation. The problem is that these are always on the expense on somebody, and while the rest of the group might find it funny, you will alienate at least one learner (often more). They will never tell you so, off course. To illustrate, I recently had a 1to1 session with a student who had been on the blunt on such joke, and she said "all I learned in that class is that I am never again asking that teacher any questions". You need to establish a positive learning environment, not one where the students are afraid to do something in fear of be ridiculed (that is what satire and sarcasm do).

For adults, you may use it in teaching material sparingly (as some will still take it literally), and younger children do not even understand it, and it should never be used in any teaching situation for them. Off course all learners are different, which is why it is no easy answer to the OP. Each learner and situation are different, and no one can make sure a learner learns anything, there are definitive technique of doing so, only many different theories. You need to pick one you believe in just do as you think is best.

re. book learning. I have no problem with it, I use it alot. I think, though, it depends on what you want to achieve - memorising or learning (and if you make a distinction at all here). I think that for all learning, information needs to be applied, and this application is almost always a social communicative process. If you want a student to learn, he needs to appropriate the information and transform it, if you are only devouring information, you risk "parroting"

I forgot another don't, which many people do (unintentionally)

- Don't overload the learner with information

Take things at the learners pace, not at yours. Take here how information is presented, never give too much at a single time, but spread things out. Be careful about lectures and presentations, studies have shown again and again, that it is in these settings retention is the lowest. They need to be carefully planed, and done in a way that do not overload.

- Learners style is important, but so is teachers

There is a lot about learners being different and having different learning styles so far. But just as every learner learn differently, every teacher teach differently. Find the style you are most comfortable with and follow this. What will work best for both you and your learners, is that you both are comfortable and relaxed.