Analysis of Examples on What is Learning
What is Learning? How we can define this process? it is described in what is learning essay where I shares personal viewpoint on it. Learning in my opinion, that learning is the process of obtaining knowledge. whether it be new information or by transforming existing knowledge, through experience or practice, that changes an individual’s behaviour. When individuals learn through the process of gaining knowledge, our brain changes and reorganises this information, building connections so that we are able to retain and recall this knowledge in our memory. The changes that occur in the brain have the ability to be permanent or temporary, depending on how we see the relevance of the gained knowledge.
One example of learning is a child practicing throwing a ball into a hoop, practicing again and again and getting better at it. Another child has a growth spurt and is now able to drop the ball into the basket without have to practice. Both children have achieved putting a ball through the hoop, however one is learning how to perform the task whereas the other is not. Another example of learning is a child learning how to tie their shoelaces. They practice the method of making ‘bunny ears’ in order to tie the shoelaces, getting better each time. Another child is wearing shoes with Velcro straps. Both children have achieved the goal of wearing shoes, but one has learnt how to put the shoe on and tie the laces and the other has not.
Individual Differences and Learning Difficulties
Individuals differences in learning refers to the differences in how individuals learn, as well as the different learning outcomes from the same instruction. The causes of these individual differences can be stemmed from an individuals’ physical characteristics, perception, attention, age, ability and the learning style that is preferred by the individual. For example, a child of 6 years of age will have a shorter attention span to gain knowledge to that of a child of 10 years of age. The way in which we learn is characterised by these individual learning differences. Some individuals may also face difficulties whilst learning. Learning difficulties are conditions in the brain that impact an individual’s ability to gain knowledge and skills at the same rate as one’s peers. These processing difficulties may interfere with an individual’s ability to learn basic skills and knowledge such as reading, writing or numeracy. It may also affect one’s ability to pay attention, follow directions, staying organised or short/long term memory. Some examples of learning disabilities include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia, auditory and sensory processing, behavioural vision issues and fine or gross motor skills.
Linguistic, Cultural or Environment Differences That influence Learning
An individual’s linguistic and/or cultural background can influence learning. Many students who speak a language other than English as home, may find difficulties in learning due to the language barrier faced. Another instance in which one’s cultural background may influence learning is the manner in which they are expected to behave. For example, if an individual is brought up with the understanding of ‘not to be heard’ or ‘only to speak when they are spoken to’ at home, then they may take this understanding into the learning environment and not participate in class, which may hinder their ability to gain knowledge (“Culture impact our ability”, 2018). The physical environment in which an individual learns in can also influence their ability to gain knowledge. Physical environments not only refer to the classroom or the school setting, but any setting in which they learn, including at home. For example, a child who lives in a noisy environment at home, may face difficulties in being able to learn effectively in obtaining knowledge, due to distractions and being unable to remain attentive. The classroom and school environment can also influence an individual’s ability to learn. If the classroom is bland, an individual’s motivation levels may be decreased which may influence learning. However, if the classroom setting is overly colourful and vibrant, it may hinder one’s ability to learn by providing distractions to learning. All of these issues can cause distress and confusion for the individual learning, which can result in the individual not wanting to ask for help when struggling as well as severely hinder one’s ability to learn.
Conclusion
To understand learning, I view learning like the process of planting flowers. A seed of knowledge is planted into one’s mind, and through the nurturing of the seed with sun and water, or in this case, by providing information, it will hopefully sprout into a flower or understanding of the knowledge.
