Chapter-4: The Learning Process
Outline of Article:
- The Second Phase of the Learning Process
- The Eight Actions of Learning
- Thank you
The Second Phase:
The second phase of the learning process is the practice of: The Eight Actions of Learning.
In this phase, an individual is solely responsible for creating each of the actions of learning, which are: success, questioning, remembering, interpreting, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating.
The descriptions of each action of learning are stated below. But before that, I need to state a few words of caution. This phase will also have a normal outcome of depleting motivation, which will require a period of recuperation. The reason for this is the same as with phase-one. Remember, phase-two is the heart and soul of the learning process. So, expect this phase to require consistent willpower, which will deplete motivation over time.
In greater detail, the second phase of the learning process requires eight repeated actions. And, moving forward, I refer to this second phase of the learning process as:
The Eight Actions of Learning
The first action of learning is the belief in personal ability for success.
Above all else, any person in pursuit of learning and studying must begin by providing the factors of success. This means that it is the individual’s responsibility to generate the motivation, goals, responsibilities and minimization of blame required for success to be achieved—over time. Consistently, this first action (and all other actions) will require a substantial amount of faith. Do not expect proof of your success before starting. In doing so, the expectation of evidence will eventually stop you; and, limit all your progress forward in learning. It is critical that you believe that you will be successful without any need for proof of being successful.
The second action of learning is the consistent action of questioning.
Learning and studying all depend on the level and specificity of questions that a person is able and willing to state. Questioning is an integral aspect of learning because it declares a person’s level of faith to receive and to achieve answers. In other words, a person will make gains in their learning when they believe they can and will learn, regardless of proof or lack thereof. And, the main way to begin this belief is with a willingness to produce, without hesitation, as many questions as possible.
The third action of learning is the deliberate practice to remember, to recall and to retrieve.
In order to notice patterns, answers or approximate solutions to any questions posed, a person needs to exercise their skill of intentional recall. As such, this action will involve practices that will strengthen a person’s ability to recall, such as: reviewing information pertaining to the aim of learning, with and without notes; summarizing information gathered for each question; discussions with others; creating a story or mnemonic; and, in general, using the idea of repeated repetitions and spaced repetitions. The key aspect here is to actively remember your questions, remember what you currently know and to remember what remains to be gathered, to be explored and to be digested in thought. This action will lay the foundation for future comprehension and development of critical thinking.
The fourth action of learning is the practice of interpretation.
That is to say, a person must regularly check their understanding of any and all information that has been gathered. This portion also includes the clarification of originally posed questions. Meaning, are the questions as specific as they can be? Are the questions complete? Or is there an area that needs to be questioned in order to address newly gathered information. Another principal goal in this action is to work on generating meaning, connections and possible inferences from the currently acquired information.
A clear distinction is in order at this point: understanding is not memorization. This is why immediately following the action of remembering, a person must interpret. The key to learning is understanding, which is developed through making honest sense of what is remembered. Otherwise, if memorization is the main goal, there will only be a shallow level of transient learning. As a proper defense, this means that a person must interpret all relevant and far relevant information that has been gathered, as relates to the posed questions. Also, this means a person must be cautious and not let personal biases fog any interpretation.
The fifth action of learning is the practice of application.
In this action, it is crucial that a check on the practice of interpretation is carried out. This check that follows the interpretation action involves the practice or implementation of what has been interpreted. Meaning, a person must verify or adjust their current understanding in the learning process by some sort of a testing practice. For instance, some examples of application in action are: quizzes, homework, exams, oral questioning and discussions, teaching others, conducting experiments, running a simulation with technology or any other activity that will provide honest-timely feedback on the information being applied. And, when needed, a teacher or mentor can provide direction.
The sixth action of learning is the practice of analysis.
At this point, it is critical that a person digs deeper, searches closer and pays attention to the minor details of their learning goal. In other words, an individual has gathered sufficient information and practice to be able to create razor sharp specific questions of every piece they have acquired.
This part deals with questioning all starting questions, all gathered information, all current understanding and all missing understanding. Most important, if needed, previous actions are repeated, again, and again, until progress or enough training has been completed. Remember, learning and studying is training the mind, body and soul: which means that the inability to understand something immediately is normal. It takes time, effort and consistency to grow.
The seventh action of learning is the practice of evaluation.
At this point in learning, a person must take time to attack, to judge and then to defend all currently known information, feedback and missing gaps in their understanding. The purpose at this point is to address the honest progress in learning.
Caution is in order, do not judge or attack your learning any earlier than action seven. This step can generate too much doubt if done too soon. Therefore, the evaluation process includes revisiting all work in progress, only after steps one through six have been thoroughly completed. Dangerous; but, effective, this seventh action is based on creating doubt and then defense of all work. Do not rush into this action too soon. And do not dwell in this action for too long.
The eighth action of learning is the practice of creating. At this point, an individual will need to focus on the new connections established in learning. And move to the creation of understanding and acquisition of new knowledge or inferences. In other words, this is the point where an individual assimilates all aspects of their learning and makes an adaptation, from not knowing towards gaining improvements in their overall knowledge. Remember, a small victory is still a victory. And, if enough small victories are battled out and gained, then the overall war of not knowing will come to an end.
The Eight Actions of Learning
1.Success: Believe in your success before and throughout learning.
2.Question: Divide your learning goal with a multitude of questions.
3.Remember: Gather and remember information as needed.
4.Interpret: Digest and interpret information pertaining to your learning.
5.Apply: Practice and apply your understanding on a regular basis.
6.Analyze: Pay attention to detail, analyze all aspects of your questions.
7.Evaluate: Judge and evaluate your honest progress in your learning.
8.Create: Develop and create new knowledge, new understanding and new connections based on your learning progress.
Thank You
I appreciate your time in reading my blog post. Next Monday I will upload the next part of Chapter-4: The Learning Process, from my self-development book, How Does Studying Work?
Total Consciousness 