Article 7

Methods of Learning

       What is the most important capability of a human being? Learning. We learn things since we are babies. We learn who our parents are, we learn how to walk, we learn how to talk, etc. Even animals have the ability to learn. You can teach a dog to sit or roll on command.  There are many methods and concepts that deal with learning which shows that humans and animals can learn in many different ways.  Another way to refer to learning is conditioning. Classical Conditioning is a form of learning in which a stimulus calls forth a response. A classic example of classical conditioning is how dogs salivate when they see meat. If a bell is rung when the meat is being served, then the dogs will learn to salivate when they hear the bell. Another common learning method is operant conditioning. This is where people or animals learn to do things, or not to do things, because of the results that they would get. An example is littering. If a person litters, then they have to pay a fine (punishment). Therefore the person will no longer litter. Some learning we do by ourselves, for example observational learning. In this method we learn by simply looking at what others are doing. A normal example is when you are in class and you are not sure what to do, to get an idea you look at what your partner is doing. Finally latent learning is learning that remains hidden until we need it. For students a good method of learning and studying is the PQ4R method which helps students get the most out of the readings.

(Example of Classical conditioning)

       Skimming or previewing a chapter is really helpful to get an idea of what the chapter is about. By reading subheadings and bolded words I understand some of the main concepts of the reading. By skimming through the sections I picked up bolded words like “reinforcement”, “generalization” and “discrimination”. If I wouldn’t have read the chapter before I would have easily picked up the idea of reinforcement and a picture on how reinforcement is used as a method of learning. Previewing will make it easier to ask questions about the reading. Having the main idea of the information is always good so that one can pick up the details when one gets to the stage of actually reading.

       Previewing has not only helped me understand the concept more clearly but has also helped me go through the reading faster. By knowing the main concept one just picks up the rest of the details while reading. It is also easier to read something that you somewhat know about which can be done by simply skimming through a chapter.

       Asking or writing down questions about the reading is another way for you to get through the reading faster and for you to comprehend better. It is easier to learn when we already have questions that we will answer as we read. A good way to do this is looking at the headings or at the first sentences in paragraphs. This is a simple way of coming up with simple questions about the reading. Reading bolded words is also helpful to come up with questions.

      Questions can be very useful in some cases but not in others. In this case some of my questions were: what is classical conditioning? What is operant conditioning? What is the difference between negative reinforcement and punishment? In this case I could have understood the reading without having to ask questions. To me questioning is more effective in more complicated readings. It depends on the difficulty level of the reading or the amount of comprehension on the subject. I had also read the chapter already so I knew the answers to these questions.

       Reading the chapter is the next step. Now that the chapter has been previewed it will be easier to read through it. Also if you asked any questions, answer them as you read. Taking notes is also very helpful while reading. Just write anything that you might forget or that you think is really important. Read carefully to make sure you understand completely.

       To make sure that the reading was understood reflect on it. This is a good way to remember the content of the reading. As you read create mental images and example of the information given to you. One way to reflect is to relate old information with new information. You can also relate information to your own personal life. You can also relate it to someone else’s life.  For example you can relate classical conditioning to something that you or a friend experienced.

    Reflecting is a very helpful method to memorize information. Creating images in my head that relate to the topic or remembering past experiences is very effective. The more you can relate to a topic the easier it will be to learn it.

       For memorization, reciting is a very effective method. One is more likely to remember something when he or she says it out loud. It is like children learning the alphabet by repeating the alphabet song. Repeating a key word out loud will help a person memorize it better.

       Reciting is very helpful for me especially for studying. It is a simple way to memorize something quick. Sometimes it is very easy to learn something when it is said out load. Putting a little tune to it always helps so it can stick to your head.

       Finally review. Learning can take time and to learn something well you have to reread it, and repeat the content. A simple way to study is to review the material constantly and according to your schedule. This will help the information stick in your head and also reduce the amount of study time right before the test. Another great way of reviewing is quizzing yourself or have a partner quiz you to see what information you know and what you don’t know.

     Reviewing is the way to make sure you have learned the material. Before a test it is very important to review. To me it has proved very helpful to learn things that I missed in this chapter.

       Learning is a crucial part to our society. Whether it is training a dog to catch a ball, a child learning the alphabet or a medical student studying for exams. Without the ability to learn humans never would have been able to build the society we live in. Our brain can learn in many ways and there are plenty of methods of learning. Thanks to these methods we obtain more knowledge and with more knowledge we obtain a more prosper life.