Community Learning Development Resource 200 – 06
THE NATURE OF A PIECE OF LEARNING
SUMMARY
A common analysis of what people learn, is that there are three components within most pieces of learning:
- What the learner needs to know and understand
- What the learner needs to be able to do mentally or physically
- How the learner needs to feel about the learning
We also recognise that an analysis usually shows that even the most simple of pieces of learning are in fact complex.
THE PIECE OF LEARNING EXAMPLE – TO THROW A TENNIS BALL SUCCESSFULLY – the learner needs to:
- know what a tennis ball is – the knowledge
- understand what is being asked of them – understanding
- relate and link this learning to prior learning and experience
- want to throw the ball – attitude and feelings
- be confident to perform the throwing of the ball – feelings
- decide when to throw the ball – knowledge and mental skill (decision-making)
- be able to grip and release the ball in a controlled manner – physical skill
- be able to project the ball by hand/arm/body movements in a controlled manner – physical skill
- be able to assess & review own performance – how successfully the ball was thrown – feelings, physical and mental skill
- assess and improve performance – skill, understanding and feelings
- practice to improve – physical skills, feelings and mental skills
- possibly learn from the experience to apply the learning in other ways – throwing the ball differently; throwing a different object; throwing in a different place …… more pieces of learning
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS – when we want to put a piece of learning in place with a learner
We do not expect to analyse each piece within community learning, to the same depth! However we do need to be able to find ways of successfully enabling a learner to gain a piece of learning – using the best ways for each part of it
We do need to recognise that when someone has successfully learned something so complex, this should be celebrated– we do need to give learners positive feedback about their learning achievements! Do we need to recognise what particular bits of a learning experience the learner is best at?
We should also be prepared to look for the problem or blockage within the complexity, if someone is not learning successfully! If the learner has failed to throw the tennis ball successfully – which bit of learning is the problem and how do we solve it?
PROMPTS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION
- How does the skill of throwing a tennis ball become naturalised? (becomes instinctive – an action ‘done without thinking’?)
- Does the throwing the tennis ball model, connect with the pieces of learning within your work?