Learning About Learning

Learning about learning

Learning about learning provides an overview of current thinking on how people learn. Although the focus is on young people and schools, there are no fundamental differences in the way people learn and so the key messages apply to learners of all ages.

 

The insights about learning come from a wide range of sources including neurology, philosophy, sociology and psychology as well as education.  No theories of learning offer definite proof.  Our knowledge about learning is continually changing in the light of research and there is still much that we don’t know.

 

As we do come to know more, however, we move away from what were once widely held to be fundamental truths - for instance, ideas that each person’s intelligence is fixed and their ability to learn cannot be changed - to new and different ideas about how people learn. 

 

These ideas cover a wide range of emerging theories, insights, and practices in areas such as:

 

·        Intelligence

·        Motivation

·        Emotions and feelings

·        Learning styles

·        Thinking

·        The Learning Brain

·        Creativity

·        Collaborative learning

·        Assessment, and

·        The use of technology

 

Schools have introduced innovative programmes which provide opportunities for young people to learn in new and creative ways.  These changes have implications for the knowledge and skills required of school staff and for how they relate to the young people with whom they work.

 

We now recognise that being able to stand back to reflect on what and how we are learning, helps us to grow our capacity to be effective learners.  This involves tuning into ourselves and understanding the ways in which we learn best.   Metacognition is a skill we can develop throughout our lives, but we can lose the knack if we don’t practice it.

 

Our rapidly changing society means that schools have a crucial part to play in helping young people to become lifelong learners. Teachers and support staff must help children develop a wide range of skills and qualities to equip them throughout their lives.   They must also strive to ensure that the young people they work with become confident, independent, reflective individuals with a love of learning.

 

 

Children at all stages of schooling are also encouraged to recognise their talents and learning styles in order to understand how they learn most effectively.  Helping young people to become successful learners is one of the key aims of a Curriculum for Excellence.

 

Raising the awareness of parents and carers about how their children learn has become an increasingly important element of the work of schools since it helps them to engage more effectively in their children’s learning. 

 

Learning About Learning offers a range of resources that have been designed to provide greater insights into new and emerging ideas about learning.  This site includes:

 

  • Movies that explain different theories of learning and their implications for the work of schools;
  • Movies that present the insights and perspectives of leading researchers and educationalists;
  • Movies that highlight the work of schools in taking forward new ideas about learning;
  • Discussion papers, research summaries, and tools to assist planning and evaluation;
  • Materials that support the professional development of teachers and whole school training sessions.