LEARNING

Learning is the acquisition and development of memories and behaviors, including skills, knowledge, understanding, values, and wisdom. It is the goal of education, and the product of experience.

Learning methods

Observational learning (learning by example)

The most basic learning process is imitation, one's personal repetition of an observed process, such as a smile. Thus an imitation will take one's time (attention to the details), space (a location for learning), skills (or practice), and other resources (for example, a protected area). Through copying, most infants learn how to hunt (i.e., direct one's attention), feed and perform most basic tasks necessary for survival.

Example can be a motivation for learning. Imitation of a role model is a natural mechanism for infants and children, when learning from experience. Child's play is another method for learning by the example of other children, who naturally gain satisfaction by playing the role of teacher or mentor to a less-experienced child. Learning "how to learn" is a skill, which can be taught to others, by example.

Informal learning

Informal learning is learning things in our day-to-day situations (if we don't look in front of us while walking, we learn that we run into things and that might be dangerous). It's what daily life practices teach us. It is learning from life, during a meal at table with parents, Play (activity), exploring...

Formal learning

Formal learning is learning that takes place within a teacher-student relationship, such as in a school system. Non-formal learning is organized learning outside the formal learning system. For example: learning by coming together with people with similar interests and exchanging viewpoints, in clubs or in (international) youth organizations, workshops.

Five main categories:

• Learning as a quantitative increase in knowledge. Learning is acquiring information or ‘knowing a lot’.
• Learning as memorizing. Learning is storing information that can be reproduced.
• Learning as acquiring facts, skills, and methods that can be retained and used as necessary.
• Learning as making sense or abstracting meaning. Learning involves relating parts of the subject matter to each other and to the real world.
• Learning as interpreting and understanding reality in a different way. Learning involves comprehending the world by reinterpreting knowledge.