Principles of LearningPrinciples of Learning

Prof. Jayashree Sadri and Dr. Sorab Sadri

What is learning?

Learning signifies any relatively permanent change in skill, attitude and behavior as a result of study, practice or experience.

There are several types of learning situations, each with its own ways of producing learning.

Psychologists have identified three kinds of learning

1. Ivan Pavlov : Classical Conditioning

Emotional Response to Stimuli

DOG BELL FOOD

Stimulus can be doctored to achieve desired response.

2. BF Skinner : Operant Conditioning

Stimulus Response Reinforcement

A reinforcer is any stimulus or a situation that strengthens the response that precedes it.

Rat Pellet Search

3. Kurt Lewin –Field Theory (cognitive learning)

Every person has a “field” that is accepted and any learning that is associated with that field is easily imbibed.

So information is processed as a result of experience a person has had.

Factors effecting transfer of learning

The method chosen must be such that training is imparted and imbibed with ease. It must fulfill three Cs.

The Three Cs 1. Right Content: Usefulness Relevance Goal Directed

2. Right Context : Relatedness

Logical Task centered

3. Right Communication: Clear Understandable Translatable

It is reasonably safe to say that once the CONTEXT, CONCEPTS AND COMMUNITATION are taken care of , transfer of learning automatically follow.

Principles of learning Motivation Involvement Individualized Approach Sequence and Structuring Feedback Transfer of learning

Transfer of learning: Helps and Hinderances

The transfer of learning can be helped or hindered by the following aspects which can be visualized as four coins with each having a positive and negative face to it.

Personality

development

Open mindedness for each reception

Over confidence becomes a mental block

Perception of Training

Belief in training as a means to improvement of trainee

Belief in Trainees’ natural gift will hinder transfer of training.

Organizational climate.

Open and learning culture for promoting innovation with long run perspective.

Bureaucratic and rule bound culture that has short term

vision only.

Imbibing skills for improved results.

Good inter-personal relations and willingness to take risk.

Low analytical skills and a resistance to change.

Proactive HRD intervention holds the key to create conditions and make transfer of learning possible and ongoing.

Adult LearningAdult Learning

Learning is a life long activity.

Three impediments to learning among adults are:

1. Ego

2. Insecurity

3. Laziness

All of which combine to resist change.

Pedagogy

Greek word Peda means “child”. Trainer makes all assumptions on what, when, how and why anything should be learnt. Trainees were viewed as dependent personalities that had little experience but were ready to to learn.

Androgogy

Greek word “Ander” means “man” as in adult. Unlike children adult learnt best when they determine what, when, how and why anything should be learnt. Forces in the large environment (customs and attitudes) influenced adult learning.

Pedagogy Androgogy

Trainer acts as a teacher

Trainer acts as a facilitator

Trainee is inexperienced and eager to learn.

Trainee is mature and knows what he wants to learn.

Trainer capitalizes on knowledge and experience to teach.

Trainer uses participants knowledge and experience to transfer learning.

Training is oriented towards delivery of skill and knowledge.

Training is oriented towards allowing participants to “discover”.

Training is mainly theoretical.

Training is mainly experiential.

Participant receives and stores knowledge for future recall.

Participant receives skills and learns how to solve problems.

Knowledge is power.

Power is how you use knowledge.

Theory based. Application based.

Thank you