Chapter 16

How people learn

1. The learning process
Behaviorist approach/ psychology - In this approach we are assumed to learn essentially
through reward and punishment.
Cognitive approach tries to look rather more at the mental process we might go through to gain
understanding. It argues that the mind takes sensory information and tries to impose some sort
of logic on that, some sort of rational approach. Very much more in this approach we
understand or attempt to understand whats happening and why we are doing it.

2. Honey and Mumford

Honey and Mumford theory of learning styles means that people learn differently and
will respond to different approaches.
There are two sets of learning theories:
The first is by Honey and Mumford who examined different learning styles. They categorized
different learning styles as:
Theorists He likes to understand the theory before moving on to practice.
Reflectors - observe whats going on and carefully consider it. They like to work at their
own pace and tend to be a relatively non-participative and cautious learner.
Activists- are almost the reverse of theorists. If they had a new computer they would
switch it on and try and work it before ever thinking of looking at the user guide.
Pragmatists- are inspired to learn if they see a practical outcome: they will learn
something if they see it will help them make their job better or easier.

3. Kolb experiential learning

Experiential learning - the idea that we go through a number of cycles, gradually learning by our
experience. The cycle is as follows:

Starting with experience, then reflect, then form theory, try theory, repeat.