Learning

Environment
By Leona Antoun
 Why do we learn?
 We learn new methods and skills to
successfully do, think reason and adjust to
any forthcoming problem

 Everybody needs and wants to learn new

methods for life’s continuity
 what is learning?
 Modification of behavior potential as a

function of experience

 acquisition of information ( in dictionaries)

!
Learning is not only about new
information!

Affective
Learning motor
Learning
skills (learning involving emotional
practice rather than information
leads to gradual modifications behavior: attitudes of
in behavior affection, concern, criticism…)
does not necessarily involve
information
Definition of Learning
Relatively permanent change in behaviour which
occurs as a result of practice or experience
This definition has three important
elements
01 02
learning is a change in takes place through
behaviour, for better or practice or experience
worse changes due to growth,
maturation, or injury are
not learning

03
the change must be
relatively permanent
 Definition of learning according to:
Skinner Change in behavior through interaction with environment (stimulus,
response, reinforcement)

Hilgard Permanent change in behavior due to prior experience ( not drugs, fatigue,
maturation, etc)

King Ley and Gray Changes in behaviour to overcome obstacles and barriers

Eason Changes in behavior caused by the interaction with the environment

Klausmeireir Changes in behavior because of experience, training, observation , NOT

disease, fatigue, drugs, maturation

Cronback Changes in behavior as a result of experience

 Definition of learning according to:
Blair, Jones and Simpson Any change of behaviour which is a result of experience, and which causes
people to face later situations differently

W. C. Morse and G. M. Changing one's potential for seeing, feeling and doing through experiences
Wingo

Morris L. Bigge Change in insights, behaviour, perception or motivation or a combination of

them

Guthrie Respond differently to a situation because of past response to the

situation

Hall Formation of receptor effector connections

Guilford Change in behaviour resulting from behaviour

 Nature of Learning
• While human beings are able to read, play, dance and gather
knowledge, about various things, the animals fail to do these

• The mind of humans is developed in a way to master knowledge of

higher level.

• What learning does for a human child and how it affects

his lifestyle is clear from the following discussions
 Nature of learning
Learning is
modification of Learning Helps to
behaviour Reach the Goal
• The child learns ideas, rules, customs, from his • Goals can be achieved only with appropriate and positive
surroundings in order to adjust himself with his learning in a particular direction.
environment
• It directly or indirectly helps the individual to reach his
• and changes his behaviour even though no one teaches goal.
him to do so
• Learning of speech, learning to laugh, cry in the case of a
child, is organised deliberately. They are not accidental.
Learning is an internalising process (becomes part of us)
 Nature of learning
Learning Creates Interest
to know New Things
• Even in case of children, it is observed that they show
interest and are anxious to do new works to find out
new facts and engage themselves in small and simple
researches.
• This helps them to learn more and more.
Environmental Influence
brings Difference in
Learning
• An adequate environment is necessary for a fruitful learning
of the child
• Learning process and its effects on one child may be
different from that of another according to their difference in
environment and their learning experience
 Nature of learning
Learning is a Matter of
Learning is a Problem- Habit:
solving Activity
• Old methods may not work for new problems
• Doing a work habitually is learning
• so new ideas and learning are necessary to solve them.
• Man has to react in a mastered way to his stimulus, by habit
• Only with new forms of learning can changing formation
problems in changing circumstances be addressed
• Learning turns things into habit in an organized way
 Nature of learning

Learning is an Learning is not Knowledge

automatic process about Subjects
• Occurs when a child becomes actively engaged in daily
activities and gains experience • Learning involves the overall
development of an individual
• The child is motivated to learn when he becomes
aware of his mental, social, physical, and emotional
needs

•
 Nature of learning
Learning Occurs both in
Learning may be Formal and Informal,
Correct or Incorrect Situations:
• We can learn good or bad behavior
• The learning process begins at birth and involves social
• But true learning warns us against bad behaviour interactions

• Formal learning takes place in school, where the child is

aware of what they are learning.

• Informal learning also occurs through experiences in

various institutions such as family, club, gymnasium,
religious places, playgrounds, and excursions
 Nature of learning

Higher Learning depends upon Capacity of Individual and

Complexity of Learning Material

• The success of learning depends on personal factors like memory, interest, understanding, and emotional control

• Solving problems using already acquired knowledge and skills or Discovering new methods

• Higher learning is necessary to solve complex problems.

 Nature of learning
Learning is a function of maturation
• Maturation is the predetermined sequential stage of development of sensory, motor, and nervous systems,
including the brain.

• Different skills require different levels of maturation. Complex skills like reading and writing require a developed
brain and cannot be learned until the pre-school or early-school period.

• The concept of a "critical period" for learning is important because if something has not been learned during a
specific stage of development, it becomes difficult to master it later.
 Nature of learning
Learning is dependent on the nervous system
• learning is dependent on the maturation of the nervous system, specifically the brain.

• Animals with more complex nervous systems tend to learn faster and acquire more complex skills.

• For humans, the growth of the cerebral cortex is important for learning ability, with childhood and adolescence being
the prime periods for learning due to the maturation of this part of the brain.

• Lashley's experiments with rats explains how the amount and location of cortical tissues in the brain affects learning

• (The greater the amount of cortical tissue, the quicker will be his learning) (A brain has different centers for different
abilities.)
 Nature of learning
Learning is a self active process
• Learning is a self-active process that involves the subject.

• The child must participate in the learning experience and use their senses as well as higher brain centers to give
meaning to the sensory inputs.

• Self-involvement is necessary for learning to occur.

Characteristics
of learning
W. R. Mescaw identified several characteristics of the
learning process in his book Educational Psychology.
These are:
 Characteristics of learning
Progressive change in behavior

 We learn Progressively, maturity is established progressively

 Level of maturity determines the ability to make certain responses.

 More complex responses and intellectual activities are possible only with greater maturity and this maturity is
established progressively, causing progressive change in behavior

 The child learns by himself and in the company of others (home, school, and clubs)
 Characteristics of learning
Permanent change in behavior

 Learning is a permanent change in behavior potential resulting from past experiences.

 It is inferred from behavior but must be distinguished from it, as learning can occur without affecting behavior.

 Change in behavior because of fatigue, drugs, injury, is NOT learning!!

 Long-term changes are to be distinguished from short-term changes which are often the result of temporary states
in the learner such as variations in motivation.
 Characteristics of learning
Co-operative process

• Learning occurs through impulses, compulsion, imitation, initiation, adoption, and assimilation.

• The ability to retain experiences is a key aspect of learning.

• The child does not go to school to learn, read and write but he has to learn to adjust to the environment
 Characteristics of learning
Creative learning

It is a creative synthesis of all the knowledge and the experience of the learner.

In human learning (not animal) the following mental processes are involved:

 Interest and attention are directed towards a goal direction

 Perception of relation and interpretation
 Selection and recall of relevant experiences
 Recognition of relationships among the component experiences insight
 Formation of new mental pattern creation
 Evaluation of workability of solution-criticism
 True human learning should aim at the higher level of thinking i.e., creative and critical thinking.
 Characteristics of learning
Socially conditioned learning

 Learning takes place in response to the social environment of the individual

 A child's social interaction is of great significance to his favourable or unfavourable learning.

 An intelligent teacher takes note of the social climate in the classroom, the influence of peer group on a child, and
so on
 Characteristics of learning
Transferrable learning

Transfer is possible to the learner when he has discovered relationships between things and has learned to apply the
principles within a given number of tasks

 transfer is possible if three conditions are met:

 identity of context, the two situations being compared should be similar or share common features
 identity of procedures, the methods or steps used to solve a problem or perform a task should be the same
or similar
 identity of attitudes and ideals, the values and beliefs associated with the task or problem should be
consistent across the situations
 Characteristics of learning
Individual Learning
 Each learner is a unique person who has his individual needs and problems, interests and attitudes,
purposes and aspirations.

 In some, learning may be quick and fast; in others the reactions may be slow…
 Characteristics of learning
Goal directed learning
 Students learn to achieve something more mindfully, for the sake of their own goals

 They plan and set tools to achieve their goals, instead of completing assignments without
reflection

 when the goal is more explicit, learning becomes more effective

 Characteristics of learning
Active process
 learning is an activity that largely depends on the learner

 No one can teach you but you may learn, your teacher can direct your learning, can show you
how materials are derived or related and stimulate you to study, but it depends upon your self-
activity
 Characteristics of learning
Response of the whole individual

 An individual reacts as a whole person to the total learning situation rather than to one single stimulus

 Since each learner responds as a whole (physically, socially and emotionally) the various motivation factors within
him which affect the learner must be taken into account for effective teaching.

 Again, as the learner responds to the total situation, all external or environmental factors which influence his
responses must also be taken note of for favourable learning.

Therefore, setting the environment for learning is very important .

 Characteristics of learning
Learning and environment
 Maturation is the natural process of growth and development

 learning is a result of training and experience

 Maturation prepares the organism physically and mentally to learn new skills

 learning cannot take place until a certain stage of maturation has been reached

 Maturation also varies depending on the sphere, such as social, emotional, sexual, and physical maturation.
Environmental factors can also affect maturation and development.
Significant conditions
The process of learning is affected by certain conditions.

A knowledge of these conditions is essential for every teacher and parent,

because by manipulating these conditions they can bring a required change
in the behaviour of the child.
 Significant Conditions
Readiness of learning

 When the child is not ready to learn, whatever method may be applied, he will not learn.

 The teacher should be aware about readiness in order to make his teaching effective.

 The teacher can intensify the readiness and focus of his students
 Significant Conditions
Motivation for learning

 Motivation is one of the most important factors in learning process.

 When a student has a shaped goal, he’s motivated to learn in order to achieve it

 A poor student wants to earn his livelihood. So he is motivated for learning.

 A businessman wants to expand his business; so he is motivated to learn skills in business.

 Significant Conditions
Interest and learning
 When a student is interested in a specific subject he is more dedicated and motivated to learn

 a teacher can make use of their interests and bring out the best result

 The teacher can evoke interest in students by making his teaching permanent and stimulative. This also decreases
boredom, negligence and slowness of the student in his study.
 Significant Conditions
Attention

 Learning is impossible without attention.

 Learning depends upon the quality and quantity of attention.

 When attention is diverted, learning is affected adversely.

 Significant Conditions
Place of Drill and Practice in Learning

 A simple matter is remembered easily. It needs no drilling.

 To master complex matters, one needs drill or practice.

 So the teacher should bear in mind that practice makes learning perfect and act accordingly in the classroom.

 But drilling should not be mechanical!!!In mechanical drilling the students lack understanding of the object. This
promotes fruitless learning (saying something and they repeat it only, poems)
 Significant Conditions
Fatigue and boredom

 Physical and mental tiredness is known as fatigue. Disinterest in doing a work is known as
boredom

 Teachers should take into consideration these factors and include fun activities in the session, like
learning games, visualizations, songs...
 Significant Conditions
Role of intelligence in learning

 Intelligence brings qualitative increase in learning.

 Difference in intelligence is clearly marked among the students in a classroom. Some are bright,
some are average and others are dull.

 Teaching should take into consideration every category of students. He should see that every
teaching material reaches the least intelligent student.
 Significant Conditions
Aptitude and Learning

 When interest is aroused spontaneously, it is called aptitude.

 Remembering is long-lasting if the learning material is backed by aptitude.

 In the absence of aptitude, the student fails to remember his learning material.

 So the teacher should work on enhancing students’ interest.

 Significant Conditions
Attitude and Learning

 Interest, aptitude and readiness correspond to one another.

 Attitude makes the students meet the problems with understanding, interest and cleverness. (they are consciously
putting the effort)

 If he is pressurised with much more material, he develops a negative attitude, which affects negatively his learning
 Significant Conditions
Effect of Emotional States

 If he is enjoying the experience, his learning is bound to be qualitatively better.

 If emotional states pressurises him, he develops frustration and lacks interest and readiness to learn

 Emotional Provocations:
(a) Unfulfilled requirements.
(b) Wrong attitude of parents in home.
(c) lack of security, inconvenience at home.
(d) Frustration or inferiority caused by real or imaginary physical defects.
(e) Previous experience of failure in school.
(f) Neglecting behaviour by teachers and friends and avoidance by them.
 Significant Conditions
Role of Family and Culture in Learning

 Sometimes the parents set goals for their children. Hopes and desires of parents differ with the difference in culture
and place.

 There are cultural demands, which affect the learning process.

 So learning should be complementary to the learner's cultural demands and requirements.

 For example, in a culture where democracy is a way of life, the learner should be imparted learning in consonance
with democratic values.
 Influencing Factors
Learning is a Process : This process depends upon a number of factors

1. The internal condition of the learner - (such as capacity, motivation, age,

sex, difference, experience etc.)

2. Nature of the subject to be learnt - (e.g. span or range of learning,

complexity or simplicity of learning materials etc.)

3. Method of learning - (e.g. memorisation, analysis, drilling, recitation

etc.) Let us discuss these conditions of learning in detail.
 Influencing Factors
Role of Age in Learning

 It is a general belief that learning ability decreases with increase in age. (From various studies)

 Studies have been conducted by psychologists on the relationship between age factor and learning process.

 The results show that learning ability of new subjects goes on increasing till the age of 10 years. Then it remains
constant till age of 20 years and after that it goes on diminishing and again becomes stable at the age of 50.
 Influencing Factors
Role of Sex in Learning
 Difference in sex does not cause any difference in their intelligence.

 While girls show more proficiency in literature, debates, songs, etc, the boys show more ability in social science,
science, mathematics, etc.

 Girls are more emotional, sociable and jealous. Boys are more influential, high minded, independent minded and self-
confident.
 Influencing Factors
Role of Mental Stability in Learning

 Unless the learner is attentive to the process of learning, he can learn nothing.

 The learner should come in contact with the learning situation practically. That is he should attend by himself.

 Indirect participation yields no result.

 When the students point all their potentialities on a particular subject, learning becomes more effective and
memorisation is accelerated
 Influencing Factors
Role of Past Experience in Learning

 New learning depends upon previous learning.

 Learning of one material, backs the learning of another material.

 Past learning fuels present learning and present learning fuels the future learning process.
 Influencing Factors
Role of Family Background and Socio-economic
Status in Learning
 There is a remarkable difference in learning efficiency between village and town students

 Town students have better oral and verbal skills due to the availability of resources such as libraries, schools, and
media.

 Additionally, socioeconomic status and social factors such as customs, traditions, and discrimination can also impact
learning ability
 Influencing Factors
Role of Experience of Success and Failure in Learning
 A feeling of inferiority and hopelessness is marked in case of students who fail in examinations.

 Generally children having high hopes become successful in all walks of life.
 Influencing Factors
Role of Meaningfulness of Subject Matter in Learning
 Meaningful materials are remembered better than the meaningless materials.

 Meaningful material of which we have some previous experience.

 The student should not be compelled to master unknown materials. The method of teaching should be from known to
unknown.
 Influencing Factors
Role of Complexity of Material in Learning
 The teacher should consider whether the subject matter is simple or complex for the learner.

 The teaching should be from simple to complex.

 if he fails to show proficiency and his interest is hampered, he feels bored and neglects his studies. Fear complex is
aroused and he doesn’t want to learn.
 Influencing Factors
Spread of Learning Materials
 The length of a learning passage affects how long it takes to memorize it

 a long list of words takes a longer time to memorise than a short list

 but a larger topic is remembered better and sooner than a shorter one.

 To make learning more effective and quick, long subjects should be divided into smaller parts and learned in
segments.
 Influencing Factors
Role of Re-memorisation in Learning
 Rememorisation is often described as mental evaluation of learnt materials.
Should not be
 Learning the material again ! mechanical!!!!

 Re-memorising helps memorisation process:

• When it is a conscious effort, it becomes fruitful.
• The learner can measure his memorisation by this process. So he can be aware of his limitations and weakness
in learning.
• rememorisation creates self-confidence in the learner.
 Influencing Factors
Role of Over-learning and time gap
 Over-learning, which involves repeating a topic beyond the point of initial mastery, can lead to better retention and
improved performance.

 Time gap between learning sessions also helps in retaining information by allowing the brain to process the learned
material.

 Spacing out learning sessions over time is found to be more effective than cramming all the learning at once.
 Influencing Factors
Difference between the Whole-method and Part-
method
 The part method involves learning a longer topic in parts, making the learning mechanical and leading the learner
away from the root or basic point of the subject.

 The whole method is more effective because it stresses the totality of the viewpoint.

 Intelligent students prefer the whole method, whereas students of lower intelligence adopt the part method to
memorize material.
 Influencing Factors
Recitation in Learning
 Recitation at the time of reading a material makes learning more effective

 It is still more helpful in the learning of spelling, vocabulary and mathematics.

 Learning and recitation should go hand in hand.

 Influencing Factors
The use of audio-visual aids
 The use of audio-visual aids alone cannot improve learning efficiency.

 Proper planning and preparation are necessary for the effective use of these aids.

 The teacher must create a stimulating environment in the classroom before using these aids.
Thank You!