Learning Theory #1 MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

The Learner And The Learning Process

Learners are rational and social beings whose growth and development are uniquely different from each other. Individual differences among leaners are attributable to genetic and environmental factors inherent in every learners circumstances.Thus in a learning centered instruction, it is of great importance to identify and examine how to meet each learners learning needs, and from there, adopt a set of instructional strategies that will facilitate and bring the learners to their full potential.

???To give an example, imagine a child who has never had math classes and was never taught numbers. You could say "2 plus 2 equals 4", but to understand, the person must know what "2" is. Young children usually learn "2" when parents point out that a body has 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 hands, 2 feet. So, to teach the concept of "2", you might show a person 2 apples. To teach counting (2+2), you'd first show 2 apples, then you'd add 2 more. For hands-on learners, you'd have the person pick up and count 2 apples, then pick up and add 2 more apples, then count each one to see that it adds up to the total of 4.Learning Differences Between Child and an Adolescent LearnerTo begin identifying the learning needs of a child and adolescent learner, let us distinguish them according to their preferences and abilities based on their stage of development. Adolescent differ from children as learners. Adolescents have assumed responsibility for himself/herself and other. While traditional teaching applied to children is JUG AND MUG with the big jug (teacher) filling up the little mugs (students).

Individual differences in childrens interests, aptitudes, abilities, and achievements can be quite pronounced.

Behavioral characteristics can also affect learning in children.

In addition, stimulation and opportunity can affect ability and achievement. If a child is deprived of opportunities to move, explore, touch, grasp, and/or interact with sound and speech, long-term learning ability is diminished. Furthermore, without opportunities. To use once learned skills, the ability to perform tasks is often lost and must be relearned.It must be recognized that a learners aptitudes and abilities are shaped by individual differences and early learning experiences and continue to be influenced by experiences and training throughout adolescence.

How Do Learners Learn?In a learner centered perspective, teachers must continually seek to understand how students learn, so they can effectively apply and adapt teaching strategies to meet the learning needs of their student.

Principles of LearningPrior knowledge can help or hinder learning.Prior knowledge is the lens through which we view all new information. If that lens is inaccurate, incomplete, or naive, it can interfere with or distort the integration of incoming information (Clement, 1982; NRC, 2000). It is important for us to know and address the misconceptions student hold. And to connect new information to accurate information they already possess.

Motivation generates, directs, and sustains.Motivation influences the amount of time and effort students devote to learning and supports their continued engagement when difficulties arise. Motivation may be influenced by a number of factors, such as students' interests, goals, and expectations (Hidi and Renninger, 2004; Bandura, 1989; Carver and Scheier, 1990), students' beliefs about learning (Schommer, 1994, Dweck, 2002), and emotional experiences surrounding the learning context.

The way students organize knowledge determines how they use it.Students naturally make connections between pieces of knowledge. When those connections form knowledge structures that are accurately and meaningfully organized, students are better able to retrieve and apply their knowledge effectively and efficiently. In contrast, when knowledge is connected in inaccurate or random ways, students can fail to retrieve or apply it appropriately.

Meaningful engagement is necessary for deeper learning.Meaningful engagement, such as posing and answering meaningful questions about concepts, making analogies, or attempting to apply the concepts or theories to solve problems, leads to more elaborate, longer lasting, and stronger representations of the knowledge (Craik and Lockhart, 1972).

Mastery requires developing component skills and knowledge, synthesizing, and applying them appropriately.Students must understand the conditions and contexts of application and must practice applying skills and knowledge appropriately in new contexts, otherwise they may have difficulty transferring knowledge and skills learned in one context or another (Singley, 1989).

Goal-directed practice and targeted feedback are critical to learning.Goal-directed practice involves working toward a specific level of performance and continually monitoring performance relative to clearly define goals. students' practice is more effective when instructors (a) provide feedback that explicitly relates students' performance to the criteria, (b) ensure that the feedback is timely, frequent, and constructive, and (c) provide opportunities for them to incorporate that feedback into further practice. (NRC 2001; Wiggins 1998).

Students must learn to monitor, evaluate and adjust their approaches to learning to become self-directed learners.In other words, students must become conscious of their thinking processes. This is called metacognition (Matlin, 1989; Nelson, 1992). One way to help students develop metacognitive skills is to require them to explicitly monitor, evaluate, and reflect on their own performance, and provide them with feedback on these processes.

Because students develop holistically, their learning is affected by the social, emotional and intellectual climate of the classroom.Students are not only intellectual but also social and emotional beings, and thus all these dimensions interact to impact learning and performance (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). The social and emotional aspects of the classroom climate affect students in ways that can enhance or hinder learning (Ford, 1992). For example, students will be more likely to take intellectual and creative risks if they feel supported and respected.