Concept of Learning Question Answer 2022

What is learning?
The course has changed my concept of ‘learning’. I learnt that learning is acquiring new
knowledge, information and skills in the process of undergoing an activity or training.
Though the learning process is considered as taking place inside a classroom, but there are
numerous opportunity all throughout in life to continue learning. The course taught us that
learning is concerned about comprehending the lessons, processing the information in or
brain and memorizing it, and also be able to retrieve it later when needed. Learning is
considered to enhance the performance and productivity of the learner. (Ambrose et al, 2010,
p.3) The learner should be able to register it in his or her memory, and relate to ideas and
establish connections between before and after knowledge. Learning also means being able to
analyse information critically. In the learning process, teachers often provide the students
with a stimuli or data, which is meant to stimulate the sensors of the student. The sensory
memory then processes the information presented and decodes it as per the understanding
capability of the learner. Learning is meant to enhance the experience and knowledge base of
the learner. In the professional life, it is also meant to add new skill to the learner’s portfolio.
2. What changes when we learn?
Learning process initiates numerous changes inside the human body as well in the behaviour
and conduct displayed. Studies have proved that the mind does not stop changing while the
learning process continues. Through learning the human brain makes many new connections
and the inside framework of the current synapses alter. Whenever we learn a new thing, we
tend to tune our brain to establish new connections and neurons and strengthen or weaken a
current nerve path. Scholars usually refer to the alterations as “plasticity” in the brain (Owens
& Tanner, 2017). Whatever a person learn gets registered first in their short term memory,
which later gets stored in the long term memory. However, to initiate this process the person
has to go to sleep. Thus, when a person is deprived of sleep for long, they tend to lose their

memory. Since memory goes through numerous synapses and neural cords, damages in these
connections might take place making the memories transfer process incomplete.
Learning not only changes the internal structure of the brain, but also leads to enhancement in
the experience and conduct of the learner. By learning, the learner is able to reason better and
indulge in rational thinking. The learner is able to strengthen the bond between a stimuli and
the present response. Further, it can also facilitate the building of superior knowledge base,
which is completely different from the existing ones. (Hansen, 2000)
3. Is there a good metaphor for learning as you understand it?
Learning could be referred to as the same thing as information processing. During learning,
the learner is given a stimuli and asked to respond to the same. While providing the stimuli,
the teacher encodes it in a message and presents it to the students. The stimuli provided
stimulates his inner sensory memory and the information presented is then encoded by the
learner, who then stores it in his memory. The sensory memory is responsible for registering
the information. The working memory organizes, rehearses and discards information. The
information finally gets stored in the long term memory. This cycle is often repeated as the
information is recycled. Thus, as I mentioned earlier learning can be compared to the process
of house building. The way the foundation for house is layered first, the learning also
involves creating a base for the information storage in the long term memory. One has to go
step by step in this process, and the message is first encoded into the sensory memory, and
then processed in the working memory before storing it in long term memory. If the
foundation laid is correct, the information stored will be rock solid.
4. What causes individual differences in learning?
There are a number of factors which causes the individual differences in learning. It can be
largely attributed to the disparity found in their mental capabilities like the IQ or intelligent
level of individuals, and physical traits such as age, sex, race, social class amongst others.

The culture the person belongs to makes a big difference in the way they learn things. In
some culture, the emphasis is laid on practical learning while in other the theoretical learning
is more emphasized upon. These differences tend to change their way of grasping things as
well. Further, the human interaction particularly the way teacher and student communicates
with each other also make a big impact upon the learning style of the learner. If the student
and teacher have a harmonious relationship, the learner will be able to ask more questions
and get stronger hold on the lesson imparted. Further, the setting in which the lessons are
taught also create an impact on the learning process. A classroom where there is minimal
noise or distraction will ensure that the learners are able to pay more attention and make the
most out of the teaching.
5. How are learning difficulties explained?
Learning disabilities are completely different from the disabilities associated with speech,
hearing and motor skill disabilities and other mental problems. They are often referred to as
the disability of the neural system to process information correctly. Conditions present in
individuals like dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia are the learning disabilities that we can
witness among learners. Dyslexia impacts the reading and literacy skills like language
processing. Dysgraphia is the incapacity related to an individual’s handwriting and fine
motor skills. Dyscalculia refers to the learner’s disability to process numbers and do
arithmetical computation. They are the hindrance to the learning process and act as a barrier
to grasp basic writing, reading and arithmetic computations. Further, they can also create
hindrance to the organisation skills, time management, rational thinking and also interfere
with long or short term memory and attention span. Learning disabilities are often overlooked
and they are not noticeable openly in learners, and they might appear to others as perfectly
normal and even bright and smart. There is no cure for these disabilities and it is often a
lifelong challenge for the individual possessing it. These disabilities goes beyond their