Principles of Learning (Horne and Pine, 1990 in Corpuz and Salandanan, 2007)

In the professional education part of LET, most of the questions are situational. And one of the common mistakes about the LET is that it is said to be "easy". The reason behind this is that all the choices seemed correct, and yet there really is one correct answer. But how will one know that the choice is the correct and best answer? This is where the principles come in. In answering the questions that are situational, keep in mind the principles of teaching and learning. These will guide us to choose the "best" answer among the choices. Actually, there are a lot of principles of teaching/learning. I just would like to present these, shall I say, principles discussed from one of the current textbooks used nowadays. Hope you will learn a lot... 1. Learning is an experience which occurs inside the learner and is activated by the learner. This means that learning will not take place unless the learner her/himself allows it to happen in his/her mind. It is not primarily controlled by the teacher, rather on the learners' wants, interests and motivation to learn. In real classroom setting, the teacher must engage learners in activities that are connected to their lives. 2. Learning is the discovery of the personal meaning and relevance of ideas. This is somewhat the same with principle number one. Learners can easily understand concepts if these are relevant to their needs and problems. Hence, as teachers, we must relate the lesson to the learners' needs, interests and problems. 3. Learning is a consequence of experience. In short, use experiential learning as much as possible period. Hehehe... 4. Learning is a cooperative and collaborative process. Learners will learn more if they are given chances to work together and share ideas. Make use of group activities. 5. Learning is an evolutionary process. Learning especially if this means a change in behavior, does not happen in a click. This requires time and diligence. So as teachers, be patient. Be patient. Be patient. Be patient. 6. Learning is sometimes a painful process. This means that learning requires sacrifice, hardwork, study time. Let the learners realize this okay? 7. One of the richest resources for learning is the learner him/herself. Let's not be too "centered" upon ourselves. Let's draw the discussion not only on our own experiences as teachers but on the learners' experiences as well. Listen and let the learners share their prior knowledge, stories, information, etc that can enrich the learning process. Encourage free sharing inside the classroom. 8. The process of learning is emotional as well as intellectual. Learners can't learn that much if they have something that is bothering their minds. These can be problems and worries they have either in or out of the classroom. Thus, as teachers, let us be sensitive to our students' problems. We can't teach learners with empty stomachs remember? 9. The process of problem solving and learning are highly unique and individual. Make use of different teaching strategies that can cater multiple intelligences and learning style For teachers: 1. Make your instruction appropriate to the level of the learners. For example, being aware of the learners' learning modes (enactive, iconic, symbolic) will help you plan and prepare appropriate materials for instruction. Or you can revisit certain topics but with the difficulty that match learners' level(spiral curriculum). 2. Use active methods in teaching. Teacher's role is not anymore a "sage on stage" rather a "guide on the side". Have the students be actively involved with the lesson. Initiate activities that will arouse their curiosity and interests by giving them challenging activities and exercises. 3. Give students the opportunity to reflect and recount their experiences. Have discussions, group sharing and dialogues. 4. Go beyond facts. Facts must be taken into whole to form concepts. Categorization will greatly help.(Sorry I wasn't able to discuss categorization. Just refer to the link in my previous post.) 5. Give feedback and reinforcement but more intrinsically oriented. According to Bruner, the interest in the subject matter is the best motivation to learn. Avoid giving too much emphasis on competition and grades. The Principles, or Laws, of Learning were first stated by Edward Thorndike. He said that there are three principles - since that time, three other principles have been added. Readiness - students must be ready to learn in order to succeed at the task. Readiness includes eagerness to learn, focus or concentration, getting enough sleep and eating properly so that the student has enough energy, and understanding the value of the material being learned. Exercise - exercise as it relates to learning refers to practice and drill instead of physical exercise. The student practices what they are learning, and drills until they can repeat the information correctly, or can perform the skill properly. Things that are most often repeated are most often remembered. Effect - effect refers to the emotional state of the student, and relates to motivation. Positive reinforcement that gives the student a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction is more likely to result in learning than negative reinforcement or punishment. Not every learning experience will be 100% successful, but the student should have some positive feelings in order to learn best. Primacy - primacy means being first. This refers to the fact that the first things encountered are better remembered than later things. Recency - recency means that things encountered later are better remembered than earlier things. Usually, if a student is trying to learn a series of facts, the first and last facts will be easiest to remember. Intensity - a learning experience that is vivid or dramatic, or exciting will each more than a boring experience. A student will also learn more from the real thing than from a substitute.