Alvaro F.
Market & Innovation Analyst on Applied Neuroscience. Young Global Leader @ World Economic Forum
How do YOU learn?
All of us need to learn and cope with new challenges: a new boss, promotion, language, gadget, how to cope with stress...
What is your "learning process or system"? have you found something that works better for you? I am curious because we all typically have to reinvent this wheel on "learning how to learn". Do you just experiment, or "read the instructions", or ask an expert, or...
Clarification added February 12, 2007:
This is fascinating. Very interesting to see how some people want to experience things directly (and later refine their understanding with context information) whereas others prefer to understand things first and then try.
It seems most people do these 3 things-but sequence them differently:
- 1) Gather and process information to understand the "context"
- 2) Try, experiment, learning by doing
- 3) Interact with experts: sometimes asking, sometimes observing.
So the common theme is that the the person (not the company) is in charge of learning. The company should provide the tools. Maybe this reality explains why many people enjoy learning but not "corporate training"?
Good Answers (8)
Luc G.
Co-founder & COO at MedeMerkers / Organizational Change Manager
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Hello Alvaro,
In my own learning I have experienced 4 things:
1. Learning Tension between 'what is' and 'what should be'
I need a necessity - something that is waiting, burning, urgent, important and that is not yet a reality.
2. Time-to-Task
I learn better when the purpose of my learning is near in time. Reading a user's manual one day before using computer program is probably much better than one month before. However, reading that same manual after struggling around for one day with the computer program will make me absorb even more useful knowledge.
3. Play
The moments when I experience a learning kick are the ones when all of a sudden I can make free association between formerly independent things, relating them to one another and then creating someting new (anthropologists call this 'bricolage')
4. There are three kinds of learning content
They all build on each other and all three of them should be present for me to 'really get it'. They are:
- Know-how => instructions and things to DO
- Know-what => context and things to KNOW
- Know-why => motivation and OWNERSHIP
Hope this helps!
I do some of all of these.
When it comes to technical tasks, most often I'll find an expert resource, watch them, get reference materials referred to me and go out on my own.
In sort of a recursive way, I'll do something on my own and go back to them for review/pointers. Eventually, I become pretty good at it on my own.
For other less technical tasks (like the challenges you outlined), I'll often find a "user group" - others in the same situation (coworkers, online forums, owners groups, etc).
Adrian K.
Mobile, Web and Desktop Software Developer and Entrepreneur, Founder of akosma software
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I need to be excited by what I'm learning, simply put. I find that the best way for me to learn is to feel happy and anxious to know more; it's all about my emotional system. On the other side of the equation, if I'm bored, I can't remember a single thing :)
Best regards,
Adrian
Sheilah E.
Owner, ★SME Management:.......... Business Management and Accounting Consultant
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Hi Alvaro,
I generally learn best with a hands on approach. I enjoy self teaching and simply jumping right in. As a rule once I master the basics of the task I am trying to learn I will then employ other methods to perfect my skills in that area; reading the instructions, finding an expert and so on. I have found this method is the only one that truly works for me, and in the shortest amount of time.
Sheilah
sme@gci.net
I tend to learn by asking a question. surprise! I can't learn anything without context as to why and what's the desired outcome? I do terribly in rote memorization activities. Reading, interacting, and brainstorming to solve problems help me to brisge leaps in gaps between disciplines and concepts.
I answered this question to underscore the value to eploeeys and employers of offering multiple options, not requirements- to suit each individual's learning needs. It is best for teachers and parents all areas to be cognizant of their own learning needs, articulate that, but not impose that necessarily upon their committees, self included.
James M.
Tecnical Support Engineer at Symantec
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It has taken me quite awhile to learn how I learn. I have found that I have two tracts I follow to learn most effectively.
The first is by immersion. By reading as much as I can on a topic from different sources and by getting my hands on the subject I am learning about.
Secondly I have found that I am good at finding information. I won't actually learn about a subject if I know where to go to find out about it.
A simple example of this is the MS office license code. I have used the 20 character code so many times, that I remember it know. On the other hand I call my wifes cell phone by looking it up on my cell phone address book. So I don't remember her number because I remember where it is instead.
David B.
eLearning consulting, e-learning design and development
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This is a huge question bcause human beings are so complex, but I want to address 4 important aspcts:
1. Learning styles - People tend to have a combination of sensory (eg auditory, visiual, kinesthetic etc) and cognitive (eg experimental, reflctive, action oriented etc) preferences, that they will uncnonciously apply to most learning situations (with some variation, but not as much as you might think). I personally am a primarily auditory and activist type learner.
2. Learning approach - Each person will have a learning method that is best for them, depending especiall on their learning styles and the nature of the learnign to be done, but also a bazillion other smaller factors like location, time of day, duration of learning, depth of learning needed etc. Check out this outstanding resource: http://tip.psychology.org/ I personally respond well to "Situated learning"
3. Learning activities - Depending especially on your learning styles, the learning activities selected will heavily influence the learning outcome. 'Read the instructions' will work well for a methodical learning but poorly for an experimental or activist learner, who will jsut find this laborious. Beaue I am primarily auditory and activitist, I like role playing for soft skills and workplace coaching for technical skills.
4. Metacognitive strategies - This loosely means 'thinking about thinking' and is a key area to explore for those wanting to learn better. They are mainly concerned with memory (eg mnemonic devices), comprehension (eg have I understood?) and self regulation (eg how well am I doing?). I conciously employ metacognitive strategies in self regulation because I tend to want to jump in without fully understanding something (somtims to my own detriment;)
Anyway, hope both my personal asnwers and my potted explanation of adult learning helps:)
Tom S.
Product Development Executive
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Approach has to do with risk level, urgency, interest... If all are high I will focus on the highest value info source and chew it up. If urgency is low, it can be more of a search with time out to really think about what I find. Always looking for fun in the learning. A "Wow moment" is a motivator. Connections in the Chaos are a special treat.
Because I can generally get a sense for the design and UI in a short time, I seldom read instructions. Not as much fun to proceed at the lowest level where the user instructions are generally targeted.
Human brain is a lot more flexible than we make it. Rigid learning systems that force us to use our minds under potential are self-defeating.
Practice makes better. Visualize the whole, if possible. Try for a Zen mind at least initially. Seek delight.
More Answers (3)
Paul S.
IT Infrastructure Manager at APM Terminals
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Be curious, ask, read, and participate
Stuart O.
Portfolio Execution, Technology & Operations, Canadian Banking
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Experimentation - empiracal work.
Reading and asking questions
Teaching.
All of these are great ways to learn - for me!
Alvaro,
The learning process is different for all, but I find that the theory-practice-improvement approach is the best for me.
When I'm faced with something I do knwo and I want to learn, the first thing I do is to get all the info possible on the topic (internet, books, etc). Second and most of the time in parallel to the documentation part, I analyse how the others do as I think it is important to learn from the others experience. Finally, combining noth the theory and the practice, I try to see what I can improve or what suits me best.
I use it at work (financial analysis, programme management, business model implementation)n and at home (DIY and even when I became a dad);
Best regards
Laurent
