What Does it Mean to Learn?

After reading five articles on Gardner’s theories of multiple intelligences I feel like learning is so much more varied and personal than many educators give credit to. In order to learn a student has to have material presented to them in a manner that they can process for understanding. According to proponents of Gardner’s theories, teachers should strive to, “[i]ndividualize teaching methods and curricula as much as possible (no “uniform schools” where all students are taught and assessed in the same way) and teach important concepts in multiple ways, thereby reaching more students effectively” (Christodoulou, 2009, p. 4). Thus the manner of instruction has more impact on elevating learning from learning by rote to learning for understanding. According to Wiggins and McTighe there are six facets of understanding: explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy, and self-knowledge (2005, p. 84). In our previous discussions related to knowing and understanding group members also recognized many of these facets as the visible indicators of moving from having knowledge to understanding that knowledge. 

So what does it mean to learn? In the simplest terms that I understand it, learning is the act of obtaining knowledge that leads to understanding that knowledge by demonstrating at least one or more of the applicable six facets presented by Wiggins and McTighe. As demonstrated in examples throughout the assigned chapters, students can give the right answer to a question but not be able to explain (explanation) how they derived at this answer as it has only been memorized fact nor are they able to respond to the question if it is not phrased in the manner they are used to thinking about the concept (application) and thus are not truly applying the concepts but yet again only repeating memorized information if the questions are presented “just so”.   

Where do educators go from here? If the goal is to truly educate our students to be evaluative, innovative thinkers who understand concepts instead of regurgitate information then we not only need to change the delivery model but also the forms of assessment. Is there room for teaching to multiple intelligences and assessing synthesis and application of information in a public school system designed to reward and punish schools and staff members based upon standardized tests with fill-in the bubble assessments (an assessment that is only the best learning style for a portion of our population) that do not consider the deeper applications of concepts but only on the ability to regurgitate facts?

References:

Christodoulou, J. (2009). Applying multiple intelligences. School Administrator, 66(2), 22-26. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

http://web.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=3&bk=1&hid=6&sid=546c9e64-2dea-4413-b9af-e7ac48d5b6d4%40sessionmgr12&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=ehh&AN=36326108.

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education.

Knowing versus Understanding

“The improvement of understanding is for two ends: first, our own increase of knowledge; secondly, to enable us to deliver that knowledge to others” 
–John Locke 

In my search to discover the difference between knowing and understanding the most common ideas I found are that a person can know something without understanding it. We can measure knowledge, or recall, on exams. Knowledge can be just the facts, but not the understanding of how to apply the facts. At first glance it seems that true understanding is predicated on knowing. One must have the general knowledge to understand something.

Yet, the idea of intuitive understanding, like the understanding of body clues, facial features, and voice modulation seem to be things humans pick up without knowing that we know them, relying on our intuition to warn us of danger or other helpful social situations. This deep level of understanding allows us to make rapid decisions that can be life saving. But we don’t know that we know these things. We aren’t explicitly taught them (there are exceptions to this but ask any SLP how difficult it is to teach an Autistic child these clues!). So although we don’t know the clues we are looking for, nor do we actively search for them, our minds already understand what we are seeing and translate it into a message for immediate action, as in a fight or flight response. So it seems that we are capable, on an instinctual level at least, of understanding something without knowing about it. What about deeper understanding that does not involve instinct or intuition?

It seems that it is common in education for students to know facts or concepts without understanding them. In order to show that you know something, most often one is only asked to recall the information. Actually applying it shows understanding. According to Bloom’s Taxonomy (much quoted throughout educational philosophy articles), knowledge, or the ability to recall facts is the first step in the learning process, followed by comprehension, also described by Bloom as understanding or getting meaning (Page, 2010, p.56). According to Bloom these are only the first of six steps in the learning process, although it does seem from his work that in order for understanding to occur, knowing must occur first.

“Learning is personal. Learning is an individual experience that must be internalized and integrated by each student” (Page, 2010, p.54). In this statement I believe that learning is synonymous with understanding. In his article, Page asserts that when information is presented to students it is then stored somewhere in the brain. It takes further use of this information, some form of application, such as the personal experience described above, or other activities to move that information from just stored information, or what we are defining as knowing into learning, or understanding. Page goes on to say, “each learner builds and adds to their understanding according to his or her own knowledge, thoughts, ideas, perceptions, experiences, values, and beliefs. If new information does not connect or relate to existing knowledge, the brain will not accept it” (Page, 2010, p.55). It seems then that our understanding of knowledge presented to us not only takes the application of the knowledge, but also is wholly dependent upon our world view or our position as it were in society based upon all of the factors Page lists above. This leads to the idea that two people can be presented with the same information, completely understand the information, and proceed to develop separate and differing opinions based upon said information.

References:

Kirkland, J., Bimler, D., Rutgers, W., Cleary, M., Nelson, E., Hill, L., et al. (2009). Thinking About Thinking. New Zealand Principals' Federation Magazine, 24(4), 14-15. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

Locke, J (1847). An essay concerning human understanding and a treatise on the conduct of the understanding. Kay and Troutman: Philadelphia.

Page, B. (2010). 12 Things Teachers Must Know about Learning. Education Digest, 75(8), 54-56. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.