What is learning?

In this article, I’m beginning our exploration of how people learn (and then we’ll discuss how we might become better disciplers - teachers!). My fascination with learning goes all the way back to childhood. If my mother said it once, she said it a thousand times, “You learn something new every day.” I’ve quoted her just about as many times as I heard her say it, and you know what? I came to believe that you do learn something new every day!

So when I got started on my doctoral program, I was driven by curiosity to discover what learning is, and how people learn. And I found out -- the short answer is, “Nobody really knows” (because the full answer is still under investigation).

You see, God created us in His image, after His likeness. And one of the marvelous things about our createdness is learning! Like God, we learn! Like God, we are curious! Like God, we want to know!

Among the many definitions of learning, I have adopted and personalized LeRoy Ford’s (see his landmark book, Design for Teaching and Training, Broadman Press):

Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior, based on experience.

Let us examine that definition:

...relatively permanent…

It would be nice if all learning would/could go immediately into long term memory. But God didn’t make us that way. We seem to function best in this world with a balance between short term and long term memory. But for learning - real learning - to take place, it has to be more-or-less permanent. Of course, this is a fuzzy definition (remember, nobody really knows what learning is!), but it seems to be the best we can come up with.

...change in behavior…

My most recent post discussed the three domains of learning: Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral. I said that the Affective is the most important. But for the purpose of defining learning, I focus on the Behavioral Domain. Why? Because when learning is complete, it will show up on our behavior! Let me illustrate:

Growing up, my brothers and I were required to brush our teeth after supper. Had to do it. I hated it, but I did it. So when I moved away from home, went to college, and got married I did NOT brush my teeth after supper. I brushed only when my teeth felt dirty or when I had bad breath. After a few years of this, I woke up one day with a toothache. I called a dentist, made an appointment, and found out that I had a mouth full of cavities - the result of poor dental hygiene!

After many hours in the dental chair, and many hundreds of dollars for fillings (today it would be many thousands of dollars), I had a change in behavior. I became a fanatic about dental hygiene. Now I brush -- and floss! -- daily! And man, are my teeth clean!

My point here is that I knew about teeth brushing, but didn’t value it, so my behavior didn’t include it. But as a result of that experience, I not only know dental hygiene, but I value it, and you can tell because you can observe it in my behavior! In a similar way, the things we really learn show up in our behavior!!

...based on experience.

This differentiates learning from other changes in behavior we might experience, like when we just decide to change; like you might go on a diet to lose weight -- not based on experience, but based on volition - an act of the will.

So as you seek to grow in your own discipleship, and to disciple others, keep in mind this helpful definition of learning: A relatively permanent change in behavior, based on experience.