Concepts Learning: Research, Theory, and Personal Reflection

Learning Concepts and Intelligence

Introduction of Concepts Learning can be defined as "gain[ing] knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience" (Webster's 425). Closely tied into our current understanding of intelligence, the process by which students learn is of immense consequence to all stakeholders in the education process. Classroom instruction methodologies should reflect the most efficacious processes for information transfer. Since intelligence is not a static phenomenon and not all students learn the same way, it is necessary for educators to employ a variety of teaching mechanisms in each unit to ensure that all learning styles are being met and all types of intelligences are being nurtured. In an effort to explore these contexts, this work will examine learning and intelligence theories and articulate how they affect the learning process. Among the theorists that will be explored are Bruner, Rogers, Vygotsky, Kolb, Bandura, Gardner and Fleming. As an applicational example of learning style and practice, the personal learning style of the researcher will be used to demonstrate relevant concepts. Once the theories and concepts have been illustrated, the work will present suggestions for meeting a learner's needs that has the outlined characteristics of the researcher's learning style and experience.

Multiple Intelligences

Intelligence is not a static concept and therefore the learning processes has different mechanisms for influencing types of intelligence. There are some standard intelligence measurements like the Intelligence Quotient (IQ). On the other hand, these types of tests can be considered controversial because the skills in which they measure are not universally accepted dynamics for what constitutes being "smart." For example, what is a valuable or smart skill in one culture or profession could be quite useless in another. Intelligence is far more than being book or mathematically smart and according to famed theorist, Howard Gardner, there are eight types of intelligences that include: linguistic, logical mathematical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic.

Obviously, each type of these intelligences could more useful to one profession than another. Whereas bodily kinesthetic intelligence would be useful to a dancer or athlete, logical/mathematical would be useful to a scientist. Multiple intelligence is not a value judgement on validity, but an acknowledgement that there's different types of intelligences that are more desirable in some professions than others.

As an English as a second language (ESL) student, it is also important to note that multiple intelligence theory, particularly on the linguistic level, can also demonstrate ambiguity in its designations. For example, as a child living Poland, the researcher's move to the United Kingdom resulted in a significant language barrier problem. In Poland, it was generally considered that my linguistic skills were above average when compared to other children in my age bracket. When a new language entered that equation, however, my grades and the linguistic perception of the UK would not have designated my talents as being high in the linguistic category of intelligence. Linguistic intelligence, therefore, has some potential to be tongue specific. Grades in English class that would typically reflect linguistic intelligence, were actually average to below average for me despite my previous success and designated linguistic intelligence when using my own native speaking language.

Learning Styles and Theories Congruent to different types of intelligence designations, there are also different types of learning mechanisms. Traditional education is primarily based on oral information being transmitted to the student. Though lecture based learning is practiced in most secondary classrooms and most college classrooms, this is actually only covering one portion of learning styles. Specifically, learning styles can be designated as auditory, visual, reading/writing preference and kinesthetic (Leite, et. al. 2). Strong lessons by teachers would have to mix in elements of all of these learning style preferences. Though applicable to all learners to varying degrees, individuals that have deficiencies in hearing may logically gravitate toward oral learning methods. Similarly, individuals who have trouble with focus and concentration may be better served through kinesthetic mechanisms of learning. On an auditory level being an ESL student, pure auditory mechanisms of information delivery can sometimes be difficult when the person is speaking too quickly, using regional slang or using pop cultural examples specific to the UK in which I am not familiar. As a result, having a visual and/or written component to the auditory information dissemination process is often critical for me to fully understand the concepts being presented. Without such supplements, I often miss critical details. In my native tongue, I would designate myself an auditory learner, however, studying in the UK has made me more attracted to written/writing type learning and visual mechanisms. Though kinesthetic learning would accomplish a similar goal, I prefer non kinesthetic learning mechanisms though I understand their importance in the teaching/learning process.

To leave the conversation about learning within the spectrum of preferred learning methods would be an oversimplification of the learning process. Kolb, for example, explains learning as a process of concrete experience, observation of and reflection of that experience, formation of abstract concepts based upon that reflection and test the new concepts (Kolb & Fry 23). This is fairly standard learning mechanisms and the aforementioned learning styles would be applicable to the concrete experience spectrum of this process. How one has the concrete experience could be through any number of mechanisms. In a history class we were presented with the topic of indigenous people's struggles in the United States. An overview of the relationships between the U.S. government and the indigenous people from colonization to the present was demonstrated to the class through a video. The information dissemination reflected visual and auditory mechanisms for the concrete experiences. After we had watched the video, we broke into smaller discussion groups where we reflected on that experience with our peers through guided questions from the instructor. After this, the groups formed abstract concepts based on these reflection. The final portion of the unit, which was testing new concepts, had us do outside research to compare the concepts of U.S. indigenous relations with other industrialized nations to see which information was regionally specific or more universal. Through the unit process, the Kolb learning evolution was completely accomplished.

Though the teacher guided us in this particular example, the students both alone and through groups discovered the concepts on their own. The discovery elements of the learning process are consistent with the theories presented by Bruner. Bruner's discovery learning theory "Is a method of inquiry based instruction, discovery learning believes that it is best for learners to discover facts and relationships for themselves" (Learning Bruner 1). Self discovery of information and the Kolb process allows for more meaningful methods of learning to occur. Information can be transmitted from one individual to another without actual real learning occurring. Rogers, in his experiential learning theory, suggests that their are two types of learning: cognitive (meaningless) and experiential (significant) (Psychology 1). In learning, there is a degree of cognitive learning that has to occur before significant learning can take place. Standard cognitive information includes vocabulary learning, multiplication tables and applied knowledge (1). Referring back to the history lesson on U.S. indigenous relations, had the video been the only process of that unit, the facts presented would have been cognitive only and therefore meaningless as they would not have translated to experiential learning without the other components. Qualities of experiential learning include: personal involvement, self-initiated, evaluated by learner, and pervasive effects on learner (1). These mechanisms largely occur through discovery type processes.

Learning, however, should not only be viewed as an individual experience because of the social aspects related to mastery learning. According to Vygosky's social development theory, "Social interaction precedes development; consciousness and cognition are the end product of socialization and social behavior" (1). This theory ties in heavily to Bandura's social learning theory. Bandura emphasizes the role of modeling in social learning and designates the necessary conditions for effective modeling as: attention, retentions, reproduction and motivation (Bandura 1). Attention can be increased or decreased depending on a variety of contexts including but not limited to: distinctiveness, complexity, functional value and an individuals sensory capacities (1). In regards to the sensory capacities, the learning styles previously mentioned again come into the equation. For example, if a visual learning is only being presented with auditory prompts, it is quite likely that they would have difficulty paying as much attention as if it were being conducted in a method congruent to their own preferred learning style. According to Bandura, the world and a person's behavior cause the other and behavior can cause the environment (1). For teachers, the way they are behaving and the way in which the students are behaving can be conducive to a strong learning environment or detrimental.

In terms of behavior influencing the learning environment on Bandura theoretical level, a reflection on a secondary school incident immediately is conjured. In one particular instance, there was a secondary level course where the teacher was quite informal and without any formal boundaries or guidelines for classroom behavior. The instructor modeled an informal position and the students in the class too behaved in an informal way. In some instances this resulted in good exploratory conversations, however, when it was time for more formal learning or designed lessons promoting other learning styles beyond auditory discourse, the result was a great deal of anarchy. Though some many students enjoyed the chaos and welcomed it as a break from the more formal types of teaching in which they were used to, very little learning took place thus making it not an efficacious learning model. Personally, the additional chaos made it difficult to follow the speaking of the instructor and the peers. Though many other students who did not normally do well in school got good grades in the class, my personal position was one of struggle as the environment fostered was so informal it made concentration quite difficult.

Suggestions for Meeting Student Needs

For a student such as myself, the outline of my profile in consideration of the learning and intelligence theories would be as follows: An ESL student who prefers writing/reading and visual learning methods to compensate for problems related to complex language understanding (i.e. rate of speech, slang and popular culture). In addition, the type of intelligence demonstrated by the student is linguistic in the native tongue and interpersonal in most situations. The following types of interventions would be appropriate for meeting a student's needs in this particular situation:

(1) Attention to visual and written aids in addition to oral methods of information dissemination. This would assuage informational gaps that are caused by ESL comprehension issues. In addition, it will help to scaffold a better understanding of the English language thereby performing an interdisciplinary task.

(2) Using guided group work with clear parameters. This process would allows for the student to build on their interpersonal skills while also facilitating social, discovery and experiential learning.

(3) Modeling behavior that encourages free thought and exchange of ideas while at the same time keeping clear boundaries for behavior and classroom conduct. This would discourage the "anarchy" described in the example of a poor learning environment. By having the teacher and the student exhibit certain behavior that is conducive to a good learning environment, the learning environment will be positively affected.

While these three variables would be beneficial to a student fitting the researcher's personal profile and learning styles, they are also generally universal mechanisms for productive learning environments based on scientifically backed theory. As a personal intervention, however, they are still incomplete. In order to make the process more efficacious for all students, each of the learning styles would have to be addressed and arguably, the most difficult of these in certain courses would be kinesthetic. While kinesthetic learning is easy in physical education, it is far more different in mathematics. Obviously some courses will have more opportunities than others and it is important that the instructors use these opportunities to meet all of the student's learning demands. Though the profile presented is not focused on kinesthetic variables, there is a social mechanism to kinesthetic learning that would nurture interpersonal intelligence dynamics. Mechanisms that instructors would want to avoid in regards to the profile presented would be:

(1) Singular information dissemination methods (example: only using oral information dissemination or drill and practice).

(2) Using unnecessary amounts of slang and popular culture references that would be unfamiliar to ESL students (thinks connects with informality #5).

(3) Overemphasis on cognitive learning with no connection to prior knowledge or abstract concepts (meaningless fact memorization and recall)

(4) Being too structured so discovery learning cannot occur (eliminates social learning mechanisms)

(5) Being too unstructured to the degree that the behavioral influence on the learning environment is negative.

(6) Modeling behavior to the rest of the class that would influence them to behave in manners that would proliferate concept mechanisms 1-5.

Like the appropriate needs articulated, this list of things to avoid is fairly universal and would be applicable to basically all learners based on the theoretical information presented. As a result, these six dynamics could be labeled general pitfalls for instructors to avoid in consideration of our current knowledge on the way in which student's learn.

Conclusions

Learning and intelligence are two closely related educational variables that necessitate critical attention and understanding by teachers and policy makers to craft the most efficacious learning environments possible. When teachers understand the respective needs of individual student situations and apply these conditions to learning theories, it is possible to make learning environments that meet the unique demands of all learners as best possible. A classroom cannot be everything to everyone at all times. As a result, simply being cognizant of the different needs and learning theories enables instructors to create lessons where all students needs are met in terms of singular concepts. If a lesson is on fractions, each of the learning styles should be considered so instructors can model the correct behavior conducive to a strong learning environment, facilitate discovery learning and help students make meaningful connections. Learning is a social mechanisms and the control of the social atmosphere is critical. From an individual perspective, there are a number of strong educational practices that could have made my transition to UK schools much easier had some basic principles of learning been considered by instructors and curriculum designers.

Works Cited

Armstrong, T. "Multiple intelligences." Thomas Armstrong.

Bandura, A. "Social Learning Theory." Learning Theories.

Bruner, J. "Discovery Learning." Learning Theories.

Kolb, D.A. and R. Fry. "Toward and applied theory of experiential learning."

Theories of Group Processes. Ed. Cooper. London: John Willey.

"Learning." Webster's Intermediate Dictionary. Mass. J.C. Merriam. Leite, W., Et al.