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What is a Presentation of Learning and Why Do We Do It?

Alec patton.

A Presentation of Learning (POL) requires students to present their learning to an audience, in order to prove that they are ready to progress. Effective POLs include both academic content and the student’s reflection on their social and personal growth.  They are important rituals – literally “rites of passage” for students.

At my school, every student gives two POLs per year – one at the end of fall semester, and one at the end of the year. They happen at the same time that most schools have their final exams, and serve a similar function. However, unlike exams, POLs happen in front of an audience that includes their teachers, parents, and peers. By requiring students to present to an audience, reflect on their learning, and answer probing questions on the spot, we are helping students build skills that they will use for the rest of their life. Taking an exam, on the other hand, is a skill that students will rarely, if ever, need to utilize after they finish college.

Every team’s POL expectations are slightly different, but they all fall into one of two broad categories: “presentation” or “discussion”.

Presentation

The presentation is the “classic” version of the POL. A student gives a prepared presentation on their own, and takes questions. Designing a POL structure is a balancing act for the teacher: require students to cover too much material, and every one of your students will march in and recite a near-identical list of assignments completed and skills learned. On the other hand, make the requirements too open-ended and the POL can become an empty facsimile of reflection – or, as students have described it to me, “BS-ing”!

I once saw a POL assignment that included the phrase “it has to have some magic”, which students were free to interpret as they saw fit. It led to unpredictable and delightful presentations, and inspired more thought and extra work than any rubric could have.

The “Discussion of Learning” trades the presentation structure for a seminar structure: a small group of students facilitates their own hour-long discussion, with the teachers initially just listening, then adding questions to enrich and drive the discussion. The parents are invited in for the final fifteen minutes, when the students summarize the discussion thus far and invite the parents to participate.

In my experience, this format tends to lead to meatier, more honest reflection than presentations. Especially when students are allowed to choose their own groups, they tend to make themselves more vulnerable than in other contexts. This format also opens up a space for students whose voices aren’t always heard in the classroom. The most memorable POL I’ve ever been a part of was a discussion by a group of girls, all  them native Spanish speakers, who talked about having been made uncomfortably aware of their accents by peers, and struggling to make their voices heard within our team. It was powerful, effective, thoughtful – everything I would have wanted from a POL, but it never would have happened if the structure had been different.

Which format should I choose, and when?

Students will be best-served by experiencing both the “presentation” and “discussion” format at some point in their academic careers.

I like to end fall semester with a presentation, because individual presentations give me the clearest sense of which skills a student has successfully developed, and what they will need more help with in the coming semester. I then end the year with a discussion, because at this point I know the students very well, and in a small-group setting we can speak frankly both about their successes, and the potential problems they will face in the coming year. I end this discussion with every student setting goals for the summer and coming year that I record and email to the student and their parents, so that they leave my class with the best possible trajectory into the future.

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Definition of Learning:

Oct 27, 2014

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Definition of Learning:. A generally accepted definition of learning is any relatively permanent change in human behavior that occurs as a result of experience.

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• learning styles
• cognitive domain
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• creating interactive learning atmosphere

Presentation Transcript

Definition of Learning: A generally accepted definition of learning isany relatively permanent change in human behavior that occurs as a result of experience. Midchell has defined learning as the process by which new behaviors are acquired. It is generally agreed that learning involves changes in behavior, practicing new behaviors and establishing permanency in the change.

Student Learning Style • Active Learning Style: Research shows clearly that a student must be engaged to learn. Students learn by actively participating in observing, speaking, writing, listening, thinking, drawing, and doing • Learning is enhanced when a student sees potential implications, applications, and benefits to others • Learning builds on current understanding (including misconceptions!).

Student Learning Style Active And Reflective Learners: • Active learners tend to retain and understand information best by doing something active with it--discussing or applying it or explaining it to others. Reflective learners prefer to think about it quietly first. • "Let's try it out and see how it works" is an active learner's phrase; "Let's think it through first" is the reflective learner's response. • Active learners tend to like group work more than reflective learners, who prefer working alone. • Sitting through lectures without getting to do anything physical but take notes is hard for both learning types, but particularly hard for active learners.

Student Learning Style • What messages we get from the previous slide for our course design? • If student learning is the goal, effective teaching means creating effective learning environments, and environments where students are actively participating and engaged with the material are crucial to student learning • Students are more likely to learn and retain if we ask them to do more than learn information. Including activities where students can explore applications and implications will improve learning • A traditional lecture classroom focused on presentation of content by an instructor does not typically promote active participation and engagement. • How do we identify those learners then?

Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire • I understand something better after I(a) try it out.(b) think it through. • I would rather be considered(a) realistic.(b) innovative. • When I think about what I did yesterday, I am most likely to get(a) a picture.(b) words. • I tend to(a) understand details of a subject but may be fuzzy about its overall structure.(b) understand the overall structure but may be fuzzy about details.

Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire • When I am learning something new, it helps me to(a) talk about it.(b) think about it. • If I were a teacher, I would rather teach a course(a) that deals with facts and real life situations.(b) that deals with ideas and theories. 7. I prefer to get new information in(a) pictures, diagrams, graphs, or maps.(b) written directions or verbal information

The Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education: From this study, Chickering and Gamson (1997) formulatedThe Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education: • Encourage contacts between students and faculty. • Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students. • Use active learning techniques. • Give prompt feedback. • Emphasize time on task. • Communicate high expectations. • Respect diverse talents and ways of learning.

Principles for Good Practice in Adult Education • Stephen Brookfield's Understanding and Facilitating Adult Learning (1986) summarized six leading principles of adult education: • voluntary participation in learning • mutual respect among participants • collaborative facilitation • a praxis approach to teaching/learning • the necessity of critical reflection upon the breadth of life, and • a proactive and self-directed empowerment of participants.

LEARNING ORGANISATION(LO) • Learning might be the acquisition of a new skills, new knowledge, a modified attitude or a combination of all three. • The process of acquiring knowledge through experience that leads to a change in behaviour.

LEARNIN ORGANISATION (CONTD.) An organization that has an enhanced capacity to learn, adapt and change: • Systems thinking • Personal mastery • Mental models • Shared vision • Team learning

LEARNING ORGANISATION (CONTD.) Garvin (1993) has suggested that LO are good at doing five things: • Systematic problem solving-relying on scientific methods, insisting on data rather than assumption. • Experimentation-Kaizen (continuous improvements) • Learning from past experience • Learning from others • Transferring knowledge quickly and efficiently throughout the organisation

SIX FACTOR MODEL OF LO Kandola and Fullerton have produced a six factor model of a LO: • Shared vision • Enabling structure • Supportive culture • Empowering management • Motivated workforce • Enhanced learning

David Kolb's learning styles model David Kolb'sExperiential Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development(1984) theorized that four combinations of perceiving and processing determine four learning styles that make up a learning cycle. According to Kolb, the learning cycle involves four processes that must be present for learning to occur: • Diverging (CE/RO) • Assimilating (AC/RO) • Converging (AC/AE) • Accommodating (CE/AE)

David Kolb's learning styles model Kolb includes this 'cycle of learning' as a central principle his experiential learning theory, typically expressed as four-stage cycle of learning, in which 'immediate or concrete experiences' provide a basis for 'observations and reflections'. Kolb's model therefore works on two levels - a four-stage cycle: • Concrete Experience - (CE) • Reflective Observation - (RO) • Abstract Conceptualization - (AC) • Active Experimentation - (AE)

David Kolb's learning styles model

David Kolb's learning styles model • Diverging (concrete, reflective) - Emphasizes the innovative and imaginative approach to doing things. Views concrete situations from many perspectives and adapts by observation rather than by action. Interested in people and tends to be feeling-oriented. Likes such activities as cooperative groups and brainstorming. • Assimilating (abstract, reflective) - Pulls a number of different observations and thoughts into an integrated whole. Likes to reason inductively and create models and theories. Likes to design projects and experiments.

David Kolb's learning styles model • Converging (abstract, active)- Emphasizes the practical application of ideas and solving problems. Likes decision-making, problem-solving, and the practicable application of ideas. Prefers technical problems over interpersonal issues. • Accommodating (concrete, active) - Uses trial and error rather than thought and reflection. Good at adapting to changing circumstances; solves problems in an intuitive, trial-and-error manner, such as discovery learning. Also tends to be at ease with people.

HONEY & MUMFORD`S LEARNING STYLES • ACTIVIST: a dynamic learners without bias • REFLECTOR: an imaginative learner and the person, who observes phenomena, thinks about them and then choose how to act. • THEORIST: Who adapt and apply their observations in the form of logical theories. • PRAGMATIST: a commonsense learner who only likes to study if they can see a direct link to practical problems.

HONEY & MUMFORD`S LEARNING STYLES

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains (Bloom (1956), • It identifies three “domains” of learning: Cognitive: mental skills (Knowledge) Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (Attitude) Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (Skills)

Cognitive Domain (Bloom 1956) Old Version

Cognitive Domain (Anderson and Krathwohl, 2001) New Version

Comparative Domains Note the new top category, which is being able to create new knowledge within the domain and move from nouns to active verbs

Elements of COGNITIVE DOMAIN • Remembering: can the student recall or remember the information?..... defines, describes, identifies, knows, labels, lists, matches, names, outlines, recalls, recognizes, reproduces, selects, states. • Understanding: can the student explain ideas or concepts?..... comprehends, converts, defends, distinguishes, estimates, explains, extends, generalizes, gives an example, infers, interprets, paraphrases, predicts, rewrites, summarizes, translates.

Elements of COGNITIVE DOMAIN • Applying: can the student use the information in a new way?.... applies, changes, computes, constructs, demonstrates, discovers, manipulates, modifies, operates, predicts, prepares, produces, relates, shows, solves, uses. • Analyzing: can the student distinguish between the different parts? …. analyzes, breaks down, compares, contrasts, diagrams, deconstructs, differentiates, discriminates, distinguishes, identifies, illustrates, infers, outlines, relates, selects, separates.

Elements of Cognitive Domain • Evaluating: can the student justify a stand or decision? …. categorizes, combines, compiles, composes, creates, devises, designs, explains, generates, modifies, organizes, plans, rearranges, reconstructs, relates, reorganizes, revises, rewrites, summarizes, tells, writes. • Creating: can the student create new product or point of view? …. assembles, constructs, creates, designs, develops, formulates, writes

Effective Teaching Strategies • If student learning is the goal, effective teaching means creating effective learning environments, and environments where students are actively participating and engaged with the material are crucial to student learning. • Creating interactive learning atmosphere in the classroom. How can we do it? Teaching techniques, tools and formats • Lecture (making it more interactive) • Concept sketches • PowerPoint

Effective Teaching Strategies • Audio and Video clips to enhance concepts and theories discussed in the class • Guest speaker • Case studies • Group discussion • Group (team) projects • Debate • Role playing • Just-in-Time Teaching

Effective Teaching Strategies • Appropriate assessment and feedback mechanism • Concern and respect for students and student learning • Effective classroom management and organization • Positive expectations • Effective design of lessons and activities • Rapport with students • Enthusiasm

Effective Strategies and Laws of Learning • Laws of Learning (attempts to define the   fundamental   conditions   of   the learning  process)   • Law of Readiness According to the law of readiness students learn best when they are physically, mentally, and emotionally ready to learn. • Law of Effect An  individual  learns  best  those  things  which  result  in  satisfying  consequences. The principle of effect is based on the emotional reaction of the student. It has a direct relationship to motivation. • Primacy The state of being first, often creates a strong, almost unshakable, impression. Things learned first create a strong impression in the mind that is difficult to erase.

Effective Strategies and Laws of Learning • Exercise The principle of exercise states that those things most often repeated are best remembered. • Intensity The more intense the material taught, the more likely it will be retained. A sharp, clear, vivid, dramatic, or exciting learning experience teaches more than a routine or boring experience

INDIVIDUAL BARRIERS TO LEARNING • Lack of information • Time • Money • Apathy and lack of motivation • Culture • Ageism • Special needs • Socio-economic status • Lack of confidence

Effective Teaching Strategies Problems in Bangladesh context: • Language (English) • Capacity • Tendency to memorize

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33 What Is Learning?

[latexpage]

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Explain how learned behaviors are different from instincts and reflexes
• Define learning
• Recognize and define three basic forms of learning—classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning

Birds build nests and migrate as winter approaches. Infants suckle at their mother’s breast. Dogs shake water off wet fur. Salmon swim upstream to spawn, and spiders spin intricate webs. What do these seemingly unrelated behaviors have in common? They all are unlearned behaviors. Both instincts and reflexes are innate behaviors that organisms are born with. Reflexes are a motor or neural reaction to a specific stimulus in the environment. They tend to be simpler than instincts, involve the activity of specific body parts and systems (e.g., the knee-jerk reflex and the contraction of the pupil in bright light), and involve more primitive centers of the central nervous system (e.g., the spinal cord and the medulla). In contrast, instincts are innate behaviors that are triggered by a broader range of events, such as aging and the change of seasons. They are more complex patterns of behavior, involve movement of the organism as a whole (e.g., sexual activity and migration), and involve higher brain centers.

Both reflexes and instincts help an organism adapt to its environment and do not have to be learned. For example, every healthy human baby has a sucking reflex, present at birth. Babies are born knowing how to suck on a nipple, whether artificial (from a bottle) or human. Nobody teaches the baby to suck, just as no one teaches a sea turtle hatchling to move toward the ocean. Learning, like reflexes and instincts, allows an organism to adapt to its environment. But unlike instincts and reflexes, learned behaviors involve change and experience: learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior or knowledge that results from experience. In contrast to the innate behaviors discussed above, learning involves acquiring knowledge and skills through experience. Looking back at our surfing scenario, Julian will have to spend much more time training with his surfboard before he learns how to ride the waves like his father.

Learning to surf, as well as any complex learning process (e.g., learning about the discipline of psychology), involves a complex interaction of conscious and unconscious processes. Learning has traditionally been studied in terms of its simplest components—the associations our minds automatically make between events. Our minds have a natural tendency to connect events that occur closely together or in sequence. Associative learning occurs when an organism makes connections between stimuli or events that occur together in the environment. You will see that associative learning is central to all three basic learning processes discussed in this chapter; classical conditioning tends to involve unconscious processes, operant conditioning tends to involve conscious processes, and observational learning adds social and cognitive layers to all the basic associative processes, both conscious and unconscious. These learning processes will be discussed in detail later in the chapter, but it is helpful to have a brief overview of each as you begin to explore how learning is understood from a psychological perspective.

In classical conditioning, also known as Pavlovian conditioning, organisms learn to associate events—or stimuli—that repeatedly happen together. We experience this process throughout our daily lives. For example, you might see a flash of lightning in the sky during a storm and then hear a loud boom of thunder. The sound of the thunder naturally makes you jump (loud noises have that effect by reflex). Because lightning reliably predicts the impending boom of thunder, you may associate the two and jump when you see lightning. Psychological researchers study this associative process by focusing on what can be seen and measured—behaviors. Researchers ask if one stimulus triggers a reflex, can we train a different stimulus to trigger that same reflex? In operant conditioning, organisms learn, again, to associate events—a behavior and its consequence (reinforcement or punishment). A pleasant consequence encourages more of that behavior in the future, whereas a punishment deters the behavior. Imagine you are teaching your dog, Hodor, to sit. You tell Hodor to sit, and give him a treat when he does. After repeated experiences, Hodor begins to associate the act of sitting with receiving a treat. He learns that the consequence of sitting is that he gets a doggie biscuit ( [link] ). Conversely, if the dog is punished when exhibiting a behavior, it becomes conditioned to avoid that behavior (e.g., receiving a small shock when crossing the boundary of an invisible electric fence).

Observational learning extends the effective range of both classical and operant conditioning. In contrast to classical and operant conditioning, in which learning occurs only through direct experience, observational learning is the process of watching others and then imitating what they do. A lot of learning among humans and other animals comes from observational learning. To get an idea of the extra effective range that observational learning brings, consider Ben and his son Julian from the introduction. How might observation help Julian learn to surf, as opposed to learning by trial and error alone? By watching his father, he can imitate the moves that bring success and avoid the moves that lead to failure. Can you think of something you have learned how to do after watching someone else?

All of the approaches covered in this chapter are part of a particular tradition in psychology, called behaviorism, which we discuss in the next section. However, these approaches do not represent the entire study of learning. Separate traditions of learning have taken shape within different fields of psychology, such as memory and cognition, so you will find that other chapters will round out your understanding of the topic. Over time these traditions tend to converge. For example, in this chapter you will see how cognition has come to play a larger role in behaviorism, whose more extreme adherents once insisted that behaviors are triggered by the environment with no intervening thought.

Instincts and reflexes are innate behaviors—they occur naturally and do not involve learning. In contrast, learning is a change in behavior or knowledge that results from experience. There are three main types of learning: classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning. Both classical and operant conditioning are forms of associative learning where associations are made between events that occur together. Observational learning is just as it sounds: learning by observing others.

Review Questions

Which of the following is an example of a reflex that occurs at some point in the development of a human being?

• child riding a bike
• teen socializing
• infant sucking on a nipple
• toddler walking

Learning is best defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior that ________.

• occurs as a result of experience
• is found only in humans
• occurs by observing others

Two forms of associative learning are ________ and ________.

• classical conditioning; operant conditioning
• classical conditioning; Pavlovian conditioning
• operant conditioning; observational learning
• operant conditioning; learning conditioning

In ________ the stimulus or experience occurs before the behavior and then gets paired with the behavior.

• associative learning
• observational learning
• operant conditioning
• classical conditioning

Critical Thinking Questions

Compare and contrast classical and operant conditioning. How are they alike? How do they differ?

Both classical and operant conditioning involve learning by association. In classical conditioning, responses are involuntary and automatic; however, responses are voluntary and learned in operant conditioning. In classical conditioning, the event that drives the behavior (the stimulus) comes before the behavior; in operant conditioning, the event that drives the behavior (the consequence) comes after the behavior. Also, whereas classical conditioning involves an organism forming an association between an involuntary (reflexive) response and a stimulus, operant conditioning involves an organism forming an association between a voluntary behavior and a consequence.

What is the difference between a reflex and a learned behavior?

A reflex is a behavior that humans are born knowing how to do, such as sucking or blushing; these behaviors happen automatically in response to stimuli in the environment. Learned behaviors are things that humans are not born knowing how to do, such as swimming and surfing. Learned behaviors are not automatic; they occur as a result of practice or repeated experience in a situation.

Personal Application Questions

What is your personal definition of learning? How do your ideas about learning compare with the definition of learning presented in this text?

What kinds of things have you learned through the process of classical conditioning? Operant conditioning? Observational learning? How did you learn them?

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What Is Learning?

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk,  "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time.

How Learning Works

How to improve learning.

Learning is a relatively lasting change in behavior that is the result of experience. It is the acquisition of information, knowledge, and skills. When you think of learning, it's easy to focus on formal education that takes place during childhood and early adulthood. But learning is an ongoing process that takes place throughout life and isn't confined to the classroom.

Learning became a major focus of study in psychology during the early part of the twentieth century as behaviorism rose to become a major school of thought. Today learning remains an important concept in numerous areas of psychology, including cognitive, educational, social, and developmental psychology .

Psychologists study how learning occurs but also how social, emotional, cultural, and biological variables might influence the learning process.

Learning Is an Active Process

Even if you learn something relatively quickly, it is still a multi-step process. To learn, you must encounter new information, pay attention to it, coordinate it with what you already know, store it in your memory, and apply it.

For example, say you want to fix a running toilet. You might search for a how-to video, watch it to see if it addresses your need, and then use the instructions to make the repair. Or, consider a time when you came across an unfamiliar word while reading. If you stopped to look up the meaning, then you learned a new word.

The term "active learning" is often used to describe an interactive process, such as doing a hands-on experiment to learn a concept rather than reading about it. But "passive learning" (reading a text, listening to a lecture, watching a movie) is still learning, and can be effective.

Learning Leads to Lasting Change

Learning means retaining the knowledge that you gained. If you see that new vocabulary word in another context, you will understand its meaning. If the toilet starts running again in the future, you may need to watch the video again to refresh your memory on how to fix it, but you have some knowledge of what to do.

Learning Occurs As a Result of Experience

The learning process begins when you have a new experience, whether that is reading a new word, listening to someone explain a concept, or trying a new method for solving a problem. Once you've tried a technique for boiling eggs or a different route to work, you can determine whether it works for you and then use it in the future.

Learning Can Affect Attitudes, Knowledge, or Behavior

There's far more to learning than "book learning." Yes, you can learn new words, concepts, and facts. But you can also learn how to do things and how to feel about things.

It's important to remember that learning can involve both beneficial and negative behaviors. Learning is a natural and ongoing part of life that takes place continually, both for better and for worse.

Sometimes learning means becoming more knowledgeable and leading a better life. In other instances, it means learning behaviors that are detrimental to health and well-being.

The process of learning is not always the same. Learning can happen in a wide variety of ways. To explain how and when learning occurs, psychologists have proposed a number of different theories.

Learning Through Classical Conditioning

Learning through association is one of the most fundamental ways that people learn new things. Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov discovered one method of learning during his experiments on the digestive systems of dogs . He noted that the dogs would naturally salivate at the sight of food, but that eventually the dogs also began to salivate whenever they spotted the experimenter’s white lab coat.

Later experiments involved pairing the sight of food with the sound of a bell tone. After multiple pairings, the dogs eventually began to salivate to the sound of the bell alone.

Classical conditioning is a type of learning that takes place through the formation of associations.

An unconditioned stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response is paired with an neutral stimulus. Eventually, an association forms and the previously neutral stimulus becomes known as a conditioned stimulus that then triggers a conditioned response.

Learning Through Operant Conditioning

The consequences of your actions can also play a role in determining how and what you learn. Behaviorist B.F. Skinner noted that while classical conditioning could be used to explain some types of learning, it could not account for everything. Instead, he suggested that reinforcements and punishments were responsible for some types of learning.

When something immediately follows a behavior, it can either increase or decrease the likelihood that the behavior will occur again in the future. This process is referred to as operant conditioning .

For example, imagine that you just got a new puppy, and you would like to begin training it to behave in specific ways. Whenever the puppy does what you want it to do, you reward it with a small treat or a gentle pat. When the puppy misbehaves, you scold him and do not offer affection. Eventually, the reinforcement leads to an increase in the desired behaviors and a decrease in the unwanted behaviors.

Learning Through Observation

While classical conditioning and operant conditioning can help explain many instances of learning, you can probably immediately think of situations where you have learned something without being conditioned, reinforced, or punished.

Psychologist Albert Bandura noted that many types of learning do not involve any conditioning and, in fact, evidence that learning has occurred might not even be immediately apparent.

Observational learning occurs by observing the actions and consequences of other people’s behavior (such as with latent learning ).

In a series of famous experiments, Bandura was able to demonstrate the power of this observational learning. Children watched video clips of adults interacting with a large, inflatable Bobo doll. In some instances, the adults simply ignored the doll, while in other clips the adults would hit, kick and yell at the doll.

When kids were later given the chance to play within a room with a Bobo doll present, those who had observed the adults abusing the doll were more likely to engage in similar actions.

Learning doesn't always come easily. Sometimes, you must overcome obstacles in order to gain new knowledge. These obstacles may take several different forms.

Environmental Challenges

Access to learning opportunities and aspects of the learning environment play a role in how people learn. These can be big or small challenges. If you can't find instructions or locate someone to ask about your running toilet, you don't have the opportunity to learn how to fix it. In the classroom and the workplace, you may face physical, cultural, or economic barriers that inhibit your ability to learn.

Cognitive Challenges

Cognitive factors affect the learning process, For example, the ability to memorize or attend to information can either facilitate or hinder learning. Specific learning disabilities, such as dyslexia , affect the way knowledge is processed and retained.

Motivational Challenges

Motivation, including both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation . can affect how much people learn. People with a strong intrinsic motivation to learn feel compelled to learn for learning's sake. They do not need rewards, such as grades or prizes, to feel motivated to learn.

Of course, this may only apply to certain skills or subjects. Someone may need extrinsic motivators to complete math homework, for example, but be intrinsically motivated to research their family history. Challenges with motivation can stem from ADHD , depression , and other mental health conditions.

Whether you are involved in formal education or not, you are always learning throughout your life. And there are strategies you can use to improve how you learn and how well you retain and apply what you have learned.

First, keep learning. Learning is a skill that can be practiced. One study of older adults found that learning a new skill improved working memory, episodic memory, and reasoning. And the harder the new skill (participants learned quilting, digital photography, or both), the more it strengthened their brains.

Learn in multiple ways. If you want to learn a new language, you might use an app that offers lessons in various aspects: Reading, listening, and speaking. But you might also listen to a podcast in the new language while you are taking a walk, or practice writing new vocabulary words by hand. Similarly, it helps to review information frequently and to use memorization techniques .

Another smart way to promote learning: Teach. When you show how a friend how to play tennis, for example, you're reinforcing what you know by sharing it. You must revisit the basics that were once new to you and present them to your student.

Support learning and memory by getting enough sleep . Research shows that sleep helps the brain consolidate information, so make it a priority to practice good sleep hygiene for a healthy body and brain .

A Word From Verywell

Learning is not a one-dimensional process. It takes place in many different ways and there are a wide variety of factors that can influence how and what people learn. While people often focus on the observable and measurable ways that learning takes place, it is also important to remember that we cannot always immediately detect what has been learned. People are capable of learning concepts and skills that are not immediately observable.

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By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."