Principles of Learning
Presented by
Ms. Fhlori Ann Maye V. Luna
“The ability to learn is
the most significant activity of men.”
Learning is the acquisition of a knowledge-base
used with fluency to make sense of the world,
solve problems and make decisions.
Here are some principles of learning from Horne
and Pine (1990):
1. Learning is an experience which occurs inside
the learner and is activated by the learner.
Learning is not only a function of what a teacher does, says, or
provides for a learner.
No one directly teaches anyone, anything of
significance…
People learn what they want to learn, they see
what they want to see and hear what they want to
hear.
2. Learning is the discovery of the personal
meaning and relevance of ideas.
 Students are more readily internalize and implement concepts
and ideas which are relevant to their needs and problems.
3. Learning (behavioral change) is a consequence
of experience.
 People do not change their behavior merely because someone
tells them to do so or tells them how to change.
 If experience is the best teacher, then the
teacher should make use of experiential learning.
Experiential learning makes use of direct as well
as vicarious experiences.
4. Learning is a cooperative and collaborative
process. Cooperation fosters learning.
 People enjoy functioning independently but they also enjoy
functioning interdependently.
“Two heads are better than one.”
 Cooperative approaches are enabling. They
begin to realize that they count, that they have
something to give and to learn.
5. Learning is an evolutionary process.
Behavioral change requires time and patience…
Change takes time.
Results can never be expected overnight.
6. Learning sometimes is a painful process.
Behavioral change often calls for giving up the old and
comfortable ways of believing, thinking, and valuing. It is not
easy to discard familiar ways of doing things and incorporate
new behavior.
“Sometimes you need to learn it the hard way.”
However, the pain of breaking away from the
old and the comfortable is usually followed by
appreciation and pleasure in the discovery of an
evolving idea of a changing self.
7. One of the richest resources for learning is the
learner himself.
Each individual has an accumulation of experiences, ideas,
feelings and attitudes which comprise a rich vein of material for
problem solving and learning. All too often this vein is barely
tapped.
As a teacher, we must draw these learners’ ideas,
feelings and experiences.
You midwife the birth of ideas.
7. The process of learning is emotional as well
as intellectual.
People are feeling beings as well as thinking beings and when
their feelings and thoughts are in harmony, learning is
maximized.
8. The process of problem solving and learning
is highly unique and individual.
Each person has his own unique styles of learning and solving
problems.
We need to assist people to define and to
maximize their own unique styles that they can
become more effective in problem solving and
learning.
It pays to allow students to learn in accordance
with their unique learning styles and multiple
intelligence.

Principles of Learning

  • 1.
    Principles of Learning Presentedby Ms. Fhlori Ann Maye V. Luna
  • 2.
    “The ability tolearn is the most significant activity of men.”
  • 3.
    Learning is theacquisition of a knowledge-base used with fluency to make sense of the world, solve problems and make decisions.
  • 4.
    Here are someprinciples of learning from Horne and Pine (1990):
  • 5.
    1. Learning isan experience which occurs inside the learner and is activated by the learner. Learning is not only a function of what a teacher does, says, or provides for a learner.
  • 6.
    No one directlyteaches anyone, anything of significance…
  • 7.
    People learn whatthey want to learn, they see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear.
  • 8.
    2. Learning isthe discovery of the personal meaning and relevance of ideas.  Students are more readily internalize and implement concepts and ideas which are relevant to their needs and problems.
  • 9.
    3. Learning (behavioralchange) is a consequence of experience.  People do not change their behavior merely because someone tells them to do so or tells them how to change.
  • 10.
     If experienceis the best teacher, then the teacher should make use of experiential learning. Experiential learning makes use of direct as well as vicarious experiences.
  • 11.
    4. Learning isa cooperative and collaborative process. Cooperation fosters learning.  People enjoy functioning independently but they also enjoy functioning interdependently.
  • 12.
    “Two heads arebetter than one.”
  • 13.
     Cooperative approachesare enabling. They begin to realize that they count, that they have something to give and to learn.
  • 14.
    5. Learning isan evolutionary process. Behavioral change requires time and patience…
  • 15.
    Change takes time. Resultscan never be expected overnight.
  • 16.
    6. Learning sometimesis a painful process. Behavioral change often calls for giving up the old and comfortable ways of believing, thinking, and valuing. It is not easy to discard familiar ways of doing things and incorporate new behavior.
  • 17.
    “Sometimes you needto learn it the hard way.”
  • 18.
    However, the painof breaking away from the old and the comfortable is usually followed by appreciation and pleasure in the discovery of an evolving idea of a changing self.
  • 19.
    7. One ofthe richest resources for learning is the learner himself. Each individual has an accumulation of experiences, ideas, feelings and attitudes which comprise a rich vein of material for problem solving and learning. All too often this vein is barely tapped.
  • 20.
    As a teacher,we must draw these learners’ ideas, feelings and experiences. You midwife the birth of ideas.
  • 21.
    7. The processof learning is emotional as well as intellectual. People are feeling beings as well as thinking beings and when their feelings and thoughts are in harmony, learning is maximized.
  • 22.
    8. The processof problem solving and learning is highly unique and individual. Each person has his own unique styles of learning and solving problems.
  • 23.
    We need toassist people to define and to maximize their own unique styles that they can become more effective in problem solving and learning.
  • 24.
    It pays toallow students to learn in accordance with their unique learning styles and multiple intelligence.

Editor's Notes

  • #8 People learn what they want to learn, they see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear. Very little learning takes place without personal involvement and meaning on the part of the learner. Unless what is being taught has personal meaning for the individual, he will shut it out from his field of perception. People forget most of the content “taught” to them and retain only the content which is they use in their work or content which is relevant to them personally.
  • #11 Vicarious - experienced through another by imagining: experienced through somebody else rather than at first hand, by using sympathy or the power of the imagination e.g. biographies, testimonies
  • #14 Teacher should make use more of cooperative and collaborative approaches. This way, students are taught to live together and learn interdependently.
  • #16 Rome was not built in one day. Then as teachers and learners, let us learn to be patient. Things that are worthwhile in life take time.
  • #18  i.e. Scientists endless failure before the success of an invention or discovery.
  • #22 To create optimal conditions in a group for learning to occur, people must come before purpose. Regardless of the purpose of a group, it cannot be effectively accomplished when other things get in the way. Enough intellectual capacity remains intact for members of the group. However, to maximize the acquisition and internalization of ideas it seems reasonable that the people problems would have to be dealt with first.