{"id":67034,"date":"2023-02-03T00:40:45","date_gmt":"2023-02-03T05:40:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=67034"},"modified":"2023-02-03T00:40:45","modified_gmt":"2023-02-03T05:40:45","slug":"how-to-learn-better-throughout-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/how-to-learn-better-throughout-life\/","title":{"rendered":"How to learn better throughout life"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout his life, human beings are confronted with new situations, acquire new knowledge which they transpose to new contexts, develop new ideas and skills, and even modify their environment to improve their well-being.\u00a0We do all of this through an extraordinary skill called \u201clearning,\u201d which has allowed our species a greater degree of flexibility and adaptability, placing us at the pinnacle of evolution.<\/span><\/p>\n

Human learning takes many forms.\u00a0In some cases, it can be observed because it transforms behaviors, for example, when a child learns to put on a coat.\u00a0But in other cases, what changes is invisible to an outside viewer, for example, when a student understands an explanation or learns to solve a problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

Accidental or intentional learning<\/strong><\/h4>\n

People can undertake complex learning (spoken language, values, customs, etc.) without conscious effort and spontaneously, through observation, imitation or interaction with objects or people: this is what we called\u00a0<\/span>incidental learning<\/span><\/a>\u00a0.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, most of the learning we do throughout our lives is voluntary and intentional and consists of complex systems of knowledge.\u00a0Acquiring them requires effort, a favorable disposition and a will to do so.\u00a0These learnings are acquired in specific institutional contexts and are promoted by education professionals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Human learning is complex, and\u00a0<\/span>research in psychology has offered us<\/span><\/a>\u00a0sometimes different and sometimes complementary explanations of how people learn and the main psychological processes involved, as well as the factors, both personal and contextual, that can help or hinder them.<\/span><\/p>\n

These contributions have led to a better understanding of the learning that occurs throughout our life cycle, as well as to analyze, critically review and improve current educational practices.<\/span><\/p>\n

Biological bases and flexibility<\/strong><\/h4>\n

To learn something, we have to be biologically prepared for it.\u00a0This biological determination is written into our genetic code, in which a distinction can be made between\u00a0<\/span>closed content and open content<\/span><\/a>\u00a0.<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>closed<\/span><\/em>\u00a0part is quite rigid and includes a series of immutable traits, except for genetic alterations, which define us as a species, and a maturation schedule that determines the abilities and skills possible at each moment of our life. .<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, human beings are born with the ability to speak, but we will speak only when our brain has reached an adequate level of development and our vocal apparatus is ready.\u00a0The maturation schedule will determine when language acquisition will take place.<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>open<\/span><\/em>\u00a0part , once the foundations for maturation are in place, will depend on the person’s interactions with the environment.\u00a0The acquisition of a particular language, with more or less fluidity and more or less lexico-semantic richness, is possible because language is not a closed content, like the color of eyes or hair, but a open content with room to expand.<\/span><\/p>\n

[\u00a0<\/span>Nearly 80,000 readers trust The Conversation newsletter to better understand the world’s major issues<\/span><\/em>\u00a0.\u00a0<\/span>Subscribe today<\/span><\/a>\u00a0]<\/span><\/p>\n

The brain is the physical support of mental processes.\u00a0Regions of the cerebral cortex develop and differentiate anatomically and functionally at different times, with some processes occurring before birth and others continuing into adulthood.<\/span><\/p>\n

The brain is flexible<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and can adapt throughout life, even in the event of brain injury.\u00a0Neurons are unspecialized from the moment they are formed, resulting in\u00a0<\/span>constant changes<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0<\/span>structure of the brain<\/span><\/a>\u00a0.\u00a0This feature of the nervous system is called\u00a0<\/span>plasticity<\/span><\/em>\u00a0.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sensitive periods in the brain<\/span><\/a>\u00a0are referred to as the times when specialization of neurons takes place and certain learning occurs more appropriately and efficiently.\u00a0This does not mean that learning happens rigidly in fixed periods, but that there are times that are more appropriate than others for different learning.\u00a0In fact, it has been shown that in some parts of the adult brain there is\u00a0<\/span>neural regeneration throughout life<\/span><\/a>\u00a0.<\/span><\/p>\n

Social experiences<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Learning is not fixed and maturation alone is not enough for learning to take place: we do not learn alone.\u00a0Learning is the result of\u00a0<\/span>the daily interaction we have with other people<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(parents, teachers, peers), and the various activities that our culture offers us.\u00a0In other words, some learning will or will not be acquired depending on the experiences we have.<\/span><\/p>\n

First, we learn to do things by observing or collaborating with other people, then, with practice, we are able to do it on our own.\u00a0Learning is a social process, we learn from our peers and what we learn has been socially constructed by other people and cultures that have gone before us.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, individuals are not passive in this process.\u00a0They are engaged in a complex mental activity in which they interpret the situations they experience based on the knowledge and previous experiences available to them.\u00a0For example, if we want a person to learn the functions of the respiratory system, it is necessary that he has general knowledge about breathing or the parts of the respiratory system.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cognitive processes are also necessary for learning: attention, perception, memory.\u00a0Perceiving, selecting, encoding, interpreting and retrieving information are skills that are involved in a large part of everyday learning.<\/span><\/p>\n

But we don’t use them in the same way: people have different styles in how they perceive, process and manage the vast amount of information offered by today’s society.\u00a0The individual will deal with this information saturation by implementing\u00a0<\/span>metacognitive skills<\/span><\/em>\u00a0.<\/span><\/p>\n

Metacognition is central to the learning process<\/span><\/a>\u00a0.\u00a0It implies that the person is aware of what he is learning (metacognitive knowledge) and that he knows how to achieve and use new learning (metacognitive skills\/self-regulation).<\/span><\/p>\n

To learn well, one must be aware of the aspects that influence learning and deliberately and intentionally use previous knowledge, skills and learning strategies.<\/span><\/p>\n

The role of emotions<\/strong><\/h4>\n

But learning is not only the result of the cognitive and metacognitive processes used to learn and know what one is learning,\u00a0<\/span>it must also take into account the affective and motivational processes<\/span><\/a>\u00a0, which include the reasons, goals and objectives of each and which will determine the learner’s attitude or willingness to learn.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is essential to adopt a positive and critical attitude towards what needs to be learned, as this reinforces effort and investment.\u00a0Experiencing learning as an opportunity for personal development, working for the enjoyment of learning, and feeling competent in mastering the task are crucial elements for meaningful learning to take place.<\/span><\/p>\n

The emotions and feelings we experience when we learn depend on our self-concept and self-esteem and mediate the cognitive, metacognitive, motivational and relational processes that take place during the learning process.<\/span><\/p>\n

In today’s society, knowledge is constantly changing, which makes lifelong learning necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n

>Author Bio: <\/strong>Mar Garcia Senoran is Profesora Titular in the Universidad de Vigo. Area of \u200b\u200bEvolutive Psychology and Education at the University of Vigo<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Throughout his life, human beings are confronted with new situations, acquire new knowledge which they transpose to new contexts, develop new ideas and skills, and even modify their environment to improve their well-being.\u00a0We do all of this through an extraordinary skill called \u201clearning,\u201d which has allowed our species a greater degree of flexibility and adaptability, […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15645],"tags":[434276],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-67034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","tag-lifelong-leraning"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to learn better throughout life - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/how-to-learn-better-throughout-life\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to learn better throughout life - 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