Learning, Knowledge and Human Development MOOC’s Updates

ESSENTIAL UPDATE #1

I do agree that teachers traditionally have expedited the circumstances for learning which a person is capable of doing on his own in the natural environment. The problem that still occurs with many teaching situations in regular instructional classrooms is that the circumstances and environment which the teachers facilitate can be too rigid, too limiting and too constraining, without them being aware of that. Therefore, learning becomes too dependent on the also rigid structures of reinforcement that are set up alongside that environment. This leads me to appreciate the following comments even more, as I am preoccupied as a faculty coordinator with the problem herein explained:

"Education has never taught the self-management of motivation very effectively. It has seldom tried. But techniques become available as soon as the problem is understood …" (taken from https://newlearningonline.com/new-learning/chapter-6/supporting-material/skinners-behaviourism)

So this opens up the discussion that all educators should constantly be holding within their minds---the role of free will in learning, which is an essential component of any lasting and enjoyable learning process.

  • Jingyi Zhang
  • Alize Nolan N/A