Tools to Support Learning Outcomes

What do you associate learning with? Is it textbooks and classrooms or is it training courses? As a trainer in a previous job, a mum, a niece to teachers and an edutech blogger, I am becoming more and more aware of the mental barriers you must climb in order to successfully learn.

Your students/learners may have all the resources they could possibly need to study a subject but if they are not open to learning then will they retain any knowledge at all?

This blog explores the relationship between self-efficacy, motivation, perseverance and learning. Below you will find the meaning of these terms and tools developed to support the Training Outcomes of learners. In turn it should help the educator, teacher or trainer to get the most from their students or learners.

Learning

Learning is the act of acquiring new, or modifying / building upon existing, knowledge, behaviours, skills, values or preferences. It is suggested that learning does not happen all at once and so is seen as a process rather than a single action. It can be plotted on a curve similar to the Learning Pit shown below.

Self-efficacy

According to Zimmerman, over the past few decades, self-efficacy has emerged as a highly effective predictor of students’ motivation and learning. He has written a paper that outlines this theory.

Perseverance

The Department of Education and Childhood Development released a research paper on the Matter of Effort and Perseverance. They state, “The expression ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ is meant to remind us that achieving results takes time and effort. However, we often forget this and blame a lack of ‘ability’ when we can’t solve a mathematical problem, draw a geometric shape or paint a scenic picture.”

The Learning Pit as seen below is a great tool to use when faced with students who are lacking the vision to persevere or need guidance to see how far they have come in their learning journey.

Motivation

Motivation is that which gets a behaviour started and keeps it going. Edutech wiki 

In learning, motivation is guided by various internal and external factors including previous knowledge of the subject, the perception of self and so on. Dr Andrew Martin discusses the Student Motivation Wheel which reflects the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of motivation. He separates motivation into factors that reflect enhanced motivation, those that reflect constrained motivation, and those that reflect reduced motivation. These are called boosters, mufflers, and guzzlers.

Boosters include self-belief, learning focus, value of schooling, persistence, study management, and planning. Mufflers include anxiety and fear of failure. Guzzlers include low control and self-sabotage.

The Learning Pit

To help with the psychology of learning the Learning Pit is a great visual tool to use when discussing where a learner/student feels they are in the learning curve. It helps to motivate and show if they persist they will succeed.

Learning Pyramid

The learning pyramid really highlights that a mix of mediums are required to learn. It also highlights that practice of a skill or subject offers a greater retention rate to that of reading or listening. Therefore practical assessments or placements as a trainee or apprentice are highly important.