How Do People Learn?

In my experience, how people learn depends upon the target audience. I see both cognitive learning process and constructive learning process. I know that this may be an evasive answer, but true from my perspective. With the students that I teach, cognitive processing seems to be one method that these learners fit. These learners are active participants in their thinking. They receive information from the external world, categorizes the information internally that makes sense to them, and acquires knowledge (or learns from it). This approach to learning is somewhat structured, with information coming from teachers/instructors (external world). In the text, cognitive learning reflects positivist epistemology. Some of the characteristics of positivist are:
- knowledge exists independent of the learner
- this knowledge is transferred from outside source to learner
- classroom setting
- teacher directing/teacher driven
- objectives defined

I also see these students learning sometimes with the constructivism approach. These learners use prior knowledge to build a meaningful understanding of new content. Some of the lesson plans are created or built upon from previous lessons. Constructivism learning reflects relativism epistemology. Some characteristics include:
- learner is guided in constructing knowledge
- teacher facilitating/leaner centered
- goals negotiated

Example: In a desktop publishing class, students are taught about the different effects that color and aesthetics have on a publication (cognitive). Now relate what you have learned from this lesson and your knowledge of the Internet to construct a visually appealing website (constructivism).

I believe that a combination of the two may be the best approach to student learning and understanding. Sometimes new information must be presented and then internalized, other times the use of learned information is used to understand new concepts.