Philosophy of Learning

Educational experiences should be developmental and individualized. Educational experiences should be experiential, life-centered, and relevant to the learner. Educational experiences should move the student toward self-directed learning. Life experience of learners should be valued as an educational resource. Learning should be driven primarily by internal motivators rather than external motivators. These are the essence of the philosophy of learning.

Learning is an essential part of the life process and is at the heart of human experience. Much of the learning in a human being is instinctive, where the individual has a natural predisposition to acquire knowledge. Whatever a person experiences in life is a part of learning, as much as acquisition of knowledge or skill. Individuals gain knowledge and understanding in a social setting. They interact with peers and instructors through a process of negotiation. They interact with the broader intellectual community through thoughtful reading of texts and journals. Each individual in a process of learning starts from an initial base of knowledge and experience and works from this point to build a more meaningful understanding of the subject matter and to enhance their ability to ask questions and find answers.

There are three main philosophical frameworks under which learning falls and these are: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Behaviorism focuses only on the objectively observable aspects of learning. Cognitive theories look beyond behavior to explain brain-based learning. And constructivism views learning as a process in which the learner actively experiences or builds new ideas or concepts. Learning occurs every moment of our living and each day and age brings about new theories that try to explain the philosophy of learning within the human mind. Learning ultimately is a process that brings together cognitive, emotional, and environmental influences and experiences for acquiring, enhancing, or making changes in one’s knowledge, skills, values, and views.