Understand how people learn

2.1 Explain the principles of how people learn.

People learn all the time, from everything around them. However, some situations and circumstances are more conducive to learning than others. Some people learn best when the information is presented visually, while others learn easier when it is presented orally. Some people learn best in a quiet surrounding, while others find it easier to learn if there is music or noise in the background. Although people have preferences of how the information is presented, even if the information is not presented in the most conducive way to that individual, learning still occurs. This is because learning styles or preferences are only one aspect of the learning process.

Readiness

Readiness implies a degree of concentration and eagerness. (Individuals learn best when they are physically, mentally, and emotionally ready to learn) and do not learn well if they see no reason for learning. Getting students ready to learn, creating interest by showing the value of the subject matter, and providing continuous mental or physical challenge, is usually the instructor’s responsibility. If students have a strong purpose, a clear objective, and a definite reason for learning something, they make more progress than if they lack motivation. In other words, when students are ready to learn, they meet the instructor at least halfway, simplifying the instructor’s job.

Since learning is an active process, students must have adequate rest, health, and physical ability. Basic needs of students must be satisfied before they are ready or capable of learning. Students who are exhausted or in ill health cannot learn much. If they are distracted by outside responsibilities, interests, or worries, have overcrowded schedules, or other unresolved issues, students may have little interest in learning. For example, we may identify the situation of an academic examination of a school, in which the cause of securing good marks in various subjects leads to mentally and emotionally readiness of students to do more hard labour in acquiring knowledge.

Exercise

The principle of exercise states that those things most often repeated are best remembered. It is the basis of drill and practice. It has been proven that students learn best and retain information longer when they have meaningful practice and repetition. The key here is that the practice must be meaningful. It is clear that practice leads to improvement only when it is followed by positive feedback.

The human memory is fallible. The mind can rarely retain, evaluate, and apply new concepts or practices after a single exposure. Students do not learn complex tasks in a single session. They learn by applying what they have been told and shown. Every time practice occurs, learning continues. These include student recall, review and summary, and manual drill and physical applications. All of these serve to create learning habits. The instructor must repeat important items of subject matter at reasonable intervals, and provide opportunities for students to practice while making sure that this process is directed toward a goal. But in some or many cases, there is no need for regular practice if the skill is acquired once. For instance if we have learnt cycling once, we will not forget the knowledge or skill even if we aren’t exercising it for a long time.

Effect

The principle of effect is based on the emotional reaction of the student. It has a direct relationship to motivation. The principle of effect is that learning is strengthened when accompanied by a pleasant or satisfying feeling, and that learning is weakened when associated with an unpleasant feeling. The student will strive to continue doing what provides a pleasant effect to continue learning. Positive reinforcement is more apt to lead to success and motivate the learner, so the instructor should recognize and commend improvement. Whatever the learning situation, it should contain elements that affect the students positively and give them a feeling of satisfaction. Therefore, instructors should be cautious about using punishment in the classroom.

One of the important obligations of the instructor is to set up the learning situation in such a manner that each trainee will be able to see evidence of progress and achieve some degree of success. Experiences that produce feelings of defeat, frustration, anger, confusion, or futility are unpleasant for the student. If, for example, an instructor attempts to teach advanced concepts on the initial engagement, the student is likely to feel inferior and be frustrated. Impressing upon students the difficulty of a task to be learned can make the teaching task difficult. Usually it is better to tell students that a problem or task, although difficult, is within their capability to understand or perform. Every learning experience does not have to be entirely successful, nor does the student have to master each lesson completely. However, every learning experience should contain elements that leave the student with some good feelings. A student’s chance of success is definitely increased if the learning experience is a pleasant one.

Primacy

Primacy, the state of being first, usually creates a strong and durable impression. Things learned first are usually learned easily and remain, without effort, in the mind of the student. For the instructor, this provides an ideal strategy for successfully teaching the most important fundamentals of a subject; simply starting with these fundamentals and avoiding information of secondary importance will exercise the law of primacy to help consolidate the fundamentals quickly and for the long term. For the student, it means that learning must be right. “Unteaching” wrong first impressions will cause confusion unless the correct version is presented logically and carefully with effort devoted to explaining why the first version is incorrect or inferior.

The student’s first experience should be positive, functional, and lay the foundation for all that is to follow. What the student learns must be procedurally correct and applied the very first time. The instructor must present subject matter in a logical order, step by step, making sure the students have already learned the preceding step. If the task is learned in isolation, is not initially applied to the overall performance, or if it must be relearned, the process can be confusing and time consuming. Preparing and following a lesson plan facilitates delivery of the subject matter correctly the first time.

Recency

The principle of recency states that things most recently learned are best remembered. Conversely, the further a student is removed time-wise from a new fact or understanding, the more difficult it is to remember. For example, it is fairly easy to recall a telephone number dialed a few minutes ago, but it is usually impossible to recall a new number dialed last week. The closer the training or learning time is to the time of actual need to apply the training, the more apt the learner will be to perform successfully.

Information acquired last generally is remembered best; frequent review and summarization help fix in the mind the material covered. Instructors recognize the principle of recency when they carefully plan a summary for a lesson or learning situation. The instructor repeats, restates, or reemphasizes important points at the end of a lesson to help the student remember them. The principle of recency often determines the sequence of lectures within a course of instruction.

Intensity

The more intense the material taught, the more likely it will be retained. A sharp, clear, vivid, dramatic, or exciting learning experience teaches more than a routine or boring experience. The principle of intensity implies that a student will learn more from the real thing than from a substitute. For example, a student can get more understanding and appreciation of a movie by watching it than by reading the script. Likewise, a student is likely to gain greater understanding of tasks by performing them rather than merely reading about them. The more immediate and dramatic the learning is to a real situation, the more impressive the learning is upon the student. Real world applications that integrate procedures and tasks that students are capable of learning will make a vivid impression on them.

In contrast to practical instruction, the classroom imposes limitations on the amount of realism that can be brought into teaching. The instructor needs to use imagination in approaching reality as closely as possible. Classroom instruction can benefit from a wide variety of instructional aids, to improve realism, motivate learning, and challenge students. Instructors should emphasize important points of instruction with gestures, showmanship, and voice. Demonstrations, skits, and role playing do much to increase the learning experience of students. Examples, analogies, and personal experiences also make learning come to life. Instructors should make full use of the senses (hearing, sight, touch, taste, smell, balance, rhythm, depth perception, and others).

Freedom

The principle of freedom states that things freely learned are best learned. Conversely, the further a student is coerced, the more difficult is for him to learn, assimilate and implement what is learned. Compulsion and coercion are antithetical to personal growth. The greater the freedom enjoyed by individuals within a society, the greater the intellectual and moral advancement enjoyed by society as a whole.

Since learning is an active process, students must have freedom: freedom of choice, freedom of action, freedom to bear the results of action—these are the three great freedoms that constitute personal responsibility. If no freedom is granted, students may have little interest in learning.

Requirement

The law of requirement states that “we must have something to obtain or do something.” It can be an ability, skill, instrument or anything that may help us to learn or gain something. A starting point or root is needed; for example, if you want to draw a person, you need to have the materials with which to draw, and you must know how to draw a point, a line, a figure and so on until you reach your goal, which is to draw a person.

2.2 Describe the different learning styles.

Many people recognize that each person prefers different learning styles and techniques. Learning styles group common ways that people learn. Everyone has a mix of learning styles. Some people may find that they have a dominant style of learning, with far less use of the other styles. Others may find that they use different styles in different circumstances. There is no right mix. Nor are your styles fixed. You can develop ability in less dominant styles, as well as further develop styles that you already use well.

Using multiple learning styles and ï¿½multiple intelligencesï¿½ for learning is a relatively new approach. This approach is one that educators have only recently started to recognize. Traditional schooling used (and continues to use) mainly linguistic and logical teaching methods. It also uses a limited range of learning and teaching techniques. Many schools still rely on classroom and book-based teaching, much repetition, and pressured exams for reinforcement and review. A result is that we often label those who use these learning styles and techniques as ï¿½bright.ï¿½ Those who use less favored learning styles often find themselves in lower classes, with various not-so-complimentary labels and sometimes lower quality teaching. This can create positive and negative spirals that reinforce the belief that one is “smart” or “dumb”.

By recognizing and understanding your own learning styles, you can use techniques better suited to you. This improves the speed and quality of your learning.

Visual (Spatial)

As the name suggests, visual learners are those that learn best when they have an image or cue to help them process the information. They may also need to map out or write out their thoughts in order to really process what they are thinking.

These are some of the most common characteristics of visual learners:

Have good spatial sense and sense of direction
Can easily visualize objects, plans, and outcomes
Like coloring, drawing, and doodling
Have good color balance
Are good at using maps and rarely get lost

For example, a visual learner in a writing class may process the information better by seeing a movie clip of how a film adapts the literature it was based on, instead of listening to the literature being read aloud.

You are a visual learner if: You prefer pictures, images, and mind maps to help you process information.

2. Aural (Auditory-Musical)

Aural learning is a unique type of learning style, but it is used to classify those who respond primarily to sound. Unsurprisingly, most musicians are aural learners. This is a learning style that isn’t often addressed in many schools because it can be hard to teach outside of music class. These are also individuals who respond best to things such as binaural beats.

Aural learners:

Find that certain music invokes strong emotions
Enjoy listening to music in the background while learning
Have a good sense of pitch or rhythm
Often hear songs, jingles, and themes tend to pop in their head without prompts

For example, a song that helps you remember the alphabetical order of all the states is a way to tap into aural learning styles.

You are an aural learner if: You prefer learning through rhythms or tend to use clever rhymes to remember something.

3. Verbal (Linguistic)

Verbal learners learn best both under verbal instruction and writing. They typically excel with both. These learners are typically those that go into public speaking, writing, journalism, and debating.

Verbal learners:

Express themselves in both written and spoken word
Enjoy reading and writing
Like tongue twisters and rhymes
Has a large vocabulary and enjoys learning new words

For example, reading definitions of a word aloud or writing them down a few times, are ways for verbal learners to process information.

You are a verbal learner if: You need to read content aloud to learn something or prefer to have someone speak the information to you so you can process it.

4. Physical (Kinesthetic)

If you are someone who likes getting their hands dirty, then you are likely a physical learner. Physical learners are extremely animated and always need to be moving. They learn best by going through the motions of what they are learning.

Physical learners:

Notice and appreciate the physical world around them, such as textures
Enjoys sports and exercise along with outdoor activities and working with their hands
Tend to use and pick up on body language
Enjoy making models or doing jigsaw puzzles

For example, if something is bothering you or you are trying to wrap your head around a concept, you would rather go for a run or walk than sit down and figure it out.

You are a physical learner if: You don’t learn something until you do it, and need to draw out your own diagrams or role play to learn new information. You may also be constantly in motion and speak with your hands.

5. Logical (Mathematical)

Most logical thinkers end up being engineers, mathematicians, or pursuing the sciences. This is because they have a very unique way of learning. They are the individuals who want to understand the reason behind content or skills and tend to enjoy games like chess and doing brainteasers.

Logical learners:

Classify and group information together to better understand it
Perform complex calculations
Create procedures for future use, after coming up with a solution to a problem
Plan agendas and itineraries and even rank and number them

For example, those who prefer making a neat and organized list while studying and extracting key points from material for these lists are typically logical learners.

You are a logical learner if: You can learn something only when you understand the bigger picture, along with the logic, reasoning and systems behind that concept.

6. Social (Interpersonal)

As the name suggests, social learners are natural group workers. For students, these are the individuals that seem to be involved in every extracurricular activity. For adults, they are the individuals that like to be engaged with others, work on teams, and ask their peers for feedback in order to learn.

Social learners:

Prefer to socialize after work or class
Enjoy playing group sports
Bounce ideas off of others and to work through issues in a group
Listen well
Are often trusted by others for their advice

For example, in school when teachers assign group projects, it is often a way to appeal to social learners.

You are a social learner if: You prefer to work with other people and find you learn best in groups.

7. Solitary (Intrapersonal)

Solitary learners are individuals who simply prefer to learn on their own and keep to themselves. In most situations, this is a learning style for socially introverted people—but not always. There are some people who are extroverts in social situations but prefer to be alone when they are trying to learn. They also tend to be concerned with goals and outcomes.

Solitary learners:

Spend time on self-analysis
Prefer to relax or travel away from crowds
Think independently
Journal, write, and record personal thoughts and events as a way to improve.

For example, someone who reads self-help books to develop a deeper understanding of themselves is often a solitary learner.

You are a solitary learner if: You need to sit alone and study by yourself in order to retain information.

2.3 Evaluate learning resources to support development.

Learning Outcomes

Range Statement

The Range Statement adds definition to the unit by elaborating critical or significant aspects of the performance requirements of the unit. The Range Statement establishes the range of indicative meanings or applications of these requirements in different operating contexts and conditions. The specific aspects which require elaboration are identified by the use of italics in the Performance Criteria.

The brief of the learning resource may include:

a client proposal
identified gap in the learning product market
a tender
an organisational need

Focus of the learning resource may include:

a whole Training Package
a Training Package qualification/qualifications
a trainee-ship/apprenticeship
an accredited course
individual competency standards/modules/subjects
a non-accredited course
a learning program
a learning resource to support the introduction/ implementation of new technology/equipment

Type of learning resource may include:

Training Package noted support materials, such as:
learner/user guides
trainer/facilitator guides
training guides
example training programs
specific case studies
professional development materials
assessment materials
other published, commercially available support materials for Training Packages/courses
organisational learning resources
competency standards as a learning resource
videos
CD’s and audio tapes
references and texts
manuals
record/log books
learning resources and learning materials developed under the Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) program
learning resources produced in languages other than English as appropriate to target group learners and workplace

The learning resource is:””” designed to enhance and support the effectiveness of the learning process. It provides guidance, materials, learning and assessment activities, and relevant information that addresses the competencies/ learning outcomes to be achieved by the learner

Likely target audience/s and learning environment must include:

who the learning resource is for
what the learning resource is designed to do
how the learning resource will be used
where the learning resource will be used
possible mediums to be used

Research may include:”””

interviews
focus groups
informal discussions
literature reviews
Internet research
evaluations of existing products
questionnaires
workshops

Characteristics of the learners/end users may include:”””

level of prior experience/knowledge of content area
skill/competency profile
range and response to previous learning experiences
level of education
socio-economic background, age, gender
current work
work culture
cultural and ethnic background
disability or learning support needs
preferred learning styles
motivation for learning
English language, literacy and numeracy needs

Existing information may include:

industry/end user needs
industry best practice and culture
existing learning resources and learning materials
relevant Training Packages/competency standards
relevant courses, curriculums, modules
workplace procedures, documentation, and requirements
industry coverage
roles and responsibilities of groups and individuals
information from industry experts and advisers

Ethical and legal considerations may include:

contract preparation
meeting contractual requirements
intellectual property
regulatory requirements including occupational health and safety (OHS)
organisational requirements
equity issues and needs
potential legal consequences of false, misleading or incorrect information

Development work plan may include:”””

timelines and milestones to be achieved
scheduled meetings and focus groups
consultative processes
handover requirements
equipment, learning resources and learning materials needed
industry information/practices
budget
identification of risks/risk management strategies
organisation/industrial politics
access to experts/advisers

Design options may include:”””

use and extent of practical activity-based content and passive content (reading, interpreting and absorbing information)
use and extent of text-based information and graphical information
level of depth of text-based information and sophistication of language
level of completeness in addressing the focus
options for presenting text-based information e.g. straight text, question and answer, case studies
visual design
sequencing of material
sources of further information/further reading
style guides
visual look
instructional design, for example:

– presenting material in a logical order and sequence – opportunities for collaborative learning between learners – navigation tools – presenting material in order of increasing difficulty – opportunities for review of material and repetition – the need for learner activity and interactivity – inclusion of a variety of approaches and techniques for presenting information and – activities and for encouraging participation by learning – structure of the information – ensuring learning is embedded in a realistic and relevant context – techniques to engage the learner in learning

creative thinking, for example:

– brainstorming – mind mapping – scenario setting – lateral thinking

visual/graphic design, for example:

– format – composition – balance – typography – images/graphics – charts/diagrams

research and evaluation, for example:

– of other learning resources – up-to-date research on learning

Reflect may include:”””

asking key questions
discussing details with others, for example:
colleagues
team members
other learning product developers/instructional designers
the client
supervisor/manager
standing back from work
setting specified times for reflection
reviewing personal skills

Learning styles may include:”””

theoretical
pragmatic
active
reflective
kinaesthetic
auditory
visual

Outline or prototype may include:”””

mock-up
framework
model
format specifications

Content specifications may include:”””

requirements of relevant Training Packages, competency standards/benchmarks
OHS requirements
work practices and procedures
culture and ethics of the learner/end user environment
organisational requirements
copyright/intellectual property agreements/ acknowledgements

Relevant personnel may include:”””

subject matter/technical experts
industry experts
colleagues
learners or users
industry stakeholders
specialist consultants, e.g. language, literacy and numeracy specialists

Mechanisms may include:

verbal or written communication with relevant personnel
verbal or written communication with content experts
project updates
internal/external reviews of drafts

Style guide may include:”””

fonts – types and sizes
line spacing
white space
icons
use of visuals – icons, photographs, pictures, diagrams
signposting
logos
ANTA Style Guide
client style guide

Methods may include:

evaluation by experts
pilot
focus groups
questionnaires
checklists
workshops
telephone interviews

Evaluation criteria may include:

meeting the brief
satisfaction of the client
timeliness
cost
design issues/modifications required

Evidence Guide

The learning resources provided as evidence must: clearly identify the target audience; be appropriate to the target group; and be well structured, clear, interesting, appropriate, easy to use, and accessible.

Competency also requires demonstrated ability to research learning resource requirements and content, seek and accept feedback, work effectively with a project team or other experts as required, and critically evaluate own work. ”’ Evidence Requirements Required knowledge includes:

sound knowledge of the vocational education and training system, including:

– relevant terminology – training and assessment processes – Training Packages and competency standards – the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) requirements – the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)

instructional design, for example:

– planning, analysis, development, synthesis, evaluation – presenting material in a logical order and sequence – opportunities for collaborative learning between learners – navigation tools – presenting material in order of increasing difficulty – opportunities for review of material and repetition – the need for learner activity and interactivity – inclusion of a variety of approaches and techniques for presenting information and – activities and for encouraging participation by learning – structure of the information – ensure learning is embedded in a realistic and relevant context – techniques to engage the learner in learning

visual design principles/techniques, for example:

– format – composition – balance – typography – images/graphics – charts/diagrams

research and evaluation techniques, including:

– interviews – focus groups – workshops – questionnaires – literature reviews – web research – pilot processes

a general knowledge of the main branches of learning theory, for example:

– behavioural learning theory – information processing theory – cognitive learning theory – andragogy – vocational education and training pedagogy

learning principles, including:

– adults are autonomous and self-directed – adults have life experience to draw on – adults are goal-oriented – adults need relevance – adults are practical – adults need to be shown respect

cultural awareness
a range of learning approaches and styles of learning resources
different learning styles, including:

– activist – reflector – theorist – pragmatist – kinaesthetic – auditory – visual

language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) issues, for example:

– principles and definitions – how to work out the LLN level of likely users, and LLN requirements of the resource

relevant policy, legislation, codes of practice and national standards including Commonwealth and state/territory legislation, for example:

– copyright and privacy laws relating to electronic technology – security of information – plagiarism – competency standards – licensing – industry/workplace requirements – duty of care under common law – anti-discrimination including equal opportunity, racial vilification and disability – discrimination – workplace relations – industrial awards/enterprise agreements

relevant OHS knowledge relating to the work role, and OHS procedures which need to be included in the content of the learning resource

– OHS obligations of the training and/or assessment organisation, the trainer/facilitator and learner

Required skills and attributes include:

review and analysis skills to:

– identify areas for improvement – recognise personal limitations

communication and interpersonal skills to:

– collaborate with a range of people – seek feedback from others – be open to feedback and suggestions – maintain a network – listen – negotiate

computer/technical skills, for example:

– using a range of software programs – using a range of office equipment

literacy/writing skills, including:

– writing from the learner’s perspective – writing for different audiences – using plain English and correct grammar – pitching writing to the appropriate level – using an appropriate style – having an eye for detail

time management skills, including keeping to appropriate timelines
analytical skills to:

– identify critical learning points – structure and weight the contents appropriately – determine appropriateness of feedback

ability to develop a range of learning activities
research skills to:

– find content and relevant information – interview relevant people – solve problems – ask questions

Products that could be used as evidence include:

learning resources developed
letters to relevant personnel seeking comments and feedback
evaluation forms
minutes of meetings
drafts of resources
feedback received from others

Processes that could be used as evidence include:

how research was undertaken and why
how consultative process was set up
how industry or end user requirements were established
how resource was evaluated and reviewed
what methods were used to evaluate the process used for resource development and why
ways in which personal skills and efficiency were developed and monitored and why
how personal workload was managed

Resource implications for assessment include:

research for content of resources
access to experts for review and consultation

The collection of quality evidence requires that:

assessment must address the scope of this unit and reflect all components of the unit i.e. the Elements, Performance Criteria, Range Statement, Evidence Requirements and Key Competencies
a range of appropriate assessment methods/evidence gathering techniques is used to determine competency
evidence must be gathered in the workplace whenever possible. Where no workplace is available, a simulated workplace must be provided
the evidence collected must relate to a number of performances assessed at different points in time and in a learning and assessment pathway these must be separated by further learning and practice
assessment meets the rules of evidence
a judgement of competency should only be made when the assessor is confident that the required outcomes of the unit have been achieved and that consistent performance has been demonstrated

Specific evidence requirements must include:

a complete print-based learning resource product that demonstrates competency in accordance with the specifications of this unit or
evidence of contributions to a range of learning resources and learning materials that in combination demonstrate competency in accordance with the specifications of this unit
evidence of transferable application to the development of other learning resources
designed under the guidelines for Training Package support materials
print-based

Digital Marketing Level 4

student work

Unit 6