Ken Barger
Professor Emeritus of Anthropology
Indiana University Indianapolis
kbarger@iu.edu

WHAT MAKES A GOOD LEARNER?

College is considered "higher education," with good reason. Not only is the level of learning much more comprehensive than previously experienced, but the depth of understandings is much greater. Learning calls for critical thinking and problem-solving skills, greater effort, motivation and commitment, and task management. Most important, college students are considered adults and are expected to be responsible for their own learning... no one else can learn for you, but others constantly hold you accountable for what you do and do not learn. For better or worse, in Western culture success in college is highly correlated with economic and social success in life, and success in college is dependent on being a good learner.

There are a number of abilities involved in being a good learner. Some argue that a primary direction in human evolution has been selection for good learners, and like all potentials the more we develop them the more we are able to do. We often think learning is what we know, but further reflection reveals that it actually how we learn that makes the biggest difference. When we are faced with a challenge to which we have no sure answer, existing knowledge in itself is usually insufficient. Identifying effective solutions in life is rather dependent on our ability to understand what factors influence the situation, what the alternative responses are, and what the consequences of different responses might be. For example, when we apply for a job, we are on an equal level with other applicants who usually have the same level of knowledge, so what is important to the employers is our ability to learn to do this work in this organization in changing situations.

There is no right or wrong way of learning, of course, but the more we can develop our abilities to learn the more adaptive we can be in our own lives and in the directions our society takes. It is amazing that all of the over five billion humans on earth are each different, though we may share many characteristics with others with similar temperaments and cultures and life experiences. Understanding more about ourselves, though, can help us make better decisions about what kinds of circumstances and activities in which we are more likely to be satisfied and successful in life.

The ultimate ability in learning is knowing what we do not know. If we think we already know something, then we are closed to understanding more completely. But once we are aware that we do not fully understand something, we are then open to learning more.

In over thirty years of university teaching, I have tried to understand the learning process better in order to help students succeed in their college experience. As I have told all my classes, I was trained to be an Anthropologist, not a teacher. Much of what I have learned about teaching has come from students themselves, who have helped me develop my own teaching skills. I also received a fellowship to study educational pedagogy, so I could make my teaching more effective with a wider range of students. I hope the following materials help you as you seek to learn more effectively.

WHAT LEVELS OF
CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS
HAVE YOU DEVELOPED?

Critical thinking and problem solving skills are major emphases in learning. One of the most common schemes to assess the degree of development in a person's thinking process is Bloom's Taxonomy. See Vanderbuilt University, Bloom's Revised Taxonomy, Iowa State University, Bloom's Revised Taxonomy for Teachers (YouTube). We can this model to assess what levels of thinking we are currently using to understand information and events in life, and to develop more in-depth understanding to help resolve the issues that we face individually and as a society.

Initial levels of thinking:

• Remember [basic knowledge]. Remebering reflects awareness that certain things exist, and being able to recognize, recall, list, and define basic information. This is the most "traditional" goal in education, and what is foremost in many people's minds when they think of "learning". However, just knowing that something exists is only the first step in the larger context of learning. We all know of cases where someone may be brilliant in remembering facts, but can't really "do" simple things in life. Furthermore, what is considered a "fact" is often really just an opinion, what someone believes to be the "truth" but is actually a personal or cultural perception. More important, factual knowledge changes rapidly, and so what information is acquired today is soon outdated. Valid factual knowledge is only the foundation upon which larger understandings are based. We can all stop and realize that if all we know were a long list of facts we would not be able to respond to complex life events successfully. (For example, does knowing that there is such things as a gas pedal, brake, and steering wheel enable us to drive a car? We have to understand how they work together in the context of roads, traffic, weather, and many other variables if we are to be safe and effective drivers.)
• Comprehend ideas and information. Comprehension reflects a deeper understanding of what ideas and information mean. How well can we explain, classify, and give examples that illustrate an idea? It is not enough just to know something exists. It is far richer to understand what ideas and information involve. (For example, we may know that there is such a thing as "prejudice," but what does this involve? what feelings and actions are included that can help us better understand why people are prejudiced? why we have our own biases that filter what we think we know? and may not realize what we do not know?)
• Apply understanding. Application involves an ability to take basic ideas and information and use them to understand new situations. This enables us to extend our understandings to include wider contexts and circumstances. (For example, we may develop an understanding of the reasons we believe kindness to others is important in life, but can we then extend this to better understand the reasons another group has for "sharing" so that everyone has a similar economic standard... in contrast to our own value on getting ahead?

Advanced levels of thinking (emphasized in "critical thinking"):

• Analyze ideas and information. Analysis involves an ability to break ideas and information into their component parts, and to examine how these parts are organized and interact together. As we compare and contrast different ideas, we can better determine where they are relevant (and not). We thus better realize the context of our understanding and how different parts of the system influence each other and the functioning of the whole. (For example, how do the values and views of a particular political ideology influence the cohesion and functioning of the society?)
• Evaluate ideas and information. Evaluation involves judging the value of information and ideas based on set criteria, realizing that solutions are not necessarily a matter of absolute right or wrong answers but more functional products and processes given particular contexts. A belief that provides personal meanings in life may or may not be relevant for dealing with particular situations. We have to ask whether our "understanding" enables us to realistically predict outcomes. (For example, how well do "traditional" gender roles which persist from an agricultural subsistence help us function in an industrialized and service economy?)
• Create new understandings and solutions. Creativity involves taking understandings about how systems function to develop new alternatives in resolving life challenges, including new ideas which help us better explain phenomena and processes. Innovation is the process where we preorganize our existing understandings of relationships, functions, and principles into new levels of understanding. This is something we all do every day, but usually do not recognize we are doing it. As with evaluation, a major challenge is to be able to validly predict the consequences of our new products and plans in the context of real life. If we understand that components of a system mutually influence each other, we can see processes that may not have been obvious before. This is the essence of "problem solving", a major goal in all learning in life which is based on our levels of knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, and evaluation in our thinking. (For example, how well are we able to predict the consequences of particular domestic and international policies for the long-term well-being of all segments of our society? What are the lessons of history when we do not consider all the factors in how a social system functions?)

Note that "science" includes all steps in learning. Whenever any of these processes are missing or ignored, we are left with "opinion" rather than grounded understandings that help us deal effectively with life situations, individually, as a society, and as the human race who share this little spot in the universe.

Where do you stand on each of these levels of learning? Which levels have you developed well? Which levels do you need to develop more in order to be a more effective learner?

Although there is some progression in learning abilities across these levels, they are certainly not mutually exclusive or absolutely ordered. (For example, we all know of cases where someone may do an excellent job of analysis, but in the absence of grounded knowledge!) People are not totally one level or another, of course. We all reflect all of these levels in different life circumstances. But how much have we developed our learning abilities is critical not only in our education but all of our life situations.

The value of a college education is not knowledge in itself, but rather developing your abilities on how to learn a wide variety of things. In anthropology, math, history, biology, and other subjects, you are asked to broaden all of your learning abilities. In the larger context, we are seeking to develop our abilities to learn, for then we can learn anything we wish or need to understand. Development of your abilities to learn is what makes a college education worth so much in our society, and being an effective learner is what prepares you to be successful in your careers and personal life, and to be a contributing member of society.

Basically, learning is a life-long process, and most of what we learn in life is from experience rather than formal education!

WHAT LEARNING STYLES
HAVE YOU DEVELOPED?

According to many educational specialists, we all use three basic approaches to learning. How much do you use each of the following styles?

Visual
We all learn by looking at the world around us and processing this information to expand our understandings. For example, how much do you:

• Read materials that explain information?
• Use visual objects such as formats, graphs, charts, and pictures that explain information?
• Memorize lists and recall various information?
• Remember things that are written down?
• Mentally note what you observe around you?
• Read body language well and have a good perception of aesthetics?

Auditory
We also learn by listening and hearing what happens around us, and use this information to expand our understandings. For example, how much do you:

• Retain information through hearing and speaking, stories, and discussing information?
• Prefers to be told how to do things and then summarize the main points out loud to help with memorization?
• Notice different aspects of speaking?
• Have a talent in music and concentrate better with soft music playing in the background?

Kinesthetic
And we all learn by doing activities, and use this information to train ourselves and expand our understandings. For example, how much do you:

• Like to use the hands-on approach to learn new material?
• Make notes about information?
• Make lists of things to do?
• Perform well in math and science?
• Prefer to demonstrate how to do something rather than verbally explain it?
• Prefer group work more than working on your own?

Which are your strongest methods of learning? Take the test (PDF download file) to find out which methods you use the most and which methods you need to develop more to enhance your learning? (Note that there are different models of learning styles, but they are all handy devices to help us identify what approaches help us learn more effectively.)

An important value to college education is that students are required to take a wide variety of courses, and in doing so we develop a range of abilities in becoming well-rounded and balanced learners. Understanding more about how we learn can help us make better decisions about what kinds of circumstances and activities in which we are more likely to be satisfied and successful in life.

We generally use all these means to learn in academic studies and in our daily lives, though people tend to emphasize some approaches more than others. There is no right or wrong way to learn, of course. Different approaches to learning have both their strengths and their weaknesses. So strengthening all of our learning abilities maximizes our potentials for successfully dealing with life challenges. Most important is our abilities to process and integrate learning on an ongoing basis in developting our understandings.

WHAT STUDY HABITS
HAVE YOU DEVELOPED?

For years I have studied my own classes to identify what makes the biggest difference in the development of levels of learning, analyzing many different variables. And year after year the most dominant factor has been simply doing the work! In college, students are expected to be responsible for their own learning. This takes motivation, commitment, active engagement, and keeping on task. Study habits are not necessarily related to "intelligence". We all know "smart" people who don't make an effort and get poor grades, and of people with "average" intelligence who study efficiently and effectively and get excellent grades!

Do you know that the standard formula for studying is at least three hours out of class for every one hour in class? For a three-credit course, this means nine hours a week of studying outside class. How much time to do you put into your studies? This is a gross indicator of your approach to learning.

WHAT KIND OF LEARNER ARE YOU?

In my experience of university teaching for over thirty years, "intelligence" is not the most important factor is success in college (or life), but rather good learning habits. Some good practices that make a difference in effective learning include:

Am I an active learner?
This means taking charge of your own learning and development.

• Assume responsibility for your own learning. Only you can learn. No one else can learn for you, but instructors will hold you accountable for what you have and have not learned.
• Attend class. Classes help organize information and the learning process. Ideas and information are explained, examples given to help clarify understanding, and questions asked to stimulate ability to apply understanding. Being involved in class materials, asking questions and posing examples, and listening to others' questions and discussions stimulates interest in learning and reinforces understandings. Almost all students who do not participate in class do poorly in college learning, where people are expected to be responsible for their own learning.

What can I do before class?
Coming to class ready to learn the materials that will be covered puts you at a distinct advantage. This means preparing for class, knowing in advance what will be covered, and having some initial understanding of the materials.

• Allot the time to go over the assigned materials, and in particular go over the headings, introductions, bold text, definitions, examples and illustrations, and conclusions. If the instructor's notes are available, look them over to see the specific ideas and information that will be covered in class.
• If you have to prepare reports for class, clarify the issue being addressed, then go back over your notes from materials you have consulted, and identify those ideas and materials most relevant to the issue. Then outline the contents to organize what you have to say. Then write out the discussion of each section, providing examples and citing sources to support your points and conclusions. (One good technique is to draft the content sections first, then the conclusions, then the introduction... then rewrite the whole report to maintain flow and continuity of thinking. Then, read the report out loud to yourself, to see if the thinking makes sense and flows smoothly. Then, ask a friend, or even better an enemy, to read the report and explain it to you... if they can't understand your ideas, arguments, and supporting evidence, then the instructor certainly isn't likely to either.)
• Most important, think about the materials, and come to class ready to discuss and compare your thinking.

What can I do during class?
Here is where you make sure you understand the ideas and materials.

• Pay attention to the class discussions. What are you being asked to learn? What is the discussion all about? Are you following the organization of the discussion? Are you integrating others' questions and comments with your own understandings? (PS: Instructors can observe you sleeping, doodling, staring out the window, etc.) If you don't get a point, ask (after class, if it is not possible during class).
• Take good notes. This is an important learning skill. Writing down information helps reinforce learning, since eyes, ears, hands, and the mind are all involved together. We can't remember everything, so your notes are your record for learning. Are your notes organized? Are they comprehensive, particularly in terms of explanations and examples? Do you have a complete record that will help you learn at a later time?

What can I do after class?
Review! This is where you can consolidate your learning.

• After each class, go back over your class notes. (Compare your notes with the instructor's and text's materials, where available, updating your notes to make your record as complete as possible). Make sure you understand each point that was covered, write down and explain to someone else:
  • Your own explanation of the idea
  • A concrete example that illustrates the idea
  • How you can use this idea in your own life experience.
• Test yourself. Cover up your notes, and ask yourself how may points are involved, then what each of these is. If you don't think the instructor will give you credit, go back over them again. Then after going over all the materials for that class, test yourself on them all, and again if necessary, until you feel comfortable with the materials.
• When a section of the course has been completed, go back and test yourself on all the materials, until you feel comfortable with things you may have forgotten or not understood clearly.
• When an exams is coming, prepare a couple weeks in advance. Go back over your notes and try to identify what the exam will emphasize and the context in which these materials were considered, then review these materials and test yourself again and again... before the instructor tests you. Get together with other students, not to learn the materials but to test each other. In other words, practice until you feel comfortable, then in the stress situation of an exam, you will think more calmly and comprehensively.

The contents of any particular course you take may have little specific value in your long-term life and career challenges, though the concepts, principles, and individual skills may provide important perspectives for addressing personal and professional issues. However, all courses provide an opportunity to develop your learning abilities, and help you become a better learner throughout life.

Remember, you are the one who is responsible for your own learning. Your motivation, determination, and discipline will make the greatest difference in how effectively you learn, no matter how well developed your intellectual abilities are. These learning behaviors will also make the greatest difference as you continue to learn after college in your job, personal life, and as a responsible citizen of society long after college. Development of your abilities to learn is what makes a college education worth so much in our society, and being an effective learner is what prepares you to be successful in your careers and personal life, and to be a contributing member of society.

DO YOU FEEL FRUSTRATED?

This can actually be a good sign! Educational psychologists say that frustration can mean that we recognize that we are about to cross a threshold to a new level of learning. This can be frightening, because we realize that we face an unknown new way of perceiving and experiencing life. We will not be able to fall back on simple, comfortable explanations.

Yes, it does mean that we will not be the same. We will see life in a new way. We will be able to see more ideas illustrated in daily life, new relationships and influences, new insights into alternatives and solutions, and make more sound judgments. Our understandings will be more comprehensive, deeper, and more balanced. We will be more open to what life has to offer.

Life will not be easier, but we will be better prepared to understand and deal with life challenges. We are always facing a new opportunity to learn and grow!

We have the rest of our lives to keep learning!

Expanding our understandings of our own and others' human behavior involves applying these principles of learning. For more guidelines on this process, see:

• Core Concepts In Understanding the Human Experience.
• Recognizing and controlling for Ethnocentrism.

I hope these materials are useful to you as you learn in life. The contents may be used in your own personal learning, though I'd appreciate your giving me credit where appropriate.

No personal information is collected on this and related pages.

Ken Barger, 2024.