Category Archives: learning on your own

An Inspiring story from Japan – Intellectual agency

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On a recent trip to Japan, I noticed a bronze statue outside some primary schools. It features a young boy walking with a heavy bundle of firewood strapped to his back, his eyes glued to an open book.

TL;DR – the short audio version

The boy is Ninomiya Sontoku (Kinjiro), a 19th-century philosopher and economist. Born into poverty, he lost his parents as a teenager and had to spend his days doing hard manual labour. Because he couldn’t afford lamp oil to read at night, he studied mostly by reading on his walks up and down the mountains to chop wood. It is there to remind children of the desire for relentless self-improvement and that learning requires effort but is possible even in difficult circumstances. He eventually used his self-taught wisdom in maths, economics, and agriculture to save over 600 villages across Japan from poverty and famine.

However, Sontoku’s life points to a broader truth. He didn’t seek knowledge to collect titles or because someone told him to do so. He believed it would help him better navigate the world and understand his surroundings. His motives were to become self reliant and show that a peasant, armed with a book and a sharp mind, could control their own destiny.

Transactional learning
It also has a message for us today. AI is challenging the traditional motivation for learning, which has long been more about acquiring knowledge simply to pass a test. We have become conditioned to see a qualification as the goal and learning a necessary evil. It’s a purely transactional relationship.

If you learn like a machine, a machine will take your place.

That said, this arrangement has worked incredibly well for many years. Motivation is rarely sustained by abstract reasoning, and is most effective when there are concrete short-term goals to provide personal relevance and reward. How many people would commit to learning something on the strength of its intrinsic value, with no immediate incentive – not many!

But as AI cheapens knowledge and answers become readily available, the emphasis needs to shift from simply acquiring information to developing deeper capabilities such as, judgment, critical thinking, and the ability to navigate ambiguity. This calls for a different approach to motivation, one grounded not in short-term incentives, but in the desire to remain in control of your own destiny and not to become reliant on the technology to map this out for you. Possibly without you even noticing.

Intellectual agility
In the post AI world, the ultimate competitive advantage isn’t what you know, it’s how fast you can adapt. The future belongs to the agile learner, someone who sees each new subject as a challenge that carries its own reward. AI models can now explain the basic facts of almost any field in seconds, knowledge that used to take years to acquire and a career to monetise. This doesn’t make expertise worthless, but it does remove the advantage of simply having it. What AI still can’t do well is judge which knowledge matters right now, or apply it to a messy, real-world situation. So, the value of a person shifts from what they know to the judgment required in figuring out what they need to learn next.

The agile learner also treats unfamiliarity as being interesting and not a problem to overcome. Instead of waiting until they feel confident, they ask questions early and adjust as they go. And they don’t mind looking like a beginner and having to start all over again. Over time this mental attitude builds a level of resilience to change that gets stronger the more challenges they face.

Continual learning
My trip to Japan reminded me that learning was never meant to be a game with a beginning and an end. If we want to thrive alongside AI, we have to drop the obsession with credentials and fall in love with the process of continual learning over time. I know this is Idealistic, and should not in any way be seen as an argument to remove tests and exams, they are as important as ever for the reasons I mentioned above. However, they cannot be thought of as standalone goals but as part of a much bigger and longer-term plan of continual improvement.

“In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the “learned” find themselves perfectly equipped for a world that no longer exists.” Eric Hoffer

Like the boy with the firewood, the real goal was never to finish the book, it was to develop the skills he needed to have choices and control over his life. AI can now finish the book for us, but it can’t give us the skills needed to maximise the potential of AI while ensuring we still remain relevant and in control.

PS – In recent years a number of schools have actually removed the statues, partly over safety concerns about depicting a child reading while walking, some parents thought this was dangerous. Maybe the new image would show Sontokuby concentrating not on a book but an iPhone……still as risky but potentially less rewarding.

Is travel the best teacher? – Informal Learning

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I have just come back from a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, two counties with long and complicated histories. Vietnam has become the destination of choice for many Gen Z’s partly because its cheap but more importantly it offers a real-life experience, different attitudes, cultures, smells, and flavours, with a kindness in its people that is infectious.

There is also a wisdom that has developed over time as a result of relations with other countries (China, Japan France, and the USA), its different religions (Hinduism and Buddhism), competing political ideologies (Capitalism and Communism) and a reflective mindset that tries to take the best from the wars they have fought and the atrocities experienced.

Wisdom often manifests itself in saying or proverbs, and one Vietnamese proverb that stood out for me was, “a day of traveling will bring a basketful of learning.” But do you really learn from travelling, and even if you do, how effective is it when compered with other methods of delivery and teaching?

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” Saint Augustine

Real-world and Experiential learning
To help answer this question let’s start by looking at two types of learning that on the face of should provide some insight, real world, and experiential learning.

Real-World Learning involves engaging with real-life situations and practical experiences outside the traditional classroom setting. It focuses on applying theoretical knowledge to solve actual problems often in the workplace, it also requires the individual to communicate and engage with others.

Experiential Learning, as defined by Kolb et al is a broader concept that encompasses learning through experience. It involves a cyclical process of experiencing, reflecting, thinking and acting. Its sometimes more narrowly defined as “learning through reflection on doing.”  Experiential learning can occur in various settings, not just real-world contexts, and includes structured activities designed to simulate real-life situations, for example case studies and role plays . Real-world learning is a form of experiential learning.

One other theory related to experiential learning worthy of mention is, Constructivist Learning. This is where learners construct knowledge through their experiences and interactions with the world. This fits perfectly with travel which offers diverse and rich contexts for individuals to build and refine their understanding of already learned facts and opinions.

As you can see the methods are similar but not the same, by way of an example you would engage in experiential learning if involved in a role play, perhaps negotiating the price for a new product with a colleague. Whereas real-world learning might result in you actually working in a company, actively engaged in a real world negotiation, possibly as part of a team.

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust

The role of knowledge – Just to be clear, the precursor to both experiential and real-world learning is knowledge, they are application models e.g a means of testing out how well you have understood what you have already learned, can you apply your knowledge in the real or simulated world?  And in that application, reflecting and challenging what you have learned as you attempt to reconcile the theory with practice.

Benefits – There have been several studies looking at the effectiveness of these application-based methods, and they have been shown to result in higher levels of engagement and motivation, improvement in critical thinking and problem-solving skills, higher levels of retention, and the cementing of previously learned knowledge.

“One must travel to learn.” Mark Twain

But these methods are often part of a structured, formal training programme, overseen by a teacher or coach with predetermined learning outcomes and some type of assessment. When you go traveling, this framework does not exist.

Travelling is learning – it’s just informal
But if you look closely the clues are there as to why travel is a good teacher, its just you must take more responsibility yourself. Firstly, you choose to travel, you are motivated (internally), curious, and inspired, you are looking for something, an experience perhaps. Interestingly you probably don’t know what it is, it’s possibly more of an itch that needs scratching, a desire to explore, to break away from the norm. You are “motivated away” from what you have towards something different that is unknown. This is informal learning, there is no desired outcome, you are simply moving away from the status quo and not towards a specific learning outcome.

“I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself.” James Baldwin

Secondly you may have certain expectations as to what you will experience, but when you are there, those preconceptions may well be challenged, the stereotypes dispelled. This is Kolb in action, experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting. To make sense of the world around you at that point, you might need to challenge your existing beliefs, black and white suddenly becomes grey, and blurred lines emerge where previously non existed. Thirdly it opens up a whole new world of possibility, expanding your horizons, turning the trip into a learning adventure. At the same time, you are in the real world having to navigate the changeable environment, communicate with others who look think and behave differently, you may have to adapt or change the way you do somethings completely. But most of all you begin to learn about yourself, and that humility gives you a wonderful perspective.

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” Rick Warren,

And it is this that makes travel a potential life changing experience, its as if you had removed the walls from the classrooms, making everything possible, forcing you to develop your own thoughts and ideas, not mimic others. Your senses will be in overdrive and your ability to recall significantly increased, making this a memorable event that you will reflect on throughout your life.

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” Henry Miller

But this will not of course be the case for everyone, the learning is not guaranteed, some will come back with broken friendships and mosquito bites. And that’s life, travel is not the most efficient learning experience, it’s just possibly the best one.

But don’t take my word for it, watch this – 10 Reasons Why Travel is the BEST Education

The self-isolating learner – a new mindset

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COVID-19 is forcing everyone to make changes, effortlessly disrupting routine and future plans, for many students the exams you have been working towards may well have been cancelled or alternative methods of assessment announced, and your School, University or College will have closed its doors for an unspecified period of time. With what could be described as a Dunkirk spirit many educational establishments have achieved what would have seemed impossible, a shift from face to face lectures and a physical campus-based mentality to a virtual learning environment.

If you are continuing to study, doing it remotely might be a brand-new experience and although it will mean some changes what remains the same is the way we learn. In fact, one of the biggest challenges is in not wasting time, something ironically because of the restrictions we now all have a lot more of. This new virtual learning can take many different forms, the platform will most likely be one of the following, Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle, Brightspace but there are others. Content will be delivered via any one or a combination of, live webcast, instructionally designed eLearning, video or simply tagged learning materials. All of them however require a positive approach to self-study.

Tips to studying when working from home

Prepare a Timetable – without the discipline of the classroom or a formal schedule you will need something to help manage your time. A timetable can seem unnecessary for experienced students but the process of preparing one will give you a mental picture of the tasks and challenges ahead. It should include important learning activities and tests that need completing and by when. Don’t underestimate how long something will take, learning is not an exact science so don’t forget to build in a buffer. Also make sure you include breaks and non-study time – just not too many.

Create a learning space – most students prefer a quiet place with little distraction in which to study. This may of course be difficult in a busy household but try and find a space and use the same one every day. If noise is a problem consider a headset with low volume classical or instrumental music playing in the background. Avoid listening to songs with lyrics as it can break your concentration.
Next remove as many distractions as possible. This will of course mean putting your mobile phone away, also turn off any alerts, the noise is enough to create what is called a “dopamine bump”, a short pleasurable sensation which will make it almost impossible for you not to check your messages. Contrary to popular student culture, multi-tasking doesn’t work. You may feel as if you’re watching Game of Thrones and answering a question at the same time, in reality you are simply swapping attention between two competing activities, which is tiring and reduces levels of concentration.

Don’t study for too long or cram – Cramming can work in those later stages of revision, the problem when learning and not revising is it overloads short term memory resulting in you forgetting something from the day before. Little and often is the secret to effective study. We don’t have any hard evidence as to the optimum period of study but most believe something around one and a half hours works best. After your session make sure you have a reasonable break, 10, 20 or even 30 minutes, grab a cup of coffee or take a walk outside, it’s important to physically move. There is a lot of evidence to show that exercise helps improve concentration and the ability to focus on specific tasks.

Question practice is key – Although attempting questions can seem a little disheartening, especially if you get something wrong it is one of the most effective methods of learning. The process of answering a question involves what we call retrieval practice forcing the brain to think back over what has previously been learned and in so doing transferring knowledge into long term memory.

Keep in contact with others – fellow students can be a real help when it comes to clarifying problems or just giving moral support. Also don’t forget your University or College, they will be only too pleased to support you, with many providing, forums, technical help and direct contact with your lecturer/teacher.

Develop a positive mindset – working alone can result in moments of self-doubt which can turn to worry and or stress. The important point is that both of these are perfectly normal reactions to a challenging situation. There is a view that worry is simply the way in which the brain moves something up your list of priorities. Lists are a great way of dealing with worry, simply write down what you are worried about and turn it into an action. Remember a certain amount of stress can also be good, its continual long-term stress that can cause problems.
Drink lots of water and as mentioned above build exercise into your daily routine, it’s a great antidote to stress and who knows you might not only pass your next exam but end up with a six pack as well.

If you would like to find out more about studying from home, here is a short video.

The independent learner – Metacognition

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Metacognition is not a great word but it’s an important one when it comes to learning, especially if you are studying at higher academic levels or on your own. Cognition refers to the range of mental processes that help you acquire knowledge and understanding or more simply, learn. These processes include the storage, manipulation, and retrieval of information. Meta on the other hand means higher than or overarching, put the two together and we are talking about something that sits above learning, connecting it by way of thought. For this reason, it’s often described as thinking about thinking or in this context thinking about how you learn.

Smarter not harder

When you have a lot to learn in terms of subject matter it may feel like a distraction to spend any time learning something other than what you must know, let alone reflecting on it, but this fits under the heading of working smarter not harder, if you can find more effective ways of learning that must be helpful.
As mentioned earlier cognition is about mental processes, storage and retrieval relate to memory, manipulation, to the shifting of attention, changing perception etc. But the meta aspect creates distance, allowing us to become aware of what we are doing, standing back and observing how for example perception has changed, this reflection is a high-level skill that many believe is unique to humans. One final aspect is that we can take control of how we learn, planning tasks, changing strategies, monitoring those that work and evaluating the whole process.

Keeping it simple

Its very easy to overcomplicate metacognition, in some ways its little more than asking a few simple questions, thinking about how you are learning, what works and what doesn’t.  Here are some examples as to how you might do this.

  • Talk to yourself, ask questions at each stage, does this make sense, I have read it several times maybe I should try writing it down.
  • Ask, have I set myself sensible goals?
  • Maybe it’s time to try something different, for example mind mapping, but remember to reflect on how effective it was or perhaps was not.
  • Do I need help from anyone, this could be a fellow student or try YouTube which is a great way to find a different explanation in a different format?

Clearly these skills are helpful for all students but they are especially valuable when studying on your own perhaps on a distance learning programme or engaged in large periods of self-study.

Benefits

There are many reasons for investing some time in this area.

  • Growing self-confidence – by finding out more about how you learn you will discover both your strengths and weaknesses. Confidence isn’t about being good at everything but understanding your limitations.  
  • Improves performance – research has shown that students who actively engage in metacognition do better in exams.
  • Gives control – you are no longer reliant on the way something is taught; you have the ability to teach yourself. Being an autonomous learner is also hugely motivational.
  • The skills are transferable – this knowledge will not only help with your current subjects but all that follow, not to mention what you will need to learn in the workplace.  

It will take some time initially but, in a way, metacognition is part of learning, it’s an essential component and as such you will end up knowing more about yourself at some point, even if you don’t want to, so why not do it sooner rather than later.

And just for fun – Sheldon knows everything about himself – even when he is wrong

E Learning, without the E

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It’s as if putting the letter E in front of the word ‘learning’ has in some way created a brand new concept, it of course has not. If that were the case we should have B learning to show that you have learned from a book or maybe P learning to indicate what you learned from your parents. In fact a search of the Internet reveals some degree of uncertainly as to exactly what E learning is, the common denominator however is that it involves the use of electronic resources. I personally favour the term ‘online learning’ as it seems somehow more descriptive.

The classroom trap

In trying to more closely understand E learning it is easy to fall into the classroom trap, that is clarification by comparing with classroom. This is largely unhelpful because it ultimately leads to the question as to which one is best, and that very much depends on what you want, how you learn and the circumstances in which you find yourself. So let’s avoid the trap and accept that they are both methods of delivering knowledge or skills using a formal process, as apposed to an informal one.


Different experience

‘Learning online’, sorry but it just sounds better……is not the same as learning from a book or in a classroom. Classroom, online and text books are all structured to take the learner from a point of ignorance to one of being informed, but the way, and environment in which you learn is different. Let’s explore these differences with the top three positives and negatives of online learning.

Positives of online

Flexible – this is perhaps one of the biggest advantages of online, I am in fact writing this blog sat on a sun lounger surrounded by blue sky, the only interruption being a welcome breeze, and it’s the technology that allows me to do this. That same technology gives you the ability to learn on your terms, which means when you want and where you want. This has great advantages in maximising time, utilising moments in a busy day that might otherwise be lost. For example, when traveling to work by train, spare time in your lunch hou r or even making the most of the rush hour by choosing to stay at work and study rather than sit in a traffic jam.


Self paced – another very important one. Referring to individual learning styles is often picked upon by academics as being something of an urban myth. But few would disagree that knowledge acquisition is personal, with some people able to pick up a topic quickly whilst others might take longer. Online learning allows the individual to study at their own pace, quickly when something is easily understood and slowly for the tricky areas, oh and you can keep going over the topic again and again.


Personalised – with online, personalisation is far more than working through the content at your own pace, it offers the ability to truly personalise the experience. But be careful with this one, many courses will headline with the term personalisation, yet not deliver, it’s very much a spectrum. At the one end it is little more than a standard pathway with tests that direct you back to content to be studied again.

In the middle is the same process but the direction as to what needs studying is far more precise. It can include specific tips and hints bespoke to that topic written in a different way to the original text even using new and more suitable instructional techniques e.g. video, diagrams, interactive activities etc. To add something truly personal it might also provide an opportunity to speak to real people with access to your prior learning experience and academic record

We have yet to see what lies at the other end of the spectrum, an online learning experience that can adapt the pathway using big data and analytics, learning both from you as an individual as well as all other students with one objective, to offer the best personalised learning experience possible.

Click this link to find out more about adaptive.

Negatives of online

Motivation and procrastination – recently we have seen that having more choice is not as desirable as you might imagine. Studying when you want is great, unless you keep putting it off. This is contributing to students taking longer to pass exams. And of course procrastination goes hand in hand with a lack of motivation, another problem often associated with online. There have been partial solutions to this for online students but they are rarely as effective as having your own personal trainer, a teacher who you meet with face to face to put you through your paces.

Isolation – learning is ultimately a solitary experience, yes you can learn with and from others but to develop a deep understanding you need to reflect on what you have learned, manipulating the knowledge until you make it yours . But doing this on your own can be uninspiring and leads to a sense of isolation, which makes the whole process seem a lot harder than perhaps it is.

Learning style – this is a simple one, some people just don’t like learning using a computer. I think its possibly because they have never given it a go or if they have, it wasn’t a very good online course in the first place. That said it is a reason, and needs to be respected.


Is Online for you?

1. Read through the pros and cons above and give them all a number between 1 and 5, for example if you think flexibility is very import give it a 5. On the other hand if you find it very hard to motivate yourself, give that a 5, etc. Add up your scores and if the positives come out higher than the negatives, online is probably for you.

2. Look to the quality of the learning provider, new innovations require both investment in terms of time, money and experience of learning. Initially at least go for the bigger companies with a solid reputation.

3. Try before you buy, ask if you can have a trail period to see if this type of learning works for you.

One last thought, this is not an irreversible decision, if you don’t like it change your mind. Also why not study different subjects in different ways, some online, others maybe in the classroom or simply from the book?

27 Million People per day can’t be wrong – Gamification

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League of LegendsThe statistics are astonishing, as of January 2014, over 67 million people play League of Legends per month, 27 million per day, and over 7.5 million concurrently during peak hours. And if your good at it the prize money for winning the world championship might get you to question your chosen profession, it was $2.3m in 2014 and 2015. Playing an on-line game is part of daily life for many people.

This blog is “of course” not about League of Legends. In fact I have to admit I had never heard of it, just shows how far out of touch you can become with popular culture. It’s not even about the gaming industry which is said to be worth £3.9 bn to the UK economy, it’s about a growing and fascinating area of learning called gamification.

Gamification is the use of game mechanics (rules, design and tools) in a non game context to better engage and motivate learners to achieve a desired objective. There are two types, structured, where you are looking to propel a learner through content and reward them for the desired behaviours and content driven where the game is the content i.e. the learner is a character in the game and is required to undertake tasks that are in turn rewarded.

Gamification techniques – Game mechanics

Games are not of course all the same but they do have similar characteristics, these “techniques” can then be used in a non game context i.e. a learning context. The idea being that if they engage and motivate the gamer, they will do the same for the student.  Games need some form of measurement to assess performance and a reward to act as an incentive.  Below is a note of some of the measurements and rewards used in gaming but could be adapted for learning.

  • Points – Used to keep score
  • Badges – visual stamps that are awarded to users on certain achievements and are normally displayed in their header and profile page
  • Levels – shows ranking and progress
  • Leader boards – a high score that is displayed for all to see
  • Rewards – not a badge but something tangible e.g. money….

Personal gamification

You don’t need to spend millions developing a game to get the benefits from gamification, and its not all about beating others, here are a few tips.

  • Set up a points system – identify the activities that will help you achieve your goal e.g. spend 2 hours each evening studying, 10 points. Answer 2 questions each evening, 20 points. Attempt the mock exam, 40 points. Score 50%, 80 points etc. Keep a running total of your points in a place that you can see when you study
  • Levels – Only move onto the next chapter or session when you have the desired points
  • Leader board – Keep a note of your highest score from the other subjects
  • Rewards – The best part. Set up a series of rewards e.g. a night off, go for a run, have a glass of wine, bar of chocolate etc. Increase the rewards as gaining the points becomes more difficult. If you beat your leader board score, then your rewards can be even greater, maybe a day out shopping/at the football etc. Why not ask others to contribute to the reward, if I get to the top of my leader board how about you buy me dinner. You will be surprised how many people, friends and family will effectively sponsor you.Other brands are available....

And finally tell your friends what you have done, “just eating a massive bar of chocolate which was my reward for scoring 80 points on my study game.”

Of course you might get fat doing this, but don’t worry there is another game that can help – it’s called weight watchers…..

Technology can help

As ever technology can help, check out this app HabitRPG – Click 

Blended – taking responsibility for your own learning

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Taking responsibilityBlended course programmes are here to stay. The idea that studying comprises of both time in the classroom with others and time learning on your own using online or even traditional learning materials is certainly not new. Of course the purist will argue that blended learning has to or exclusively use online materials rather than a text book – no matter.

This blog is not about blended learning, more the implications of what studying on blended programmes means i.e. you have to study on your own and as a result take responsibility for how you learn.

Instructor led – easier

In a traditional classroom the teacher (instructor) stands at the front of the classroom and leads the learning. They tell you what to learn, when to learn, even how to learn.  They also dictate the pace and mood of the delivery. There is of course nothing wrong with this and many students really value it, in fact it’s their preferred method of learning. Of course its far from perfect, not everyone learns at the same pace or in the same way, but let’s put that debate, or blog aside for another day.

With a blended programme the student has to leave the security of the classroom and enter the world of self managed learning (SML).

Student led (SML) -harder but more effective

Self managed learning gives the student great power, they can study what they want, perhaps not the subject matter but certainly the order, when they want, how they want etc. However as Spiderman* once said, with great power comes great responsibility. You now have to take responsibility for the result. This means if something doesn’t make sense it’s not the teacher’s fault it’s yours!

Its perhaps even more basic than that, you are also responsible for how long you spend studying, you don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. You can study on a Monday or Wednesday, or just the weekend. You can study for one hour or for 20 minutes. And there lies the problem, when it’s up to the individual a lot of people take the easy way out, the route of least resistance and put it off for another day.

However when you do take responsibility, the quality of the learning is significantly improved. Listening to the teacher is easy but not always that effective. The SMLearner has to set goals, monitor their performance and finally reflect, how well did they do compared with how well they thought they would? It is partly this process that makes the learning so good, but it will feel harder.

How to be a SML

These may all be worth covering in more detail in another blog but for now think of this as a check list.

  • Use a timetable – Google calendar is great for this. Put in all your key dates including exactly what you will do e.g. read chapters one to three – make notes – answer question 2,3 and 4.
  • Have a place to learn. This might seem obvious but you need somewhere that is quiet, plenty of space, good lighting, with little distraction. Perhaps most important is that you know that when you are in this room you feel ready to study.
  • Read carefully, I have written on this before. Underline key points as you go. Don’t just read, you have to think as well.
  • Make notes, even if you have pre- prepared ones. Once again I have written on the best way to do this. If you are following an e learning module make notes as you work through the online guidance.
  • Listen to your internal dialogue. When you are working alone just make sure that what you are saying to yourself is positive. Remember this is not about telling yourself everything will be fine, it’s about moving forward e.g. I just don’t understand this, what I need to do is read it again perhaps from another book.

Taking responsibility

Want to find out more about taking responsibility for learning – watch video 1 – video 2 – video 3. They are all less than three minutes long and well worth it.

PS *Of course Spiderman can’t really talk it was Stan Lee the writer of Spiderman, although Franklin D Roosevelt and others have also been quoted as saying this or something similar.