Learning Paper The human mind is controlled by the brain organ which is the basic unit for thinking, perceiving, behavior, learning and memory. Memory is the basic mental process that enables our brain to adapt to permanent behaviors rather than simple reflexes. Thus, learning and memory are intertwined and extensive research in this area has been undertaken. Other authorities have defined memory as the comparatively permanent transformation in a person’s behavior or his potential which is as a result of experience or learning. It is an internal change inferred from overt behavior and may be compared with other primary process producing relatively permanent change (maturation) that results from biological growth and development.
Behaviorist learning as pioneered by Watson (1963) who developed the stimulus-response model suggested that people learn from each other and as a result produces a behavioral change. The change is driven by the external environment of the learner and requires repetition and reinforcement. In addition, it can be asserted that learning is imparted by the recognizing the positive consequences of the behavioral change and that learning would occur when the brain could systematically link together behaviors into pattern. Cognitivist learning is concerned with the internalization of mental process. This refers to the ability to review a situation and act knowingly. In this type of learning, the human brain processes and reorganizes the data it receives. Memory interlinks what a person learns and retains the information and is the cognitive process of relating what has been learnt. The term cognition is widely defined as “the mental process or faculty of knowing”. The key goal of teaching and learning is to enable a person to reach a cognitive peak about a certain topic. Learning process has been divided into three stages namely; cognitive, practice and knowledge of performance. This means that practice will be perfected when a personal receives the results. However the state of awareness is reached after the student is encouraged to put the course into perspective that can be entered into memory. It is also important to consider environmental forces and how they affect learning (Wickens, 2005). To enable the student to commit data into memory, the teaching g must include materials and practical in his teaching methods. Moreover, students are different and therefore teachers are encouraged to use varying methods while presenting the information to capture the receptivity of every student. Effective learning must identify the mental process of the mind so that the learner may be helped in retaining the presented material. Since the external environment is beyond our control an effective teacher should introduce and control teaching strategies. To master a small amount of material advances future undertakings by the student and this encourages others to reach similar goals of learning. Thus, education should be an ultimate goal that helps student to learn how to think (Wickens, 2005). Memory comes in handy when a person is required to retain and recall past events. Memory is divided into three phases namely; sensory, short-term and long term. Sensory memory (i.e. hearing, vision) lasts for one second; short-term memory is usually maintained by rehearsal and long term memory lasts for unlimited period of time. Research has shown that learning takes place when a student can recall information from long term memory. The connection between memory and retrieving of data should device a lesson plan to support student in the moral process which enhances learning. Since the long term memory is the most crucial in the process of learning, and student’s major problem is to remember what they learned, an effective teacher should equip the students with organizational procedures. These include; sorting of information, relating, arranging and grouping information for easier remembrance.
References
Watson, J. B. (1963). Psychology as the behaviorist views it. Psychological review, 20,158. Wickens, Andrew P. (2005). Foundations of biopsychology (2nd ed.). Harlow, England; New York: Pearson, Prentice Hall.