The Concept of Learning

The concept of learning can be defined as the changing of knowledge, skills and behaviors of one person, which due to different experiences. As this reason, different people may have different understanding about the concept of learning. In my point of view, the learning is a continuous process, which could help people to acquire new knowledge and skills through understanding. It also provides the different views of thinking and understanding, in order to change as a person from inside to outside.

Actually, I have always modified my concepts of learning through the different experiences that occurred in separate progressive period of my life. Obviously, all of these experiences related to Marton’s first concept of “increasing one’s knowledge”. This conception is a process that comprised of three parts: learner, acquisition and knowledge (Marton et al. 1993). In fact, we are repeating this process in every activity, such as listening a lecture, reading a magazine, and even talking with a friend. Thus, we are increasing our knowledge in anytime, anywhere and any situation.

On the first day when I study at high school in China, I begin to prepare for the competition (National University Entrance Examinations). Under this pressure, I have extensive list of reading materials and exercise questions. The learning concept for me is closer to the second and third conceptions provided by Marton et al. (1993), which emphasis on “memorizing and reproducing” and “applying”. These conceptions are focus on both acquisition and application phases. At acquisition phase, memorizing is -­‐1-­‐

a useful tool to acquire knowledge and improve the test score in the short-term. However, learning by rote is doesn’t work for long-term study. The piece of knowledge always disappeared from my memory immediately after the exam, it is hard for me to actually acquire knowledge only by memorizing. Thus, the application phase is benefit for the consolidation and strengthening of knowledge that memorized by mind. It is because, the application could reproduce the information acquired in the first phase, and make the learned from books becomes completely your own.

Two years ago, I came to Australia, and study professional accounting as my major, the learning experience here is totally different with the used experiences in China. I may also use memorizing to achieve the temporary results here. But the fourth conception of Marton et al. (1993) comes to my attention. The “understanding” can integrated the knowledge by understanding of the inter-relationship between the pieces of information. It also helps me to developing the ability of looking into things.

The last two conceptions described by Marton et al. (1993) are “seeing something in different way” and “changing as a person”. The emphasis of these two conceptions is other than the concept mentioned previously. The first three conceptions focus on quantitative perspective that concerned with the knowledge already made. However, the last two conceptions are put emphasis on qualitative perspective, understanding the meaning of the knowledge other than the knowledge looks like (Marton et al. -­‐2-­‐

1993). These conceptions are much more like the objective of learning, they are the top two levels of learning hierarchy.

This semester, I took FBE204 as my people unit. Although I just took a few lectures, but this experience had significant influenced my concept of learning. It helped me to understanding the different levels of learning hierarchy. I acquire some new knowledge from the reading material that leads me to organize the process of learning. I tried to apply these knowledge into the practices of other units, it is really helpful.

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