Holistic Learning

Our learning is linear, that is, we learn one thing and then another, adding, sometimes subtracting what we have learned before and even changing it. It is linear as there is a clear sequence and it is quite easy to understand the reason that we learn to write a before writing and.

The challenge is to learn things in a linear fashion takes time and at present, a new phenomenon of constant learning is taking place, and for learning to be constant, it demands speed.

If you have a good memory, learning by heart make things easier, particularly when there is complexity. As there are too many things to be learnt, memorization is not the perfect solution.

There are two other ways to learn that may be better for the present moment. The first is based on andragogy, a branch of education dedicated to teach adults and the main premise is that adults learn by themselves, from their experiences and by example. It is not only copy or memory, it is an internal experience and the matter becomes part of the adult’ life. According to this approach, a person can learn something new about the Artificial Intelligence or a new recipe, by practicing, hopefully with a trainer or a coach.

The second way is to think of learning in a holistic perspective. A very simple way to do that is to teach what you want to learn. I have been in that situation and I have seen cases of people learning a language who teach others in a lesser level the same language. A holistic learning is to make learning, sharing and teaching as part of a whole experience in life.

These two ways can be the solution to learn too much in a short length of time – andragogy and holistic learning. Try it, maybe that is the solution.

The art of getting feedback from others

One of the easy ways to improve your life is to learn from others’ experiences and lessons. For that, you can just watch them and try your best replicating whatever you see, listen or understand. Or, you can let others say what they think.

As children, we learn from our mistakes. A lot: we raise and fall, and we learn we shouldn’t fall; we go and play with a dog that bites us, and we learn we shouldn’t pull its tail, or we arrive late for lunch and mommy gives us cold food, teaching us to arrive punctually. Of course, the love we receive and the unconditional forgiveness for every mistake compensates any bad situation.

As adults however things are not that simple: we often don’t learn from our falls, we keep on pulling another dog’s tail and our punctuality does not improve. It seems adults don’t learn at all, at least not as a child would do. We learn differently and there are many theories about that, but I would like to talk about feedback, which means others telling you what to do.

I consider an art to be able to get feedback from others. When there is an opportunity to improve – in other words, we did badly – what we hear is complaints or accusations; to turn those into a positive experience and help the self to improve is a hard work for the listener rather than the speaker.

It is useful to separate whatever others speak in categories. A typical example is when someone indicates about your lack of punctuality; put aside their anger or the fact they are upset by that. Then, focus on the need of the other person, ask yourself: How can I be more punctual?, and listen to their advice.

Second step is your own reflection on whether you implement that feedback. Maybe you simply can’t; if that is so, just talk and explain that to the other person. If you can, make a plan to turn it into reality. In case you need to talk to the other person, look for an agreement that makes them happy with your own situation.

The third step comes when you yourself ask for feedback, checking if everything is alright after making some experiments.

Feedback is a cyclic process… after the third step, go back to the first and start all over again, which guarantee you will have a very interesting and dynamic life.