The Learning Paradigm

Peter Sheppard teaches in his book, Life Matters the 'Learning Paradigm', which consists of:
1. What? - Concepts, facts
2. Why? - Principles
3. How we feel - Values, Attitudes, Motivation
4. How we apply - Skill, Technique, Method

Confucius says: What I hear, I forget, what I see, I understand, what I do, I remember.

Einstein says: I don't teach, I create the environment conducive for learning.

I remember how in med school, too much time and energy was spent on teaching and learning the facts which could have been easily gleaned from textbooks and even more quickly committed to memory if I was better motivated.

As a med lecturer now I am guilty of doing the same thing. Vomiting lists and tables and making their accurate regurgitation my end goal.

How artless this kind of teaching!

I'd do better helping my students find their personal motivation, whet desire and excitement to learn, and empower them by giving them things to do, ownership of their careers.

I should start contact by getting them to articulate their personal motives - if you had no exams what and why do you want to learn? What are weaknesses you want to work on? Make a commitment to concrete and measurable steps.

Then we should articulate a learning contract - I will be there for you but you will do the necessary work to educate yourself.

Next I will give them patients to 'own' - they will 'advise' me on how to treat them and I will allow them to do as much as possible in their incrementing scope of responsibility.