SIMPLE AND GENERATIVE LEARNING

By Osman Hj. Kamaluddin

  

Simple Learning

There are two main types of learning. The first type is simple learning and in this type of learning, there is a gap between what you know and what you want to know. The learning process would be the actions you take to close the gap and the results are feedback leading to increased knowledge or skills. The feedback lets you know whether you are approaching your goal. If the actions you take bring you nearer to your goal, that is, closing the gap, then you do more of them i.e. the actions you take. But if it is the other way round i.e. the actions you take, increases the gap, then you do less of them. Solving the problem is closing the gap.

Simple learning and problem solving take place within a boundary of assumptions and beliefs about what is possible and necessary. For example, a person may get frequent headaches and because of this, goes to see a doctor. The doctor then prescribes some painkillers to be taken. The person goes home, feeling happy and the next time, he/she has a headache, he/she takes the painkillers. Simple problem, simple solution! An example from business would be a company that wants to invest in a more modern and faster manufacturing machine/plant. They try a number of possibilities and settle on the most cost-effective one. Later, the plant is built and running to full capacity. Another simple problem, simple solution!

Generative Learning

The other type of learning is generative learning. Generative learning brings our beliefs and assumptions about the issues into the feedbacks we received. Feedbacks from our actions lead us to question our beliefs and assumptions! As in the previous examples, the person might question why he/she is getting frequent headaches. That person might find out later that he/she needs to change his/her lifestyle or diet. That person may also be curious about taking charge of his/her own health, rather than looking to the medical doctor to fix all his/her health problems.

In the business example, the company might want to question whether it is worth investing in the new equipment for a product that might be out of date at a later stage. They might question further, whether they are in the right market and think about other/new products rather than assume, they can continue to do what they have been always doing!

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 Osman Hj. Kamaluddin is a marine surveyor who has for the past many years researched and observed on accelerated learning techniques. He is also a Certified Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) & NLP Coaching.

THE LEARNING ZONE

By Osman Hj. Kamaluddin


When you are learning, always make sure that you are in the Learning Zone and this is very important. The Learning Zone usually means that the difficulties that you encounter during learning ‘matches’ your abilities and/or knowledge. If this happens, then you are safe and you will keep on learning. However, do beware of the 2 Danger Zones in learning. There are namely, the ‘Drowning’ Zone and the ‘Slumber’ Zone!

The ‘Drowning’ Zone

This is when the difficulties you encounter during learning are greater than that of your abilities and/or knowledge. When this happen, you would be completely stuck and do not know what to do next! You might feel anxious or helpless! If you are in this zone and do not do anything, then your learning would stop there. So what to do? WELL, GET HELP!

Ask yourself, what other resources do you need? Maybe, you need to get more information! Ask someone to assist you! BOTTOM LINE, PLEASE TAKE ACTION TO ‘IMPROVE’ YOUR ABILITIES AND/OR KNOWLEDGE SO THAT YOU ‘OVERCOME’ THE DIFFICULTIES THAT YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED! ONCE YOU HAVE DONE THIS, THEN YOU ARE BACK TO THE LEARNING ZONE!


The ‘Slumber’ Zone

When your abilities and/or knowledge are greater than the difficulties encountered during learning, when all seems too easy and you can do it with one arm tied behind your back, then you will enter into this zone. You are not ‘stretched’ enough and might feel bored or uninvolved. Your learning would stop again here. So, what to do? IT MAY BE (MAY BE ONLY!), THAT YOU DO NOT NEED TO LEARN THAT SKILL AFTER ALL! ON THE OTHER HAND, GO FOR MORE DIFFICULT/CHALLENGING SKILLS/TASKS OR SET YOURSELF FURTHER ACHIEVEMENT TARGETS. IF THIS IS DONE, THEN YOU ARE ON THE LEARNING ZONE TRACKS!

When you have the abilities/knowledge and when you always feel alert or curious, when you can manage to stay in the Learning Zone and avoid the Danger Zones, then LEARNING WOULD BE REWARDING AND ENJOYABLE!

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Osman Hj. Kamaluddin is a marine surveyor who has for the past many years researched and observed on accelerated learning techniques. He is also a Certified Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) & NLP Coaching.

THE LEARNING PROCESS

By Osman Hj. Kamaluddin

Most of us have learned to ride a bicycle when we were small. Well, let us see the learning process that we went through. First, we told our self, (THOUGHT) that we want to learn and the reasons for our decision would be:

1. It can be done as others have done it.
2. It is fun.
3. It is useful as a mode of transport. (Better than walking!)

From the above, we could say that because of the reasons mentioned, we got motivated (MOTIVATE) and decided (DECIDE) that we want to learn. So, after we made the decision, we took the BIG STEP, that is, learning to ride the bicycle (ACTION).

After we started to learn, we find that we were unable to do it with ease and to some of us (I believe, most of us), we had some ‘nightmare’ and even the ‘scars’ may have remained until now. (Mine, had to drink a couple of gallons of drain water from the drain in Klang back in the 70’s). Even though we had those bad experiences (OBSTACLES/PROBLEMS), we did not gave up! We went on learning even though, we had to go through, some of the ‘nightmares’ again. (PERSEVERANCE). We went on because we kept on ‘putting in our head’, the reasons mentioned above and also, those people who are closed to us gave us some ‘words of encouragement’ (MOTIVATE AGAIN). We learned and learned until we became good in riding the bicycle (PERSEVERANCE AGAIN).

Once we have mastered how to ride the bicycle, we felt the joys of achieving it. So, from the above, we could summarize the simple process of learning as follows:-

A THOUGHT ► MOTIVATE ► DECIDE ► ACTION ► OBSTACLES/PROBLEMS ► PERSEVERENCE ► MOTIVATE AGAIN ► PERSEVERENCE AGAIN ► LEARNING COMPLETE.

However, whether we realized it or not, our learning process we used when we were learning to ride the bicycle, did not stop when we could ride the bicycle! Nobody ‘hung up’ their bicycles immediately when they could ride the bicycles! Did we?

So, what did we do after we have learned the skill i.e. ride a bicycle? Of course, after that, we utilized it. We rode the bicycle to the school, to friends' houses, to shops etc. We rode and rode our bicycles until we had other modes of transportation that we know how to use. That is why, until now, if you have not ridden a bicycle for such a long time and if given one to ride, you could still do it and with ease. This type of learning process puts the skill and/or knowledge that you have acquired not only into your brain but also into your body or system. So, the Re- Summarized Learning Process should be:-

A THOUGHT ► MOTIVATE ► DECIDE ► ACTION ► OBSTACLES/PROBLEMS ► PERSEVERENCE ► MOTIVATE AGAIN ► PERSEVERENCE AGAIN ► LEARNING COMPLETE ► UTILISED LEARNING SKILLS AND/OR KNOWLEDGE.

No wonder I cannot remember my algebra now!

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Osman Hj Kamaludin is a marine surveyor who has for the past many years researched and observed on accelerated learning techniques.