Generative Learning

Photo by Thomas Smith on Unsplash

In Make It Stick, Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel (2014) tell the story about Bonnie Blodgette, The Blundering Gardener. Her method of jumping in and creating a garden before "knowing" how to be a gardener has lead to her expertise in the home gardening world. She learned by doing, which is also known as "generative learning" (Brown et al., 2014).

Photo by Valeria Zoncoll on Unsplash

The biggest generative learning endeavor I have ever taken on is parenting. I babysat a little in my teens, I have had pets from babyhood to elder-hood (which some people count as equivalent - though I do not), and I have read many books on multiple, applicable subjects. But nothing fully prepares you for having a baby. I had plans, thoughts, and ideas, but so much of parenting for us was to wing it. Eventually, we learned about our child and her needs, and we learned about each of our strengths as parents and partners in parenthood.

Photo by The Honest Company on Unsplash

Parenting and its myriad of challenges, triumphs, and tedium, easily allows for the necessary learning methods. How to change a diaper is encoded in muscle memory from trial upon trail of practice. Then as the baby grows and becomes more mobile, how to change a diaper is further consolidated as you learn how to successfully put a diaper on a baby that is trying to roll over or crawl away. When you're sleep deprived and not at the top of your game, you still must perform this diaper changing task, so retrieval is forced no matter how optimal the conditions. The learning is also strewn with desirable difficulties, from changing a diaper in the back of a car, in a bathroom with no changing area, on the floor, on your lap, etc. Learning needs to happen because the performance outcome must happen, therefore, you figure it out as you go along and you draw from previous learning to solve the new obstacle presented to you.

 I can empathize so much with Bonnie Blodgette. If you look at how difficult parenting (and gardening!) can be, you may never get started.
Resource

Brown, P.C., Roediger, H. L. III, & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make it stick: The science of successful 
learning. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Memory, explained | from Vox + Netflix's The Mind, Explained

Image
Random post about memory... I was watching "The Mind Explained" on Netflix, and there is an episode about memory. It was really interesting and I would suggest a watch. If you don't have Netflix, the episode appears to be intact on YouTube (video above). The neuro researchers explained the following findings: Meditation and mindfulness may help enhance and increase memory; Memories can be strengthened by using them in a story, or by telling yourself a story about the memory; Time and place (where you were and when it happened) seem to play a big part in memory; Emotion creates memory, i.e. highly emotional experiences create stronger memories. Just thought it was a fun and informative watch and I thought I would share.
Read more

The importance of chapter four

Image
Photo by  Chris Liverani  on  Unsplash "Retrieval practice that you perform at different times and in different contexts and that interleaves different learning material has the benefit of linking new associations to the material. This process builds interconnected networks of knowledge that bolster and support mastery of your field. It also multiplies the cues of retrieving and knowledge, increasing the versatility with which you can later apply it" (Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014, p. 83). Photo by  Icons8 team  on  Unsplash This statement is definitely a powerful awakening for me as a learner, and as someone who frequently leads and teaches others. I remember learning about test taking in college; that the way you study will lead to the way you recall studied information on test day. For example, if you always study with music on in your headphones, but you cannot use them in class, you may do worse on your test. However, if we u...
Read more

Practice on Hard Mode

Image
Photo by  Joanna Kosinska  on  Unsplash If you are like me, you are a recovering notetaker. Whenever you hear something noteworthy or read important info in a book, you want to write it down. You may even use a pen and paper. It’s hard to break this habit when it comes to learning, even against your better judgement and the overwhelming evidence in Make It Stick (Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014). You may think you need to go cold turkey and never jot down an idea again, but have no fear. I have a way for you to assuage your notetaking urges, while using the three “keystone study strategies” that interrupt forgetting and help you participate in effortful learning (Brown et al., 2014).  The three study strategies incorporate retrieval practice, spacing practice, and interleaving practice.   Here’s what us avid notetakers can do below. Photo by  Tachina Lee  on  Unsplash Retrieval Practice Think of a list ...
Read more