Become a Master Learner – The 4 Types of Learning

Rob Wheeler 13 comments

Humans learn new things in a specific order. If you can understand that order and the ramifications of how that applies to learning, you can learn much quicker and in depth almost anything you are studying.

Marcy Driscoll in 2002 wrote about How People Learn. She broke the process down into four categories:

Learning occurs in context.
Learning is active.
Learning is social.
Learning is reflective.

In W. C. Howell put them into quadrants:

Unconscious Incompetence
Conscious Incompetence
Conscious Competence
Unconscious Competence

Jeff Olson Author of The Slight Edge places them in this model:

Book Knowledge
Activity Knowledge
Modeling Knowledge
Teaching Knowledge

However, the experts phrase what they are calling it, it appears that there are four fundamental steps.

Definitions:

#1. Initial Factual Knowledge – This is where the learner knows nothing and is being given or fed the initial facts and foundation to build the ensuing knowledge upon. At this point the learner doesn’t know what he or she doesn’t know.

#.2 Kinesthetic Knowledge – This is where the learner participates in the learning process. This involvement or inclusion allows the learner to visual, hear and do the activities that can be remembered by three of the five senses at least if not all of them.

#3. Reproduction Knowledge – Whether it is social or modeling in nature, we learn from our similar experience or by watching others succeed or fail.

#4. Philosophical Knowledge – This is where the learner becomes the teacher. In other words the values and education has been so ingrained in the learner that he or she can impart that information to a new generation of learners on their own.

Examples:

#1. A good example of initial Factual Knowledge is when the learner is involved in a classroom setting. Most of our education is lecture based and only involves step one of the learning process and is very limited in the other forms. Many times the learner sat through a class where information was delivered and the learner took notes hoping to retain the information.

#2. Kinesthetic Knowledge is where we become involved in the process. Think back to the first time you tried to ride a bike. Did you get on the bike and immediately get on and ride fifty miles. No! You got on, started to pedal, fell, got up again and got back on. We all did! You first had to fail. You had to learn that you did NOT know how to ride. You did NOT know how to balance. You did NOT know how to jump a curb.

#3. Much of our knowledge comes from watching other people achieve a desired result and then reproducing to the best of our ability the activities that created that desired result. Think back to the first time you watched someone go UP a curb on a bike. You watched them do that. Maybe you even asked them how they did that? They stated that you kind of pull up on the bike just before you get to the curb and the front tire goes on the top of the curb and the back tire just follows. When you tried it, maybe you made the first three before you missed one and learned that it was indeed important to lift hard on the front end.

#4. When you have to impart your knowledge and wisdom to another person, don’t you study harder than if you were just going to “learn” the information? Have you ever driven home, walked in the door and seen your spouse, girlfriend or parents and wondered….How the heck did I get here? I know I have. What happened was that you know the way home so well that you did not even have to think. The directions were ingrained in you. When the underlying philosophies and values are so ingrained in you that you can teach the subject matter without thinking you have reached Philosopical Knowledge.

The four types of learning have been called many things over the years and will continue to be categorized differently. However, these fundamental steps will always be the method for learning whatever they are called.

The trick is to understand the steps and when you are attempting to learn something different, make use of these four steps to speed the learning process up and you will become a MASTER LEARNER. Master the fundamentals of learning.

Rob Wheeler

#1 | Written by Nancy Ross about 4 years ago.

Great article. It is a fact that the more senses we involve, the more we learn. Also, the more we repeat a process, such as
riding a bike, the better we get and the more we retain.
The learning process never stops.
#2 | Written by Thiru about 3 years ago.

Hi,
Anxiety of learning by Diane L. Coutu may be helpful for more understanding about how learning happens. It is a Harvard business article.

Thiru
#3 | Written by Tarun about 3 years ago.

This is a great article. It explains how to become a master learner by understanding and applying 4 types of learning processes that are mentioned in the article. Hope to benefit by using it myself. Keep up the good work!
#4 | Written by mohamed about 3 years ago.

This is from the most important article I ever read because it’s give me new idea about learning and I think now after I read that I will try to find anther methods to my self when I try to learn any thing and I think that this article will help me in my focus issue but I hop to read more information about the same subject soon. So go on buddy .
#5 | Written by sivakumar about 3 years ago.

yes,this is a great article related to human nature i never read this type of article up to seen of this it is very interesting and also i hope to benefit by knowing myself finally my feeling is this is excelent article
#6 | Written by vaikundaraja about 3 years ago.

I think now after I read that I will try to find anther methods to my self when I try to learn any thing and I think that this article will help me in my focus issue but I hop to read more information about the same subject soon. So go on buddy .
Best FRom Vaikumda raja
#7 | Written by sivakumar about 3 years ago.

What an article, it is fully related to human nature. In this they explained 4 types of learning techniques. It gives the new idea to learning techniques. Human being is always a Lerner.
#8 | Written by satyam about 3 years ago.

very nice article.thanks to robert wheeler for providing such a great information for us.i think it provides a greater help to all the peoples who are living on the earth
#9 | Written by pranitha about 3 years ago.

This is a great article,thanks robert wheeler for providing this 4 learning techniques.This learning techniques are very helpful to who are interested in learning.thse are provide the great information for us.
#10 | Written by jerry about 3 years ago.

4 Types of Learning a way to understand and produce a positive result for that matter of fact it may be in any criteria it may be at the place of work or at home for that matter it maybe any were as I feel everyday every hour every minute you tend learn something new right from our birth till the deathbed we tend learn something or the other.
#11 | Written by pranitha about 3 years ago.

Hi,this is a good article because of providing the 4types of learning ways.This post gives the new idea to learning,I think people understand the steps when we are attempting to learn something different.Then become a master learner.
#12 | Written by Steve Cloward about 3 years ago.

Love your content, can you help get a blog up soon please!

Steve Cloward
#13 | Written by Pat Pickens about 3 years ago.

Quicker and in depth learning is my goal. Your 4 types of learning and becoming a master learner will come into play.

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