By Maryellen Weimer, PhD
1.
Good learners are curious
– They wonder about all sorts of things, often about things way beyond their
areas of expertise. They love the discovery part of learning. Finding out about
something they didn't know satisfies them for the moment, but their curiosity is
addictive.
2.
Good learners pursue understanding diligently
– A few things may come easily to learners but most knowledge arrives after
effort, and good learners are willing to put in the time. They search out
information—sometimes aspiring to find out everything that is known about
something. They read, analyze, and evaluate the information they've found. They
talk with others, read more, study more, and carry around what they don't
understand; thinking about it before they go to sleep, at the gym, on the way to
work, and sometimes when they should be listening to others. Good learners are
persistent. They don't give up easily.
3.
Good learners recognize that a lot of learning isn't fun
– That doesn't change how much they love learning. When understanding finally
comes, when they get it, when all the pieces fit together, that is one special
thrill. But the journey to understanding generally isn't all that exciting. Some
learning tasks require boring repetition; others a mind-numbing attention to
detail; still others periods of intense mental focus. Backs hurt, bottoms get
tired, the clutter on the desk expands, the coffee tastes stale—no, most
learning isn't fun.
4.
Failure frightens good learners, but they know it's beneficial
– It's a part of learning that offers special opportunities that aren't there
when success comes quickly and without failure. In the presence of repeated
failure and seeming futility, good learners carry on, confident that they'll
figure it out. When faced with a motor that resists repair, my live-in mechanic
announces he has yet to meet a motor that can't be fixed. Sometimes it ends up
looking like a grudge match, man against the machine, with the man undeterred by
how many different fixes don't work. He's frustrated but determined to find the
one that will, all the while learning from those that don't.
5.
Good learners make knowledge their own
– This is about making the new knowledge fit with what the learner already
knows, not making it mean whatever the learner wants. Good learners change their
knowledge structures in order to accommodate what they are learning. They use
the new knowledge to tear down what's poorly constructed, to finish what's only
partially built, and to create new additions. In the process, they build a
bigger and better knowledge structure. It's not enough to just take in new
knowledge. It has to make sense, to connect in meaningful ways with what the
learner already knows.
6.
Good learners never run out of questions
– There's always more to know. Good learners are never satisfied with how much
they know about anything. They are pulled around by questions—the ones they
still can't answer, or can only answer part way, or the ones without very good
answers. Those questions follow them around like day follows night with the
answer bringing daylight but the next question revealing the darkness.
7. Good learners share what they've learned – Knowledge is inert. Unless it's passed on, knowledge is lost. Good learners are teachers committed to sharing with others what they've learned. They write about it, and talk about it. Good learners can explain what they know in ways that make sense to others. They aren't trapped by specialized language. They can translate, paraphrase, and find examples that make what they know meaningful to other learners. They are connected to the knowledge passed on to them and committed to leaving what they've learned with others.