New learning : three ways to learn in a new balance

Abstract

Because people are learning all the time, we need criteria that can help us distinguish between better and worse kinds of learning. Organizations and societies as well as the psychology of learning ask for new learning outcomes, new learning processes and new forms of instruction. New learning outcomes as described by politicians and company representatives refer to outcomes that are durable, flexible, functional, meaningful, generalizable and application-oriented. Furthermore, new kinds of learning outcomes are generic outcomes like learning-, thinking-, collaboration and regulation-skills. In order to be able to reach the new learning outcomes mentioned above, new kinds of learning processes are needed: active, cumulative, constructive, goal-directed, diagnostic, reflective, discovery oriented, contextual, problem oriented, case based, social and intrinsically motivated kinds of learning. The first six of these have to do with action learning and the other six with experiential learning. Learning and instruction models for guided learning, action learning and experiential learning are described. It is concluded that a new kind of balance between guided learning, action learning and experiential learning is needed. For new instruction this means on the one hand more emphasis on action learning and experiential learning, on the other hand it means the organization of process-oriented instruction: a form of instruction with integrated attempts to teach the learning, thinking, collaboration and regulation skills.