Learning Cycle

Ask/Answer/Act/Assess

Learning begins with a question. I want to know something in order to solve a problem, achieve a goal, or satisfy my curiosity. I seek answers to my question. I decide on one to act upon. I test its viability. I then assess my answer’s effectiveness. I reflect upon whether it worked or not. My reflection usually then leads me to ask a new question and the cycle begins anew.

If we want students to learn, we must create opportunities for them to go through the learning cycle. I strive to find out at the beginning of a course what questions the students have about the subject of the course. What do they want to learn? In the course we explore answers to the questions. Through experiential exercises, students have an opportunity to test some of the answers. They can then reflect upon what has been learned and raise new questions for exploration.

One of my ongoing questions is, “How can I better incorporate the learning cycle in the courses I teach.” Each class becomes an experiment in applying the learning cycle. Some experiments are more effective than others. But each new attempt increases my own learning and experience.