跳至主要内容

The Pillars of Learning, Understanding, Studying and Explaining

Read full paper at:
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=50639#.VEccmlfHRK0

Author(s)
This paper is based on the hypothesis that intelligent persons have a high capacity to understand and learn effectively, because processes involving study and explanation allow them to develop the capacity to construct a system of coherent models that can be quickly updated. The first part of the paper will highlight the logic and power of systemic understanding and learning that is founded in Systems Thinking. It is clear that understanding and learning represent different mental activities: We understand when we form a coherent model of a concept, but we learn only when that model becomes stable and permanent; when it is memorized so that we can repeat and apply it. There is no learning without studying. For this reason, the second part of the paper proposes ten steps for studying effectively (which permits understanding) and efficiently (using minimum effort). But how do we attain understanding? Often we reach understanding through personal experience; in most cases, however, we are helped by a professor, a teacher or a textbook that provides us with an explanation. The explanation process represents the topic of the third part of the paper, where the author considers the five most important structures of the explanation process—the common, classical, procedural, systemic and teleological structures. In this sense, Understanding, Studying and Explaining can be considered the three pillars on which are based learning and knowledge.
Cite this paper
Mella, P. (2014) The Pillars of Learning, Understanding, Studying and Explaining. Creative Education, 5, 1615-1628. doi: 10.4236/ce.2014.517179. 
 

[1] Argyris, C. (1993). Knowledge for Action. A Guide to Overcoming Barriers to Organizational Change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
[2] Argyris, C., & Schön, D. (1974). Theory in Practice Increasing Professional Effectiveness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
[3] Ceccato, S. (1969). Course in Operational Linguistic [Italian: Corso di linguistica operativa]. Milano: Longanesi.
[4] Cipolla, C. (1988). (eBook, 2011). The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity. Bologna: Il Mulino Ed. (eBook).
[5] Copi, I. M., & Cohen, C. (2011). Introduction to Logic (14th ed.). Edinburgh: Pearson.
[6] Cupples, B. (1977). Three Types of Explanation. Philosophy of Science, 44, 387-408.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/288756
[7] Dewey, J. (2007). Experience and Education. New York: Macmillan. (Last edited by Simon and Schuster, 1st ed., 1938)
[8] Dixon, J. R., & Emery Jr., A. H. (1965). Semantics, Operationalism, and the Molecular-Statistical Model in Thermodynamics. American Scientist, 53, 428-436.
[9] Forrester, J. W. (1961). Industrial Dynamics. Waltham, Mass: Pegasus Communications.
[10] Forrester, J. W. (1991). System Dynamics and the Lessons of 35 Years. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. ftp://nyesgreenvalleyfarm.com/documents/sdintro/D-4224-4.pdf
[11] Gell-Mann, M. (1994). The Quark and the Jaguar. New York: W. H. Freeman.
[12] Gibbon, D. (1998). Procedural Explanations.
http://coral.lili.uni-bielefeld.de/Classes/Summer98/PragEngDialogue/pragengdialogue/node18.html
[13] Hawking, S. W., & Mlodinow, L. (2010). The Grand Design. Bantam. Excerpt.
http://bookre.org/reader?file=65691
[14] Heider, F. (1958). The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations. New York: Wiley.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/10628-000
[15] Hempel, C. G. (1965). Aspects of Scientific Explanation and Other Essays. New York: The Free Press, & London: Collier-Macmillan.
[16] Hidi, S. (1990). Interest and Its Contribution as a Mental Resource for Learning. Review of Educational Research, 60, 549-571.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/00346543060004549
[17] IEP, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2014). Theories of Explanation.
http://www.iep.utm.edu/explanat
[18] Ichijo, K., & Nonaka, I. (2007). Knowledge Creation and Management. New York: Oxford University Press.
[19] Johnson-Laird, P. N. (1983). Mental Models: Towards a Cognitive Science of Language, Inference, and Consciousness. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
[20] Keller, E. F., & Lloyd, E. A., Eds. (1992). Keywords in Evolutionary Biology. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
[21] Koestler, A. (1967). The Ghost in the Machine. London: Arkana.
[22] Lean, D. S., & Colucci, V. A. (2010). Barriers to Learning: The Case for Integrated Mental Health Services in Schools. Lanham, MA: R&L Education ED.
[23] Lennox, J. G. (1992). Teleology. In E. F. Keller, & E. A. Lloyd (Eds.), 323-333.
[24] Leonard, D., & Sensiper, S. (1998). The Role of Tacit Knowledge in Group Innovation. California Management Review, 40, 112-132.
[25] MacKinnon, A. (2013). The Heart of Learning. Creative Education, 4, 16-19.
http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ce.2013.412A2003
[26] Mansell, W. (2011). Control and Purpose. A Scientific and Practical Statement in Response to the UK Riots 2011.
http://www.pctweb.org/LondonRiots.pdf
[27] Mella, P. (1997). From Systems to Systems Thinking: Understanding Systems and Thinking through Systems (Original: Dai sistemi al pensierosistemico: Per capireisistemi e pensare con isistemi). Milan: Franco Angeli.
[28] Mella, P. (2009). The Holonic Revolution. Holons, Holarchies and Holonic Networks. The Ghost in the Production Machine. Pavia: University Press.
[29] Mella, P. (2012). Systems Thinking. Intelligence in Action. New York and Berlin: Springer Verlag.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2565-3
[30] Mella, P. (2014a). The Magic Ring. Systems Thinking Approach to Control Systems. New York and Berlin: Springer Verlag.
[31] Mella, P. (2014b). The Social Wheel. Beyond Stupidity: “The Incapable Person is More Dangerous than the Stupid One”. A Tribute to Carlo Cipolla. Pensee Journal, 76, 2-11
[32] Nonaka, I. (1994). A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation. Organization Science, 5, 14-37.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/orsc.5.1.14
[33] Plamondon, A. L. (1979). Whitehead’s Organic Philosophy of Science. New York: State University of New York Press.
[34] Polanyi, M. (1967). The Tacit Dimension. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
[35] Popper, K. R. (1972). Objective Knowledge. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
[36] Richmond, B. (1991) Systems Thinking. Four Key Questions. Watkinsville, GA: High Performance Systems.
[37] Richmond, B. (1994). System Dynamics/Systems Thinking: Let’s Just Get on with It. 1994 International Systems Dynamics Conference.
http://webspace.webring.com/people/ah/himadri_banerji/pdf/systhnk.pdf
[38] Salmon, W. C. (1990). Four Decades of Scientific Explanation. Minneapolis MN: University of Minnesota Press.
[39] Schiefel, U. (1991). Interest, Learning and Motivation. Educational Psychologist, 26, 299-323.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00461520.1991.9653136
[40] Senge, P. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. New York: Doubleday/Currency.
[41] Sterman, J. D. (2000). Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World. New York: McGraw-Hill.
[42] von Bertalanffy, L. (1968). General System Theory: Foundations, Development, Applications. New York: Braziller.
[43] von Krogh, G., Ichijo, K., & Nonaka, I. (2000). Enabling Knowledge Creation: How to Unlock the Mystery of Tacit Knowledge and Release the Power of Innovation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195126167.001.0001  eww141022lx
标签：

评论

发表评论

此博客中的热门博文

Does Immigration Promote the Investment of the Monopolistic Firm?

In the present paper, we examine the effect of increasing uncertainty of immigrants’ growth on the optimal timing of investment of a firm that has a monopolistic power over the labor market. It is revealed that when the uncertainty of immigrants’ growth is more than a threshold level, increasing uncertainty of immigrants’ growth accelerates the optimal timing of firms’ investment and enhances the economic growth, even if the uncertainty of immigrants’ growth is formulated by the geometric Brownian motion, which is in sharp contrast to the standard result that an increase in the uncertainty postpones the optimal timing. With an increase in the immigrants over the past ten years, workforces in the host countries have been growing significantly to the extent that the immigrants represent 70% of the increase in the workforce in Europe, and 47% in the United States as OECD indicates. In the present paper, we attempted to investigate the effect of increased uncertainty caused by the growi...
发表评论
阅读全文

Education Policy Implementation: A Mechanism for Enhancing Primary Education Development in Zanzibar

Education is one of the fundamental rights of individuals; therefore, the government of a country needs to develop and strengthen educational policy and quality as well as to ensure that everyone has equal access to basic education. The improvement of access and quality of education in the world is becoming as an essential factor in development, whereas the basic education (primary school), is acknowledged as a foundation of the higher educational development for every country. To fulfill this goal, governments introduce several policies and procedures; however, it requires some reforms and participation from the politician, policymakers, and other stakeholders to re-examine educational policy so that it can lead to multiplication and betterment of the reforms. Educational reforms actually focus on accountability. A positive educational development and reform is very challenging and needs more effort and strategy on how to use and utilize the resources effectively as such it can achie...
发表评论
阅读全文