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Why Focus on Learning?

  • Learning is central to our human essence, our wellspring (Pr. 4.23), the source from which our life develops.
  • Learning challenges us, surrounds us, encompasses us, engages us, and defines us.
  • Learning is the purpose of the academy.

“Teachers tend to focus on teaching activities and tend to ignore learning activities.  They center attention on how to teach a given topic, rather than on what is required for a learner to learn the topic. This stems, in part, from teachers’ limited knowledge of the learning process.”

(Novak, J (1998). Learning, Creating, and Using Knowledge: Concept Maps as Facilitative Tools in Schools. NJ: Erlbaum, 120).

Bean and Eaton state that the factors affecting retention are ultimately individual, and include attitude, coping, self-efficacy, and locus of control. (Bean, J., & Eaton, S. B. (2001-2002). The psychology underlying successful retention practices. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory, and Practice, 3(1),73).