How Do We Learn?
Have you ever considered how we learn?
Psychologists believe that we wasted 90% of our time, resources, and study time due to our inability to comprehend a basic idea called the Learning Pyramid. In the 1960s, the NTL Institute in Bethel developed the Learning Pyramid.
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The Learning Pyramid indicates that learners retain approximately:
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5% of what they learn when they've learned from lecture
10% of what they learn when they've learned from reading
20% of what they learn from audio-visual
30% of what they learn when they see a demonstration
50% of what they learn when engaged in a group discussion
75% of what they learn when they practice what they learned
90% of what they learn when they teach someone else/use immediately
So why do we retain 90% when we teach someone else?
So, why do we keep 90% of what we teach someone else? According to psychologists, this is because when we teach, we continuously make errors, and as soon as you encounter difficulties and make an error, you learn how to rectify it. This compels the brain to focus. Many of you may wonder, "If we are focusing during a lecture or while reading, why don't we recall the knowledge, or why do we keep just fragments of the material?"
The Psychologist responds to this issue by stating that what our brain hears or sees is only an abstract idea, as our brain is not making any errors. While listening to a lecture or reading, our brains frequently become stuck at the first obstacle/concept, and most importantly, the brain needs to make errors in order to retain the knowledge more effectively. We may easily prevent losing 90% of what we learn by creating a mental map, discussing the topic, writing an essay about it, or recording audio about it. A simple notion is never simply taught; it must be debated, argued, written about, and felt.
Blended Learning
DEFINITION, CURRENT TRENDS, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS
The term "blended learning" is becoming more prevalent in academic and corporate circles. Blended learning was named one of the top ten emerging trends in the knowledge delivery sector by the American Society for Training and Development in 2003. (cited by Rooney, 2003). According to The Chronicle of Higher Education in 2002, the convergence of online and residential instruction was "the single largest overlooked trend in higher education today" (Young, 2002, p. A33). Additionally, the editor of The Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks was mentioned in that article, who anticipated substantial growth in the number of hybrid (i.e., blended) courses in higher education, perhaps to the point where 80-90 percent of all courses will be hybrid (Young, 2002).
What is being blended?
Blended learning systems combine face-to-face instruction with computer-mediated instruction.
BL = combining instructional modalities (Bersin & Associates, 2003; Orey, 2002a, 2002b; Singh & Reed, 2001; Thomson, 2002)
BL = combining instructional methods (Driscoll, 2002; House, 2002; Rossett, 2002)
BL = combining online and face-to-face instruction (Reay, 2001; Rooney, 2003; Sands, 2002; Ward & LaBranche, 2003; Young, 2002)
The first two positions above reflect the debate on the influences of media versus method on learning (Clark, 1983, 1994a, 1994b; Kozma, 1991, 1994). Both of these positions suffer from the problem that they define BL so broadly that there encompass virtually all learning systems. One would be hard-pressed to find any learning system that did not involve multiple instructional methods and multiple delivery media. So defining BL in either of these two ways waters down the definition and really does not get at the essence of what blended learning is and why the concept of blended learning is exciting to so many people. The third position more accurately reflects the historical emergence of blended learning systems and is the foundation of the author’s working definition
What issues or challenges are faced when blending?
This section briefly outlines six major issues that are relevant to designing blended learning systems. The issues are:
the role of live interaction,
the role of learner choice and self-regulation,
models for support and training,
finding a balance between innovation and production,
cultural adaptation,
dealing with the digital divide.
How to Study for Economics
Economic analysis and description are primarily concerned with the production, distribution, and consumption of scarce commodities and services. Economics is a social science since it aims to explain how individuals, communities, and organizations behave. Unlike many other social sciences, economics, on the other hand, is highly reliant on mathematics and statistics. Indeed, most students are expected to finish multiple upper-level math and statistics courses prior to pursuing a degree in economics at the college level.
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Economics also tends to be one of the more challenging subjects for students – especially for those in their first and second year college who didn't study economics in high school. If you have the opportunity to study economics in high school, do so. It will prepare you for more challenging economics courses in college.
Concerning the study of economics, four levels of academic performance students need to demonstrate to achieve success. These include:
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
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Six Survival Strategies for Economics
Even though economics is a social science, it may be just as challenging and time-consuming as any other rigorous academic topic, such as algebra or biochemistry. To succeed in economics, it is necessary to invest time, effort, and strong study habits. The following are study tactics, techniques, and practices for economics students who want to succeed.
Prepare assignments in advance of the class.
It is critical to attend each class with completed assignments. Preparing assignments in advance of class enables you to ask pertinent questions and comprehend the lesson. Most likely, your professor will not cover all of the prescribed content in your text. He will discuss more advanced economic theories and applications in class and expects you to seek clarification on any points in the text or on your assignment that you do not understand.
Read to improve comprehension.
While reading your economics literature, read for comprehension. Begin by reading any overview or summary supplied for the allocated chapter for 10-15 minutes. Attempt to recall and identify the chapter's major topics. Following that, read the introduction. The introduction often contains a concise overview of the chapter's contents and a list of chapter objectives. Continue reading each section one at a time. Ascertain that you comprehend the link between the chapter's topics.
Attendance is required for all lectures.
Economics is a highly rigorous course, and you cannot afford to skip class. The majority of the knowledge, understanding, and assistance you'll want to succeed in your economics course will come straight from your professor via his lectures. Do not believe you can skip class, steal our classmates' notes, and breeze through economics. This is not going to happen.
Master knowledge as you go.
Economics, like math, is a subject that must be learned gradually. Acquiring economic knowledge involves cumulative learning. Mastering what you learned in class last week is essential to comprehend the information presented today by the lecturer and text. If you get behind in your studies, it becomes more challenging to comprehend the new ideas and concepts given and addressed. Before you can master further information, you must master each new notion in terms of knowledge, comprehension, and application. As a result, "cramming" does not function well in learning economics and preparing for examinations.
Utilize the classroom's "four" actions.
Utilizing class time to enhance your capacity to grasp and apply economic ideas involves a careful balance of four classroom behaviors: (1) listening, (2) questioning, (3) responding to inquiries, and (4) taking notes. It would help if you arrived prepared for class in order to listen and ask questions. If you come unprepared for a class, you will lack the necessary fundamental knowledge and comprehension to follow along and grasp. Without a certain degree of comprehension, you will be unable to ask or answer questions that will help you get a deeper understanding. Finally, make notes to complement and clarify your understanding of the topics covered.
Don't take good notes, take the right type of notes.
There isn't enough time to write down everything your professor says during a lecture while concentrating on what is being taught. Your time in class should be dedicated to comprehending and applying the economic concepts and principles being presented. The only way to make this happen is to arrive at each lecture (1) having completed all readings and assignments and (2) with a basic understanding of the topics being discussed. The notes you take in class should not include everything your professor says. They should not include definitions and concepts that you already understand or that are covered in detail in your text. Your notes should supplement what you have already learned from your study and clarify anything you don't quite understand. Be very selective in what you include in your notes.