Natural Learning in Higher Education

Parents do not send their children to school to learn how to speak. How then do children learn to speak? The objective becomes obvious to children due to the frustration of being unable to communicate. Learning tasks allow for practice. Feedback is immediate and clear because adults love to help young learners. Applications of new knowledge are made so as to continue learning. Children take responsibility for all aspects of this " natural learning process. " Natural learning 1 obviously works. Adults often use the natural learning process when they need to learn something that is important to them (Tough 1971). For example, people have taught themselves to speak a new language, use computers, learn math, play chess, or to play a musical instrument. They set objectives and manage this process by seeking resources and help from others, engaging in active learning tasks, getting feedback from others, and practicing applications. The motivation is intrinsic. Natural learning obviously works. This chapter contrasts natural learning with teacher-responsible learning by focusing on experimental evidence. Under the approach used at the vast majority of universities, the teacher (or committees of teachers and administrators) are expected to decide what learning objectives are best for students, what learning tasks must be done and when, and what feedback students should be provided with. Unfortunately, objectives are seldom made explicit in universities, tasks are often of little interest to students, feedback focuses on content (facts) rather than skills, and application is seldom addressed. Motivation is based on extrinsic rewards and punishments in a competitive environment (Kohn 1986). The underlying message at universities is that learners are not responsible for their learning. This message from the education industry starts long before the university. Using a sample of 506 males (median age 10.5 years), half were randomly assigned to a five-year program that included tutoring in academic subjects and counseling, while the other half (the control group) received no services. In a 30-year follow-up, those from the treatment group were highly positive about the value of the program. But compared to the control group, they were more likely to have committed a crime or been alcoholic, died younger, been in occupations with lower prestige, and report that their work was not satisfying (McCord 1977). Might the teacher-centered approach foster a sense of helplessness about learning? The next few paragraphs discuss ways in which traditional education ignores or suppresses learner responsibility. …