What is the Important Phase of Learning?

PHASES OF LEARNING   

True and complete learning is said to comprise three different phases. These are Phase of acquisition, Phase of Retention and lastly the Phase of Recall.

    PHASES OF LEARNING   

Acquisition Phase:

This phase of learning means to make an impression on the mind. Attention and perception, these are the two main factors involved on this stage of learning. Perception does not merely means seeing an object but seeing it with meaning. How much an individual does learn depends upon his perception and the amount of attention he has paid to the learning situation. When the individual is motivated to the learning situation through the inner drive, desire, need and urge his attention is automatically voluntary. For example, one’s interest in gramophone, radio, television etc. may motivate him to learn science. When external motivation and incentive (prize or reward) are use for the learner to learn, then the attention that he gives to the learning situation may be called an involuntary one. Both kinds of motivation are useful for the purpose of acquisition in a learning situation.

So far as perception is concerned, it is said by the psychologist that one should possess the capacity to receive and learn the things that the teacher wants to teach him. This is known as one’s mental set or readiness to learn. This psychological readiness on the part of the individual is pre-requisite to the acquiring of any kind of learning. It is often said, “You may take a horse to the drinking pool but it depends on the horse whether it wants to drink water or not.”

Fixation Phase (Phases of Retention):

It is a fact that one tends to forget things he has learnt if he does not use them. In this connection, Psychologists have recommended over-learning as opposed to under-learning. Many things are remembered almost for the entire life time of an individual if these have been over-learned.

This means that the materials have to be drilled and repeated off and on. In view of the above, it is clear that one should not be satisfied with the minimum amount of study but drill oneself beyond the level of just recall for remembering things. Another important factor which affects retention is the meaningful organisation of the material. The more meaningful the material, the more it is retained.

Application Phase:

The 3rd phase of learning is called recall. Learning is said to be complete only when the learner can recall the material to memory when it is needed. In this connection, Aristotle propagates his principle of contiguity as follows:-

If a thing is to be recalled, it must be associated contiguously with something else. If it is to be recalled it must be recalled contiguously with the former associated idea, which means that our experiences are not stored up in the mind in a crude unrelated way. They are tide up together in accordance with certain mental principles.

The principle of recall to memory may be explained through the laws of association, the law of similarity and the law of contrast. Similar ideas get associated together, so also any odes tends to suggest to its opposite.