110 lines
6.5 KiB
Plaintext
110 lines
6.5 KiB
Plaintext
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LEARNING
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(K) 1987 by Jehana.
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Disseminate freely if copied in entirity
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The learning process can be examined as a three-tiered model (remembering
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that, as always, the map is almost always not the territory). The three tiers
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I shall examine are:
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* Absorption
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* Integration
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* Expression
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For any reasonable approximation of full and complete learning to have
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occurred, all three stages are necessary. One might argue that there are
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different types of learning, and that each of these types have their own
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requirements; or that science must be learned differently than philosophy, but
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I think there are fundamental similarities governing the learning of all types
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of things -- the emphasis and mechanisms may change, but the underlying
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principles apparently remain.
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Absorption is the act of taking the external and bringing it into the
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internal. Absorption may involve the cramming of information for final exams;
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it may involve the day-to-day experiences of life; it may involve the
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shattering emotional impact of traumas. However, this emotional impact is not
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reacted to at this stage of the learning process. Absorption is the coming
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aware of information, whether for short or long term, from the whole body of
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constant information bombarding the physical senses at all times. Not all
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that is witnessed or studied becomes absorbed -- the human mind needs a
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filtering agent.
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Integration is an internal process, where the knowledge recently gained
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is integrated with what is already in the mind. No mind ever starts out as a
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vacuum, despite the efforts of generic television to assume this. Not all
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that is absorbed is integrated -- that which falls into short-term memory is
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not; nor is material that is studied simply to know for the knowing's sake. A
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deep and thourough internal integration of material is not necessary in all
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fields of study, although to some extent this takes place in all devotees of a
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subject, whether it be mathematics, engineering, art, or philosophy. This
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integration leaves its touches upon the person, and will affect his/her
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filtering for material to absorb in the future. Be advised that some
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integration is voluntary; while other integration is involuntary. The actual
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process of integration bears no relation to what Other People Are Doing
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(although one may integrate a dependency upon others, for instance.) A
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conscious awareness of integration is fostered in the study of certain
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religious paths (such as the Craft) and in many of the philosophies, as well
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as in many of the arts. The necessity for the stage of integration is one
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reason why the learning of anything of internal value generally takes time
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-- there are no Instant Philosophies which work.
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Expression is essential for communication. It is a step shallowly
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expressed in the regurgitation of information on a quickly-studied exam, but
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when dealing with philosopy, art, or livelihood, it should be of more durable
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quality -- in other words, expression should be tempered with the fires of
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Integration. Expression may be involuntary (the fright reaction from a
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phobia), or it may be voluntary -- but the most fervent Expression is rooted
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within the internal regions of the being, and is not the shallow sort of
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expression related to acting the way other people expect you to act; for
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simply the purpose of scratching that itch of satisfaction (gaining or giving
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satisfaction). The most useful forms of Expression occur in taking that
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information which one has both Absorbed and Integrated, and then Expressing
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it. However, needless to say, some forms of Expression (ie, phobias) may be
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well-integrated and absorbed, but are counterproductive to happiness. The
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true conscious learner must therefore take a hand in what he/she decides to
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learn/unlearn (the steps involved in the process of Unlearning are the same as
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those in the process of Learning.)
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*Absorption and Expression without Integration is mindless and empty
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reading/living. One may as well be a parrot. Absorption and Integration
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without Expression is hypocritical and/or schitzophrenic.
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*Integration and Expression without Absorption permits no external
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influences to have any bearing on thought -- one may as well be autistic.
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*Expression without Absorption encourages fallacies, untruths, and easy
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answers.
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***************************************************************************
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All portions of the Absorption, Integration, and Expression cycle are
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necessary for true learning to take place. While much of the current school
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system as set up in today's society emphasizes the Absorption and the
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Expression stages, leaving the Integration process to be assumed, children
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still do grow up learning to emulate and integrate the values that impinge
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upon them. (Not all these values are necessarily beneficial -- the learning
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process does not always rely on those values externally professed, but does
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pick up on those implied on a deeper level.) Therefore, say, a geography
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lesson need not be Integrated within the student, as a study of values or
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personal transformation should most definitely be. A student has, through
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life experiences, already Integrated a system of functioning; of viewing the
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world. (Indeed, the student may have Integrated a varying set of systems --
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this often leads to internal conflicts, which really should be resolved.
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Within certain alternative Philosophies, Integration of other ways of viewing
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the world and the person is done in a more purposeful manner. The student
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learns that true learning is not in rote memorization but in the acceptance
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and the working with of all three stages of learning. Also, the student
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learns to realize that Integration is a personal stage, wherein the
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information absorbed interacts with that he/she has already Integrated during
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life -- therefore this Integration may definitely not resemble the
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Integration process of another student in the same class. Nor should
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Expression be forced (at least when dealing with the momentous events of a
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life-philosophy -- it should come from the heart -- in other words, it should
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come from the Expression of the Absorption and the Integration the student
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has undergone, rather than from what someone else has decreed to be Proper).
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