Taking ownership of one's own learning journey and embracing the joy of continuous self-improvement is crucial for personal growth.
Creating an emotionally safe learning environment and addressing barriers like fear and resistance to change is essential for effective learning in the workplace.
Deep dives
The Importance of Lifelong Learning
The podcast episode emphasizes the importance of being a lifelong learner and taking ownership of one's own improvement. The speaker shares their personal journey of falling in love with books and learning, and encourages listeners to embrace the joy of learning. They discuss the concept of learning how to learn and the value of continuous self-improvement.
Barriers to Learning
The episode explores the reasons why people may resist learning or avoid reading. The guest speaker, James McKenna, highlights that fear and the fear of being confronted with new information that challenges our beliefs can hinder the learning process. He also mentions that people often resist learning because it means admitting that they don't know something and may need to change their minds. The importance of addressing these barriers and creating an emotionally safe learning environment is emphasized.
The Progression of Learning
McKenna discusses the progression of learning from being a novice to becoming a self-directed learner and eventually an expert. Novice learners are passive and wait to be told what to learn, while self-directed learners take ownership of their learning and seek out knowledge on their own. Expert learners not only take ownership of their learning, but also have the necessary skills and understanding to engage in learning behaviors that improve their performance. It is highlighted that the learning context and support are crucial in enabling learners to progress along this continuum.
Universal Design for Learning
The episode introduces the concept of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a research-based framework to support expert learning in any context. UDL aims to foster inclusivity by offering flexible options and support for learners based on their unique needs, interests, and abilities. McKenna explains that UDL considers the emotional, intellectual, and strategic aspects of learning, emphasizing the importance of empathy, setting high expectations, and fostering ownership for meaningful and impactful learning experiences.
If there’s one thing in life I’ve grown to love, it’s learning. That hasn’t always been the case. But ever since I fell back in love with books in 2003, I’ve been on a learning journey that has no end in sight (and that’s A-OK with me). I see myself today as a lifelong learner. […]
