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You are here: Home / Cognition / 10 Definitions of Learning

10 Definitions of Learning

by Connie Malamed

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We all know that the human brain is immensely complex and still somewhat of a mystery. It follows then, that learning—a primary function of the brain—is understood in many different ways. Here are ten ways that learning can be described.

The Definitions

  1. “A change in human disposition or capability that persists over a period of time and is not simply ascribable to processes of growth.”
    — From The Conditions of Learning by Robert Gagne
  2. “Learning is the relatively permanent change in a person’s knowledge or behavior due to experience. This definition has three components: 1) the duration of the change is long-term rather than short-term; 2) the locus of the change is the content and structure of knowledge in memory or the behavior of the learner; 3) the cause of the change is the learner’s experience in the environment rather than fatigue, motivation, drugs, physical condition or physiologic intervention.”
    –From Learning in Encyclopedia of Educational Research, Richard E. Mayer 
  3. “We define learning as the transformative process of taking in information that—when internalized and mixed with what we have experienced—changes what we know and builds on what we do. It’s based on input, process, and reflection. It is what changes us.”
    –From The New Social Learning by Tony Bingham and Marcia Conner
  4. “It has been suggested that the term learning defies precise definition because it is put to multiple uses. Learning is used to refer to (1) the acquisition and mastery of what is already known about something, (2) the extension and clarification of meaning of one’s experience, or (3) an organized, intentional process of testing ideas relevant to problems. In other words, it is used to describe a product, a process, or a function.”
    –From Learning How to Learn: Applied Theory for Adults by R.M. Smith
  5. “Acquiring knowledge and skills and having them readily available from memory so you can make sense of future problems and opportunities.” (Listen to an interview with one of the authors.)
    From Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDaniel
  6. “A process that leads to change, which occurs as a result of experience and increases the potential of improved performance and future learning.”
    From How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching by Susan Ambrose, et al.
  7. “The process of gaining knowledge and expertise.”
    From The Adult Learner by Malcolm Knowles
  8. “Learning involves strengthening correct responses and weakening incorrect responses. Learning involves adding new information to your memory. Learning involves making sense of the presented material by attending to relevant information, mentally reorganizing it, and connecting it with what you already know.”
    From eLearning and the Science of Instruction by Ruth C. Clark and Richard E. Mayer
  9. “A persisting change in human performance or performance potential…[which] must come about as a result of the learner’s experience and interaction with the world.”
    From Psychology of Learning for Instruction by M. Driscoll
  10. “Learning is a process that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements – not entirely under the control of the individual. Learning (defined as actionable knowledge) can reside outside of ourselves (within an organization or a database), is focused on connecting specialized information sets, and the connections that enable us to learn more are more important than our current state of knowing.”
    From Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age by George Seimens

How do you think of learning? Add your definition in the Comments below.


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Comments

  1. Ant Pugh says

    June 20, 2016 at 8:03 am

    Great article Connie. I really like 2. “Learning is the relatively permanent change in a person’s knowledge or behavior due to experience.”

    ‘Relatively permanent’ is a great way to describe it! It must be more than temporary change (a good example of this that we see every day is kids revising for exams and then they forget that information a few weeks later – that to me is not good learning).

    But totally permanent is also unlikely i.e. if I don’t practice something for a long time, I will forget how to do it.

    So relatively permanent is a great description 🙂

  2. Connie Malamed says

    June 21, 2016 at 3:31 pm

    Thanks, Ant. I thought it was fun to gather them and reflect on the different meanings.
    Connie

  3. Zakir iqbal says

    December 7, 2016 at 7:07 am

    learning is a fundamental process of life engaging,much of our waking hours,affecting all forms of behaviour skills, knowledge,attitudes,personality,motivation,fear,mannerism etc

  4. Dennis says

    December 8, 2016 at 1:02 am

    These are all great definitions of learning. I believe learning is trans formative and that we must connect new information with our experiences. I also think that it is more social than on an individual spectrum. This social component involves cultural attitudes, language, communicating with others, and having a global perspective. Number 3’s definition is about how I feel toward learning. I appreciate the reflection piece.

  5. Connie Malamed says

    December 8, 2016 at 5:54 am

    Thanks for your insights, Dennis.

  6. Mohmad Rafeeq Dar says

    December 11, 2016 at 4:04 am

    Learning is modification of behavioural aspects as negatively and positively. …that is bad or good

  7. George says

    December 15, 2016 at 5:35 pm

    These are great. I believe in experiential learning and a few of these seem to fit the bill. New information is framed by our previous experiences and formed through that lens.

  8. Tina Rice says

    February 27, 2017 at 2:06 pm

    different but related: I used to tell my kids “Smart isn’t how much you know, smart is how much you can figure out.”

  9. Connie Malamed says

    March 2, 2017 at 7:00 pm

    I like it! Thanks, Tina.

  10. DEINDE Oluwatoyin Mosebolatan. says

    March 20, 2017 at 5:17 pm

    Great research work Connie.
    From reading your writeup ,I summarise that Learning is the process of gaining new ideas,insights,knowledge and skills via different experiences,observations, encounters,information etc.All these processes having been internalised result in positive changes in behaviour,actions and knowledge which can be recalled from memory in tackling future challenges and opportunities.
    Thank you.

  11. Maria Macaluso says

    September 11, 2017 at 5:23 pm

    Learning is the exchange of knowledge, not just teacher to student but also student to teacher.

  12. Connie Malamed says

    September 17, 2017 at 5:06 pm

    Great addition! Thanks, Maria.

  13. Willy Fredy Ancori Cervantes says

    December 27, 2017 at 12:07 pm

    Estimada Connie… me gusta e interesa tu publicación
    Bueno… El aprendizaje modifica las estructuras mentales, actitudinales, emocionales, conductuales de la persona, las modifica inicialmente desde la experiencia con su entorno socio cultural y posteriormente desde su experiencia con otros entornos socio culturales e incluso virtuales.

  14. Connie Malamed says

    December 30, 2017 at 10:18 pm

    Hola Willy,
    Unfortunately, I do not speak Spanish but I used Google Translate and I hope I understood what you said. Tu comentario es interesante. Gracias.
    Connie

  15. Sadique ambalath says

    February 12, 2018 at 6:06 pm

    Learning is the process by which we add on knowledge, experience or modify or delete the already existing ones.

  16. Connie Malamed says

    February 14, 2018 at 7:12 am

    Thanks for your definition, Sadique.
    Connie

  17. Miriam says

    February 26, 2018 at 6:22 am

    Learning is information backed with experience with the intention of causing a relatively permanent change. Thank you very much Connie

  18. paula says

    March 3, 2018 at 10:20 am

    learning is when the capacity or skills occurs through experience, having them readily available so you can make sense of future problems

  19. Glynn says

    March 24, 2018 at 9:53 am

    Learning is the process of acquiring new information, knowledge or skills that can then be used to achieve a desired result, outcome or product

  20. Nese says

    April 8, 2018 at 2:14 am

    What exactly does “relatively permanent change means”?

  21. Nese says

    April 8, 2018 at 2:17 am

    Learning is when we get to understand things from taking different experiences in life

  22. Connie Malamed says

    April 10, 2018 at 8:26 pm

    Things can be unlearned and modified. So learning is relatively permanent.

  23. Mike Bell says

    May 3, 2018 at 4:27 am

    Learning is the creation of long-term memories. These can be formed when a particular pathway between neurons is triggered into a new state. The connections between neurons is at synapses. With repeated use, the synapse is triggered into a new state – long-term potentiation. This particular pathway is then forever heavily preferred compared to all others. We have learned something.

  24. Michael Boateng says

    May 14, 2018 at 4:41 am

    Why is there not a precise definition for learning?

  25. Connie Malamed says

    May 14, 2018 at 8:27 pm

    I think because anything that applies to humans, psychology and theories is fuzzy and continuously debated. But yeah, it does seem like there should be! And many of these are similar.

  26. Joseph Erwin says

    May 18, 2018 at 10:05 am

    Learning is the incorporation of information by organisms, and behavioral change following exposure to information, is an indicator that learning has occurred.

  27. Semiu ganiyu says

    May 20, 2018 at 7:32 am

    Learning is a relative permanent change in behaviour or knowledge due to activities, practices and experience.

  28. Amarachukwu Okechukwu says

    May 22, 2018 at 6:22 am

    learning is a process whereby one acquires new knowledge or improves and develops on an existing knowledge through teaching, study and experience which one can apply from memory to face furture challenges resulting to positive change in behaviours.

  29. ozioma chibueze says

    May 23, 2018 at 10:30 am

    Learning is the obtaining of new knowledge or expanding on already known facts, through organised or un-organised methods, that results in a change, and transmits into solving daily problems.

  30. pai steve says

    July 4, 2018 at 1:29 pm

    learning comes as a result of experience

  31. HASSAN FARMANI says

    July 10, 2018 at 9:43 am

    From my perspective, the learning can be defiened as “learning what reaction you should do in certain situation.” I believe it can cover all other definitions. So when you want to learn put yourself in certain situation and react.

  32. lilybest says

    July 25, 2018 at 5:19 am

    what are the Strenghts and weaknesses of this definitions?

  33. Connie Malamed says

    July 25, 2018 at 10:00 am

    You will have to reflect and answer this question yourself, Lilly.

  34. Biswajit Nayak says

    September 6, 2018 at 1:04 pm

    Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge whether it is bad or good.

  35. Muzhir Shaban Al-Ani says

    December 17, 2018 at 3:58 am

    Dear Connie
    I appreciate your definitions and answers.
    Education and learning are interdependent and complementary.

  36. Shubh says

    December 18, 2018 at 12:00 am

    Pls give definitions of learning Environment by different writers

  37. Connie Malamed says

    December 18, 2018 at 3:43 am

    The learning environment is the physical and social setting in which learning takes place.

  38. Seth kinty jr says

    January 14, 2019 at 10:22 pm

    Learning is the field of study that involves the gaining of knowledge

  39. Ochokwunu Ada Adam says

    February 11, 2019 at 7:30 am

    Learning is a life-long process until death do you part.

  40. kaite felix says

    February 26, 2019 at 5:47 am

    WOW! what a good search CONNIE. I like the way you have done it widely, keep it up you really helped me out of this because I found it difficult for me to clarify on the definitions of learning. indeed, they are so many but am still wondering as to why it has failed to have one definition in general.

  41. Connie Malamed says

    February 26, 2019 at 8:19 pm

    Kaite, it seems like there should be one, right? But there are so many different theories and perspectives, that won’t ever happen 🙂
    Connie

  42. Hadiza says

    March 11, 2019 at 3:33 am

    Got a lot here.Thanks connie

  43. Wasini says

    April 2, 2019 at 4:30 pm

    Learning is a process that occur under favourable and unfavourable conditions thereby changing the behaviour, attitudes and mind set of an individual.

  44. Umar Abubakar says

    May 21, 2019 at 5:45 am

    Learning is a permanent change in behavior as a result of experience.

  45. Romharshp Panthi says

    July 11, 2019 at 9:50 pm

    Learning is a process of getting skills through interactions.

  46. Ghina raudhatul jannah says

    August 18, 2019 at 9:57 am

    “Learning as the transformative process of taking in information”.
    “A process that leads to change, which occur as result of experience”.
    “The process of gaining knowledge and expertise”.

  47. NURA says

    August 22, 2019 at 3:53 pm

    Learning is a process of gaining knwoledge or skill by studying experience.

  48. SEMPUNDU Lambert says

    September 1, 2019 at 11:58 am

    thank you very much Connie. you have done greatly. according to me, Learning is the acquiring knowledge, skills or attitude. retain them in the memory and then after apply them in novel situation. learning takes place between expert and novice. not between teacher and students only.

  49. Owomuhangi javiira says

    September 2, 2019 at 3:10 am

    To my reasoning, learning can be defined as the set of all experiences people face and perfect to benefit and solve problems encountered through out their life in their environment

  50. JJ says

    October 13, 2019 at 1:33 pm

    Thanks so much for this. I am a pre-school teacher and have used these definitions to provide professional development for other teachers.

  51. Connie Malamed says

    October 14, 2019 at 5:50 am

    Thanks, JJ. I’m glad these helped.

  52. haram fatima says

    October 24, 2019 at 1:55 pm

    Learning is a process by which new activities are acquired and it is a conscious process that is constantly going on in the organism.

  53. PETGANG NANA SYLVAIN ERIC says

    November 16, 2019 at 7:08 am

    I define learning as a transforming process of whatever information received and internalized or experience into attitude, value, preferences, actions, skills and knowledge that guide behaviour.
    Learning is also defined as the reconstitution of life experiences, prior ideas and knowledge that gives way to a change in behaviour, mastery of skills and exposure of performance.

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