Visualise your learning
It can be useful to think of learning as an ongoing process in which you advance your understanding step by step. See your learning as a spiral - as you follow the spiral you realise that the ideas you once had difficulty grasping are now clear, and you want to move on to take in new ideas and think them through.
The Learning spiral
This diagram shows a spiral with eight rounded rectangular nodes.
The first node in the centre of the spiral is labelled 'As your understanding increases, you become aware of things that you can't make sense of with your existing knowledge'. This node is linked by an arrow labelled 'so' to the second node spiraling outwards labelled 'you embark on some studying'.
This node is then linked by an arrow labelled 'which involves' to the third node labelled 'taking in new ideas as you read, listen, watch and so on'.
The arrow from this node to the next is labelled 'and as you work'. The fourth node is labelled 'thinking through new ideas, and fitting them in with the ideas you already have'.
This node is then linked by an arrow labelled 'and eventually' to the fifth node labelled 'using them in your assignments'.
This node is then linked by an arrow labelled 'by which time' to the sixth node labelled 'the new ideas are becoming absorbed into the way you see the world'.
This node is then linked by an arrow labelled 'but then' to the seventh node labelled 'as your understanding increases, you become aware of things that you can't make sense of with your existing knowledge'.
This node is then linked by an arrow labelled ' so' to the eight and final node labelled 'you embark on some more studying'. Coming out from the eighth node is a dotted arrow which is not linked to any node, but is pointing to the second node.
Source: Northedge, A. and Lane, A. (1997) ‘What is learning?’ In Northedge, A., Thomas, J., Lane, A. and Peasgood, A., The Sciences Good Study Guide, Milton Keynes, Open University, pp. 20-2.
