“There is no end to learning”
New ways to acquire knowledge
This quotation from the famous German composer
and pianist, Robert Schumann
(1810–1856), is more relevant today than ever. On-the-job seminars, private further
education, information on the Internet, exchanging information on networks – the
opportunities for acquiring knowledge seem infinite. But what do people actually
need from it and how do people learn best what is most relevant?
Pre-requisite
for successful
learning: The quality of the
information must be right.
W
hether you are seeking
general or expert
knowledge, the
opportunities for obtaining
it are endless and open up hitherto
unknown sources for people in 21st
century. Global knowledge platforms,
social networks and companies’ internal
knowledge management systems try to
combine the flow of data and make it
available in a systematic way. Now it is
primarily a matter of finding new ways
of filtering and processing relevant
information. Learning itself is not the
main focus here but rather the meaningful
preparation and processing thereof.
Thinking and learning must be freed from
old attitudes so that they can be focused
more on creative processes and problem
solving.
Stimulating interest
A pre-requisite for any type of learning
is predominantly interest as well as the
quality of the information. If you look
back at your own school days you will
certainly remember the mindless learning
by rote of mathematical formulae, the
periodic tables of the elements or the
mantra-like declination of verbs. Often,
in spite of all our efforts, we still didn’t
learn it. If you want to be really good and
successful in an area you must be
interested in it and create suitable
conditions. Successful learning is the
result of being interested. That makes
you more motivated, and, in turn, that
motivation makes you more interested.
That is what stimulates increased
curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.
As the Latin roots of the word reveal,
interest is made up of inter, which means
“between” and esse “to be” – when
someone is in the middle of things and
actively takes part in a topic or a process.
The 24-hour rule
There are lots of tricks and methods that
can be used to help retain something you
have just learnt. These include memory
techniques, such as associating content
with graphical characters or devising
mnemonics. These are based on two
principles: the association and conversion
of words into pictures and models. Using
these, even complex content can easily
be saved and recalled later. For example,