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A similar example occurs while learning to drive a car. Our conscious mind must be aware of three pedals, gas, brake and clutch. Also important are the rear view mirror and the steering wheel as well as what is in front of us. We learn to synchronize these complex movements and actions with great effort and attention. But in time, our mind frees the conscious mind from this effort, and we drive without thinking about it. Have you never experienced being it distracted and talking while driving and when you arrive at your destination you cannot remember the route you followed?

This illustrates the process of learning as: curiosity or interest, understanding, memorizing and internalizing. Through these steps learning moves from the conscious to the unconscious mind, freeing up conscious memory and energy; in other words you internalize the learning. Internalization of knowledge is an essential part of knowledge itself. What is internalized has great impact on future behavior and beliefs.

But, real learning only occurs when, motivated by curiosity, the person constructs knowledge by seeking those materials, techniques, concepts, methods and elements, which can produce her own internal theories that then undergo testing and are subsequently internalized. This is the never ending search for knowledge driven by the innate curiosity of human beings.

Characteristics of Adults as Learners

When the class ends, students should be able to do more than just pass the final test. They should have gained knowledge in the subject, and they should see how that subject fits into the bigger picture that includes personal professional goals and relationships. Creative instruction is needed to help students see these links.

Traditional colleges and universities are considering badges and other alternative credentials as well. In December the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced that it will create MITx, a self-service learning system in which students can take online tests and earn certificates after watching free course materials posted by the university.

a teaching job. "It's

So far that Hero badge isn't listed on the student's résumé, but she might add it if she ever applies for

Perhaps a school wants to be able to recognize the master teacher who is caring and constructive mentor to new teachers in her school.    Isn’t that a fantastic contribution that so many teachers make, day in and day out, that, currently, goes unrecognized?  (An aside:  I loved the “Go, Teachers!” thread that ran throughout yesterday’s program.)    Perhaps there’s a national network of auto mechanics that would like to be able to come up with a way of credentialing high school drop outs who happen to be great at fixing hybrid cars but who cannot afford to go to for-profit trade school that offer formal credentials.   I’m making this up, but I can see applications that could help participants and communities to recognize those with achievements “outside the system” and yet crucial, to the community and to their own success in the workplace.   What do we have now to offer? Multiple choice tests, ABCD grades, transcripts, resumes:  that is an extremely narrow r

Our current, standardized systems of credentialing  are very rigid and often restrictive.   Badges allow groups of people—organizations and institutions--to decide what counts for them and how they want to give credit.   Every contribution isn’t measured by ABCD.   If you contribute, you can have a record of that contribution.   That’s the beauty of digital badge systems or eportfolios such as Top Coders where you can actually click on the badge and see all the specific contributions or skills of a person that were recognized by peers in the form of a badge. 

Barnes & Noble's Nook, and the Intel Reader. But the jury is still out on just how effective those digital tools are in helping struggling readers.

Foss, who himself has dyslexia, created the Intel Reader, a mobile e-reader that can take pictures of text and then convert the text into an audio file within seconds. Students can also change the size of the text on the screen and the speed of the voice that reads the text aloud.

In January, a series of agreements were announced in which universities pledged not to use Amazon's Kindle or any similar devices "unless the devices are fully accessible to students who are blind and have low vision."

The iPad, by contrast, has technology that can talk a blind person through whatever screen icons their fingers are touching, Mr. Danielsen said. Since the device's debut, several colleges have announced formal campus iPad initiatives.

require students and instructors to be online at the same time.

specific hour. All students must be online at that specific hour in order to participate.

Asynchronous classes are just the opposite. Instructors provide materials, lectures, tests, and assignments that can be accessed at any time

Learning-style theory begins with Carl Jung (1927), who noted major differences in the way people perceived (sensation versus intuition), the way they made decisions (logical thinking versus imaginative feelings), and how active or reflective they were while interacting (extroversion versus introversion)

Most learning-style theorists have settled on four basic styles. Our own model, for instance, describes the following four styles: The Mastery style learner absorbs information concretely; processes information sequentially, in a step-by-step manner; and judges the value of learning in terms of its clarity and practicality. The Understanding style learner focuses more on ideas and abstractions; learns through a process of questioning, reasoning, and testing; and evaluates learning by standards of logic and the use of evidence. The Self-Expressive style learner looks for images implied in learning; uses feelings and emotions to construct new ideas and products; and judges the learning process according to its originality, aesthetics, and capacity to surprise or delight. The Interpersonal style learner,1  like the Mastery learner, focuses on concrete, palpable information; prefers to learn socially; and judges learning in terms of its potential use in helping others.

Student Choice: Assessment Products by Intelligence and Style

study tested that claim by comparing equality of student participation in two modes: face-to-face discussion and electronic discussion

findings showed a tendency toward more equal participation in computer mode

. While many of those scientists seek to discover general principles of learning, we all acknowledge that there are differences among students. Understanding these differences and applying that understanding in the classroom can improve everyone's education

First, whether we call it talent, ability, or intelligence, people vary in their capacity to learn different areas of content

Second, and often intertwined with ability, students differ in their interests. If a student loves the piano, or basketball, or chess, or the biology of frogs, that student will no doubt learn material related to that subject faster than another one who does not share that fascination.

There is considerable evidence showing that assessment drives student learning. More than anything else, our assessment tools tell students what we consider to be important. They will learn what we guide them to learn through our assessments.