Page 118 - NAVAL SCIENCE 3 TEXTBOOK

I NTER NATIO NAL LAW A N D T1-I E SEA 123

Major Factors that Influence Learning interactions can either improve or hinder le<lrning. Therefore, the
instructor lllllst be <)Wi.lre of and work to <l\'Oid <lny of the conditions
lvluch research has been done ill recent years about the criti-
that inhibit learning.
cal factors that intluence how learning takes place, Some of these
The conditions thilt tend to hinder learning include the fol-
have already been discllssed above. The resuits of this research are
lowing:
slIlllmarized below, in the fOl"m of nine l1l<1jor tactors that influ-
Destructive sarcasm. Sarcasm (a mocking or cutting remark)
cnce Ic'lrning:
c<ln be funny- when w<ltching a comedian dishing it out. It is
New Immillg takes place ill the COli text (~fpnst persOIwl expe- not so funny to be on the receiving end in linnt of peers. It can
ricllcc. Students need to undcrst,lIld how new information hurt <lnd embarrass students, and it effectively stifles learning.
relates to that which the), .1lready know. Illstructors do best to target sarcasm.
Leamillg is depe1ldellt IIPOlllllotil'(llioll. A student must want Intimidation. Some people have faced physic<ll intimidation,
to learn the new material. and that is pretty scary. tiut intellectual intimidation lllay be eWJl
worse, especiall)' when it comes to learning. It is the message that
Leal'llillg is reillj(JI'C/xl throllgh paso/wi experience. If a student
says the student is <l stupid person whose opinions have no value,
has hands-on experience with a subject, he or she will put it
whose knowledge h<ls no depth, and whose insights miss the mark.
into context better.
The intimidator picks out the student's errors and m;lkes sure thilt
Lmmillg is Iacilitatea by linkillg with prior k/lOlI'ledge. It is
everyone else knows about them. If the intimidator is the instruc-
mllch easier to learn Ilew material that is linked to something
tor, the student will dread the ChISS, and learning will suffer.
alreild), known. One of the main gOi.lls of teaching is to help
Boredom. Boredom comes with monotony, with too much of
students make these links.
the same. It comes with irrelevance and blandness. \Vhen bored,
l.eamillg is lIIore eJJiciclIllVhellllclI' iliforlllatioll is logically students no longer pay attention. They daydream. This 1~lilure to
related. By grouping Ilew information in logicll ways, the pay .lttention greatly hinders learning. No one likes to be bored;
brain forms it schema, or concept, and gives it meaning. the result can be a poor attitude toward le;lrning.
Leamillg is clliJnllced by providillg I illlc for rej7ectiol'. Frustration. Frustration occurs whcn students keep trying to do
Reflection, or extellded thillkillg, helps put ne\\' infonnation tasks beyond their abilities, or when tasks take too long to COIll-
in long-term memol')'. Activities sLlch as group discussion and plete. The result is increased tension and a desire to get aW<1Y from
writing ill journals assist in this process. the task. It is cured through shortening tasks, making them easier
Leamillg is ellhallced by sellsllnl alld ClllotiOll(l1 illI'oh'Clllellt. to complete, and eliminating b<lrriers to their completion.
The more senses and emotional stimuli that i.He involved in Fatigue. Tiredness, whether physical or mental, inhibits le;lrn-
learning new material, the better it will be ret;lined in long- ing. It reduces <lttention and motivation, <lnd it decrcClses ;!Ctive
term memor),. involvement. Fatigue comes as a result of tasks that <lre too long
or too difficult. Breaks, movement, .md changes of p<lce revit<llize
LC(lwillg oCCllrs best ill {/II clll'iroll/lICllt thaI wllNes more th(1II
learners.
olle killd oflcamillg. Students have mallY different kinds or
lack of IJUrpose. If the student does not see any point in what
styles of intelligence (motion, visual/spatial, verbal/linguistic,
he or she is doing, it is going to be all the harder to learn. Sense of
Illusical, etc.) that need to come into play during learning.
purpose provides direction, helps tocus attention, increases Illoti-
Leamillg requires repetitiol,. It has been found that without
vation, and thus assists learning and retention. \Vithout it, students
repetition, new learning begins to fade in about thirty sec-
drift; they resist learning.
onds. Instructors need to cover important new information
Sense of failure. A sense or I~lilure depresses learning. It reduces
se\reral times in several different ways.
motivation. It Ill<lkes things seem not worthwhile. Errors can help
students learn, but failllre cannot. The key point is that there is a
Interpersonal Interactions world of diflerence between making errors <lnd feeling oneself a
failure. The difference depends on the instructor's ability to help
Learning requires much of students. They mllst p;l), attention. They
his or her students le;UJl.
have to involve themselves actively, responding <lnd nwnipulating. At first it may seem unnecessary to spend time telling prospec-
They are supposed to participate responsibly. To do all these things, tive instructors about these conditions. The)' seem like COllllllon
students must feel secure, accepted, and capable of success. But even sense. However, new instructors are often overwhelmed by the role
the most perlect lesson plan cannot dew lop such positive <lttitudes <lnd feel safest when focllsing their attention ;md energies 011 pre-
and feelings. The creation of such <In en\'ironment is the instruc- paring and delivering a "good" lesson. It takes more than just good
tor's responsibility, and the type and manner of instructor-student mechanics to produce learning. Instructors must understand and