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What is Learning

Definitions of Learning

There are numerous definitions of learning depending on the point of view. Some of them claim that learning is:

the acquisition of knowledge by study.
“all relatively permanent changes in potential for behavior that result from experience but are not due to fatigue, maturation, drugs, injury, or disease.”¹⁾
“a relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience. This refers to a change in behavior, an external change that we can observe.” ²⁾
“a relatively permanent change in mental associations due to experience. This definition focuses on a change in mental associations, an internal change that we cannot observe.” ³⁾
the sudden or slow acquisition of insight into the rules governing certain relationships in the environment.

¹⁾

Lefrancois, G. R. Theories of Human Learning: What the Old Man Said. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thompson Learning. 2000.

²⁾ , ³⁾

Ormrod, J.E. Human learning (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 1999.