LEVELS OF LEARNING:ONE,TWO,AND

THREEJames Clawson and Mark Haskins

Dr. M.V.RAM PRASAD

Introduction

• Human learning occurs on at least tree levels.

• At level one is visible behavior, the things that people say and do that can be captured on film.

• At level two is conscious thought, the things that people are aware they're thinking but that they do not choose to reveal at level one.

• At level three are the values, assumptions, beliefs, and expectations

( VABEs) that people hold about the way the world should be.

• A major question for educators is where to begin with instructional intent.

• Do we target level one (L1), level Two (L2), or level Three (L3) .

• Most learning seems to begin at L2.

• Some would argue that the learning that begins at L1., with doing is more likely to seep down to L.3 that learning that begins at L2.

• That may be the case-especially in young children. Educational courses, experiential exercises, and day-today experience are all L1 learning opportunities

• where the premise if you do something, and it works, the “principle" in the doing will seep down to L3 and become a part of your core VABEs.

• That premise raises the issue of connections between and among these levels, if a person has a habit of behaving in one way at L1, does this mean that it is “conscious" to him or her at L2?

• A significant portion of people’s behavior L1 seems to jump directly there from L3 and may not become "conscious” at L2. That is why many people seem to espouse one principle and live another.

• Habits play an important role at all three levels. Indeed, when you ask corporate executive groups about the level of habitual behavior at L1,L2, and L3, the common answers are very powerful.

• Most groups will say 80 percent, 90 percent, and 99 percent respectively.

• If 80 percent of what people do is habitual, and 90 percent of the way they think is habitual, and 99 percent of the things they believe and value are habitual, any kind of instructional effort must overcome huge obstacles.

• Habitual behavior is routine and not easily changed. Those who teach undergraduates may hypothesize lower levels of habitual behavior; however, as time goes by, in our experience, the common perception is that most human behavior is habitual-and the deeper you go, the more habitual it becomes.

Conclusion

• People learn at different levels. People in essence “know” a lot of things that inhibit their learning of other things. Teachers may or may not be aware that when they interact with students in any way, they are teaching them something. Whether it’s what they want to teach or not, and whether it’s targeting a long-lasting level or not.

• Our hope is that, as an instructor, your awareness of the levels of learning-visible behavior, conscious thought, and underlying values, assumptions, beliefs, and expectations-will help you plan for and execute your instructional efforts with greater effect.

Thank You