Learning Is about Making Connections. The Cross Papers Number 3.

This paper discusses what is known about learning to date by emphasizing "connections" as necessary for learning. Knowledge about these connections can be placed into four categories: (1) neurological connections; (2) cognitive connections; (3) social connections; and (4) experiential connections. In terms of neurological connections, sensory input is crucial for newborns, but as long as the brain continues to be stimulated, our brains continue to make connections. Regarding cognitive connections, it has become apparent that people's minds think and understand things in terms of schemata. Therefore, it is easier to learn more complex concepts that fit into existing schemata than it is to learn something completely new. Deeper learning gets placed into schemata with time. Cognitive strategies can be broken down into cognitive learning and metacognitive strategies. These strategies are broken down and detailed in the document. Social connections refer to the interaction between the internal processes of the mind and how the mind grasps the external realities of knowledge. Making social connections between the various players at institutions of higher education may be an innovative strategy used in the near future. The last category is that of experiential connections, or making connections between experience and learning. Contains 28 references. (AMA)