KEY SKILLS FOR LEARNING

Key Skills for Learning

The way we learn and the skills we need to make learning effective have been researched intensively. Learning is not simply being told facts and recalling information; it is also about developing skills that allow us to apply, analyse, evaluate and to be creative. The skills listed below are from Bloom's Taxonomy (New version). 

• 

  Remembering. To learn we need lots of practise of recalling and identifying information. This  develops the skills of answering and asking closed questions (yes or no answers) and developing open questions by using who, what, when, where, why, and how?

• Understand. This skill develops the ability to comprehend, organise and select information.  With understanding we are able to ask and answer questions such as; tell me in your own words what this story is about? What does it mean when...? What is the main idea?

• Apply.  Practising remembering and understanding skills develops the ability to use the facts and principles learnt enabling us to answer what would happen if....? How would you solve the problem?

• Analyse. Developing this skill enables us to separate facts into separate parts e.g. recognising what is similar or different, being able to group information and being able to answer “What kind of person is ...?” questions.

• Evaluate. When we evaluate we develop our opinions and judgements and the ability to discuss.  Being able to evaluate leads us to ask questions such as; which is more important?  Which character would you most like to meet? Why?

• Create. To be able to create we are using all the above skills in order to combine ideas to create something new.  This could be writing a different ending to a story; designing a mode of transport; or offering solutions to a problem.

These learning skills take time to develop and all learners need lots of practise at remembering, understanding and applying in order to develop the skill to analyse, evaluate and create.   The time to reflect on learnings is essential as is learning in an environment where we can learn from our mistakes.