This process is at the heart of learnacy and learning to learn.
Recently, Dr. Peter Honey and I have set about trying to work out
what the key skills of learning to learn are.
As far as we know, no one has systematically tried to explore
and define this area, despite growing interest in it. To do so, we
asked a number of people interested in learning what they thought
were the key elements of this big and difficult concept. Then, we
conducted a survey among a much larger group and asked them to
rank the elements in order of importance. The results were fasci-
nating. Respondents told us that the 30 listed below were either
critical or very important to them:Rank Description %
1 Identifying how much of your learning is solitary and how
much collaborative 85.9
2 Choosing to learn online 85.3
3 Using media or books about learning 85.3
4 Planning to use a particular medium and then trying it out 84.1
5 Consciously modeling or imitating others 82.4
6 Distinguishing between formal and informal learning
experiences 81.8
7 Keeping a written record of your learning 81.8
8 Practicing or strengthening underutilized styles 81.8
9Identifying how much of your learning is passive versus active 81.2
10 Finding out how other people learn 81.2
11 Breaking learning into a series of “hows” 80.6
12 Continually seeking to add new learning techniques to your
repertoire from all possible sources 80.0
13 Identifying how much of your learning is absorbing facts or
information versus experiences or trial and error 80.0
14 Persisting with new learning methods or techniques until they
become easier 80.0
15 Habitually exploring how you learn 78.8
16 Pondering the different feelings, pleasant and unpleasant,
triggered by different learning experiences 78.2
17 Focusing on developing your preferred learning style(s) 77.6
18 Experimenting, on a trial and error basis, with different ways
of learning 77.6
1 9Deliberately choosing challenging learning options 77.6
20 Using mind maps or spider diagrams 75.9
21 Consciously using a learning model, for example, the learning
cycle or the idea of multiple intelligences 75.9
22 Pondering your motives for learning, the original ones and the
ones that keep you going 75.9
23 Using techniques to activate your memory 74.4
24 Using a variety of study skills or techniques 74.780 Power Up Your Mind