[MUSIC] So, Fiona is it possible to learn how to learn? >> I think it is, and honestly what you've just said clearly is what we call meta learning, when you think about, how you've learned and sort of analyze different ways of learning but I think we definitely can all learn how to learn. If I can give you an example. So, you mentioned earlier that I teach on the critical perspectives on learning and teaching module, and I have students from all over the world and therefore very different cultures and I introduce them to the process of learning through reflection. And quite a few of the group got really interested in this and went off and read about reflection. And I asked them also to do some reflective activities like thinking back what they had done in their week and how it had gone, and how that was going to change what they were going to do next week. And several of them got very excited by reflectionism model of learning, they'd never come across it before. And to the extent that they've gone off and have written reflective journals. And three or four of the students out of the eleven on the course, have actually ended up writing their final assignment on reflection. So this is a whole new way of learning for them that they hadn't come across before. And yes, so I absolutely do think that we can find different ways of learning and we can learn to learn. And it's back down to finding that what works for you so, any course that you will study will introduce you to different forms of learning and, find what works best for you and explore it. because that's what my students did and found something new and different. >> So, on this course we've got a number of different elements to the course, to the program. We have some reflective questions, we're inviting people to keep a learning journal throughout the course, we've also got a number of resources like for instance this, this interview would be one of those resources, we also have a number of reading resources that people can use as well. How would you suggest that people might interact with those different elements in order to get the most out of a course like this? >> I think you just have throw yourself in. I think that the best thing to do on a course like this is to come open minded and think about the challenges that lie ahead. And think about all these different models of learning that you're going to come across. So you may not have come across some of these before, like reflection for example. Some of my students, from around the world hadn't come across that before. So the best thing you can do if you're coming on to a course like this, is just embrace it, take on board all these different ways of learning. Try them all, find the best one that works for you. Have your thoughts challenged, have your culture challenged. Think about just be open minded, enjoy it, throw yourself in. Meet up with your colleagues, around the world. And just enjoy that learning. >> That sounds really exciting, but sometimes learning can be a little bit uncomfortable. And particularly if you're being challenged by something, >> Uh-hm. >> That can be quite an uncomfortable experience, how do you think people should handle that? >> Well I think its just don't if you're coming on this course, they need to, that tells me that you want to learn something and learning is about changing what your thinking and so, if I could just quote to you. Carl Rogers, a really interesting person, says quite, something quite interesting about learning and that's kind of where I am at. He says, it's not just an accumulation of facts. It's about changing your way of thinking. It's about finding different ways of seeing, it's about understanding things differently, and quite important, it's about what happens after that. What actions do you take as a result of your learning? So if you come on to MOOC or any other course, just grab it by both hands, get involved in all that learning, be prepared to be challenged and have your, your thinking shifted. And yes, it might be uncomfortable, but boy it's well worth it in the end. >> So Fiona, would it be true to say that some people are just better learners than others? >> Well that's interesting Claire, I wouldn't use the word better. I just think it's back to we're all different, and we'll find different ways of learning. So, you will find through any course that you do through reading, listening, observing, sharing, collaboration, you will find the way of learning that works for you. It's not a competition, it's all about you as a person. Learning is holistic, it's about developing your personal life and your professional life. So it's not about being better than the person next to you. It's about you focusing on yourself and what you want to learn and what you want to do with it. And through all these different models of learning that we will work on, through this MOOC, then you will find the best way that works for you. So it's not about being better than somebody else. It's just about being different and you being you. Independent, individual you, find a way that works for you. >> That's great, thanks very much. So, Fiona has outlined some of the key aspects of learning. And I hope that's really helped you to understand, not just the approach of this course, but also the way that we hope that this course will help you to learn something, about education. There are various components to this course. There will be the discussions like this one that you've just watched, there will also be some resources that are freely available for you to read and to download at your leisure. And also there are some discussion forum activities, some Google Hangouts. And the opportunity to keep a learning journal. As Fiona has outlined, how you choose to engage with the course is entirely up to you. We hope that you'll look at all the different elements of the course, but also that you'll choose the ones that really work for you, that enable you to learn in the way that's the most effective for you. We hope you'll gain a lot out of this course, and we really look forward to seeing you next week, where we're going to be talking in a little bit more depth, about what it means to be an expert learner and what that can mean for you.
