As humans, we have been taught over centuries to value learning. Through years of practice, we have come to consider learning as a continuous, acquisitive process. But, the time has come to have a relook. Practical evidence shows that the learning process may not be a linear continuously upward-sloping graph as you might think of. Instead, it is a cyclical process that involves unlearning and relearning as well.
In fact, it is now believed that this cyclical process of “learning, unlearning, and relearning” is the key to success. We will explore this proposition in a while in this blog. But, before that let’s talk a bit about ‘unlearning’.
Learning about ‘unlearning’
So, let’s start with the basics. Does unlearning seem to be counterintuitive for you? No ‘unlearning’ is not what you think. It is not knowledge disappearing from your memory. It is actually a challenging process where you discard old ways of thinking, reacting, and acting to make way for something new. It is similar to removing the old coat of paint to put new paint on a surface.
Unlearning is as important as learning because our brain has a finite capacity. So, to make way for something new, it is essential to discard old, outdated information. In fact, ‘unlearning’ is not a new alien process. We have been unlearning old things or processes all the while to stay updated with changing technology.
Although it is not easy to let go of the old and adopt something new, we as humans have to continuously go through this grind to stay relevant. Now that we have explored a bit about unlearning, it’s time to focus our attention on the ‘learn, unlearn and relearn’ cycle.
The ‘learn, unlearn, relearn cycle
From the above discussion, we can therefore gather that unlearning, and relearning has always existed as complementary to learning. Learning, unlearning, and relearning are activities that always go hand in hand. However, the idea that learning, unlearning, and relearning are part of a cycle was actually put forward by Alvin Toffler.
The cycle of learn, unlearn, and relearn is self-explanatory. There is no trick in the name and it is exactly what it sounds. In fact, all of us have been following this cycle in almost every task that we do in the digital world. For instance, consider the use of an everyday communication tool like Gmail. At first you found it difficult to use the tool. But, over time you slowly learnt and adapted to the interface.
Now what happens if Gmail suddenly changes the interface? You will be forced to unlearn the old layout and relearn the new layout. In this digital world that is changing rapidly, it is important for people to be adept at this cycle so that they can stay relevant to the changing world dynamics.
The key to success
The evolutionary process of nature wants to make every organism fluid. Those who can adapt are those who survive. But, this cycle need not be strenuous. The cycle of learning, unlearning, and relearning is a joyous process that can be an enriching experience. The learner is present all through the process and has to take an active part in it. Needless to say, the cycle is the key to success as it makes the learner future-ready.
Summing it up
When the cycle is taught to the kids and he or she is made to practice it then the results can be truly wonderful. It develops critical thinking and introspection ability in kids and makes them more adaptive and flexible. Most of all, it encourages them to become lifelong learners and avoid unnecessary dogmas or stigmas. This is why PHSPS has always tried to make kids go through this cycle.
So, why let your child stay behind? It is time to make your kid future-ready. Connect with the PHSPS team to know more.