Introduction

Learning is the central purpose of our time here on earth. In the February 2010 Ensign magazine, Elder Bednar taught, “You and I are here on the earth to prepare for eternity, to learn how to learn, to learn things that are temporally important and eternally essential, and to assist others in learning wisdom and truth (see D&C 97:1). Understanding who we are, where we came from, and why we are on the earth places upon each of us a great responsibility both to learn how to learn and to learn to love learning.” Elder Bednar’s words prompt us to ask ourselves “How do I learn how to learn?“ and “Do I love learning?” In this lesson, we’ll explore both of these questions by studying how we learn, how to use strategies to enhance our learning and the importance of taking responsibility for our own learning.

How Do I learn?

God had told us to learn “Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms” D&C 88:79. It’s clear from this verse that God wants us to know about the world we live in, but why? And how can we gain this knowledge? One of the first steps to understanding why God has commanded us to learn is to understand how we learn.We're still learning a lot about how our brains work, but we have our own experiences and history of education to help us. Science has also given us some insight into how our minds function. This lesson will give you a glimpse into this fascinating field. We'll simplify learning by saying it's like a process where we use skills to gain knowledge. This knowledge helps us understand things better and make connections faster, which helps us learn more quickly.Imagine learning is like using a satellite dish to watch TV. The dish needs to be pointed directly at the satellite to get a clear signal. Similarly, to learn effectively, we need to use learning strategies or skills, like using distributed learning, active learning, and creating clues. These strategies help us learn better.Knowledge is what you already know, and it's stored in your long-term memory. The connections your brain makes between what you know are called neural pathways. The stronger these connections are, the better you remember things. Working memory is your brain's active workspace, where you do your learning and understanding. But it can only handle about seven things at a time.If we apply the satellite dish to learning, the support structure that holds up the dish is like learning strategies or skills we use to acquire knowledge. The dish represents our knowledge or long-term memory, and the feed horn represents our understanding or working memory. To see the analogy in action watch the following video.

Video Source (09:25 mins, "How Learning is Like a Satellite Dish" Transcript)

Check My Understanding
Answer these questions to see what you remember from reading the text above.

1. Heavenly Father wants us to learn about "______ both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth," as mentioned in D&C 88:79. ANSWER
   x

   things
2. Learning is compared to using a ________ to watch TV. ANSWER
   x

   satellite dish
3. _________ are the connections your brain makes between what you know. ANSWER
   x

   neural pathways

Growth Mindset

Let’s build on what you just learned by introducing the concept of growth and fixed mindsets. World-renowned psychologist Carol S. Dweck discovered through extensive research that people who believe that abilities can be developed are much more likely to flourish than those who don’t. She described people who believe that their minds can grow and develop as having a growth mindset. Those who believe that your intelligence is set she described as having a fixed mindset.

She observed that people with a fixed mindset tend to view failure and success as evidence of their intelligence. People with a fixed mindset are unwilling to try new things that might disprove how they think about themselves. As a result, people with a fixed mindset cap their potential.

On the other hand, a growth mindset is the belief that your intellectual ability can grow when you evaluate failures, adjust your learning strategies accordingly, and persist. People with a growth mindset are likely to see failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. This doesn’t mean that they enjoy failure, but they do not believe failure is evidence of their ability.

A growth mindset is essential to learning by faith because it removes the restrictions we place on ourselves and allows our brains to grow. Research has shown that when we fail, the neural pathways in our brains light up as it tries to figure out what went wrong. People with a growth mindset use this enhanced brain activity to analyze their mistakes and try new approaches. In this way, our brains are like a muscle. In order to grow your muscles, you would lift weights to make them stronger. Your brain is the same way, but with your brain whatever neural pathways you exercise—good or bad—get stronger. This is why a growth mindset is so important. Having a growth mindset means that you analyze your performance, thoughts, and behaviors to identify problems and proactively change your approach to build correct neural pathways in your brain.

The following video explains how to unlock your brain’s potential by using a growth mindset.

Video Source (03:04 mins, "Growth Mindset" Transcript)

Beware of a False Growth Mindset

The concept of growth mindset has become very popular, but many people mistakenly believe that a growth mindset just means that you work hard. This has led teachers and parents to praise effort without any analysis to see if what the student is doing is working. If students are continually praised for effort that does not result in success, they are destroying the principles of a growth mindset. It’s like the popular saying usually attributed to Albert Einstein “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”

In 2016, Carol Dweck wrote about recognizing and overcoming the false growth mindset in a recent article on Edutopia called "Recognizing and Overcoming False Growth Mindset." In the article, she reminds us that we all have a mixture of both mindsets—fixed and growth. We cannot have a growth mindset by being positive or working hard. We have to identify areas in our life where we tend to have a fixed mindset, like when we are threatened, challenged, or scared, and then systematically apply the process of a growth mindset which includes the following:

• Doing meaningful work
• Getting honest and helpful feedback
• Using effective learning strategies
• Revising and trying again 

Check My Understanding
Answer these questions to see what you remember from reading the text above.

1. Many people mistakenly believe that a growth mindset just means that you __________. ANSWER
   x

   work hard
2. The definition of insanity is same thing over and over again, but expecting different __________. ANSWER
   x

   results

The Learning Model

As previously mentioned, learning strategies are important because they enhance or facilitate your learning and help you practice using a growth mindset. What are the strategies and how do you know which ones to use? In this section, we’ll discuss a core strategy that is used in all BYU Pathway Worldwide. You will also explore additional Learning Strategies in the Resource Center for your application activity.

The Learning Model was developed at BYU-Idaho to help students and teachers consecrate their learning through three key steps:

1. Prepare

   1. Complete assignments early
   2. Engage in pre-class discussions
   3. Bring questions to share

2. Teach One Another

   1. Listen and respond
   2. Respect others
   3. Invite the Spirit

3. Ponder and Prove

   1. Reflect individually
   2. Reflect in groups
   3. Record learning
   4. Test understanding

Prepare

In this course, you will prepare by reading lesson materials in life skills, writing, and math. During the prepare phase, you begin consecrating your learning to God by thinking about how you could teach what you are learning to someone else. By doing this, you put yourself in the mindset of how you are going to use your knowledge to bless others. Not only does this make your learning more relevant, but it also invites you to more deeply prepare yourself both academically and spiritually.

Teach One Another

During the week, you will have two opportunities to teach others what you are learning. The first is through your weekly gathering. In your gathering, you will take turns leading a discussion about what you are studying each week. By sincerely listening to others and sharing your own ideas, you will invite the spirit of revelation and clarify and correct your understanding.

The second Teach One Another opportunity is to respond to the instructor and the class when instructor announcements are made open for comments.

When you share what you are learning with others, it not only deepens your own learning but it also turns your education into an offering to God. This act sanctifies your learning and invites the influence of the Holy Ghost as you start to ponder about what you have learned.

Ponder and Prove

The final step each week is to Ponder and Prove what you have learned. While the activities for this step usually come at the end of the week you will be given prompts throughout the week to think about what you are learning. These prompts show up in the green Ponder and Record boxes shown below. Each Ponder and Record box includes questions to help you think more deeply. The culmination of your learning is represented in your application activities where you have to apply what you are learning each week.

Check My Understanding
Answer these questions to see what you remember from reading the text above.

1. The Learning Model developed at BYU-Idaho consists of three key steps: Prepare, Teach One Another, and __________. ANSWER
   x

   Ponder and Prove
2. The "Ponder and Prove" step of the Learning Model involves reflecting individually, reflecting in groups, recording learning, and _______ understanding. ANSWER
   x

   testing or checking

Conclusion

President Russell M. Nelson teaches that “Your mind is precious! It is sacred. Therefore, the education of one's mind is also sacred." Indeed, education is a religious responsibility. We can show that we take this responsibility seriously by using effective learning strategies, and exercising faith in God that he will help us learn as we apply a growth mindset.

Reminder: Read at Least Three of These Short Articles

Now that you are done reading this lesson, please read at least three of these short articles on Learning Strategies in the Resource Center. You will be asked to report on this in W02 Quiz: Learning How to Learn.

W02 Gathering Prep

What will you do this week, in preparation for the gathering, to exemplify the Learning Model principle of “Teach One Another?” Prepare yourself by engaging with the course material before the gathering. Teach someone the difference between Growth and Fixed Mindset in the next few days.

Ponder and Record
After reading this lesson, ponder the following questions. If desired, record your thoughts in a learning journal.

• What can you stop doing and start doing in your life to be a better learner?
• In what areas of your life do you tend to have a fixed mindset? How can you change to a growth mindset?
• How does having a growth mindset increase your ability to receive revelation from the Holy Ghost?
• Why is the order (Prepare, Teach One Another, Ponder and Prove) of the Learning Model steps important?