Sometimes, it is the quiet observer who sees the most.
By: Kunle Olajuyin
One of the most significant contributions that the learning approach has made to the study of motivation is its emphasis on the ability of individuals to learn new motives. It has been demonstrated that new motives may be acquired as a result of three learning techniques: classical, instrumental, and observational learning.
Learning is a continuous process that is borne out of motivation, through which individuals aquires knowledge to do things in positive ways with positive results. Learning and motivation are interwoven. If there is no source of motivation for an individual to learn something, he/she may take longer time than expected to achieve learning successfully, and/or possibly will never put such things as learnt into practice, which is the main essence of learning.
There are several ways to igniting motivation for learning purposes. In some cases, it may be incentives, prices and some sort of material gains just to spur a student to take the learning processes as serious as possible. But, there is a natural form of motivation, which surpasses all other motivation methods. It is, "PASSION".
Passion-based learning brings the best of out students. Most students who leads in their classes or various fields are those, whose source of motivation is passion as agaiant some other incentives. When you know what your passion is, you easily move faster to learn, without being pushed or coarsed to learn outside your natural strength.
In a nutshell, classical form of learning requires a student be attached to a close friend who may serve as a source of motivation. In such situations, the student's energy to learn is derived or tapped from such friends. Sooner or later, he may develop passion through this means. It is a neutral stimulus gain that leads to changes in motivated behavior of students towards learning. Classical learning is directly an emotional response.
On the other hand, Instrumental learning is somehow related to classical form of learning. But in this situation, student have emotional attachment to objects in form of a conditioned reinforcement. Harnessing inspiration through objects within their reach. Students tends to have build emotional attachment to such objects and would easily digest whatever they learnt in relation to such objects. This is a type of learning process that is in vogue in this generation. Parents and teachers tends to study the emotional attachment of students towards object within thier reach to ascertain their area of interest and what they can easily learn through a secondary means of creating passion.
The most sensitive of this trio is Observational learning. It is more practical that the previous two and also engages virtually, all necessary organs required for learning in human. It is a direct source of motivation. Study has show that human only pay attention to what they are passionate about. However, in some circumstances, such attention may not be natural. It may be borne of curiosity to make a research of particular occurrence or topic. In recent times, this form of learning has made more experts in a short period than other forms of learning. Be it in science, business or any other sector.
Paying serious observation to how something is done is a faster way to learn through the efficiency and mistake of others. It makes the observer achieve through less pains or trials.
It is easy to get lost in blur of thoughts sometimes and thus may make us miss some vital processes along the way. To make a observation easy to comeby, the following eight (8)steps are sure guide to becoming a good student through observational learning.
1. Understand your purpose: you will definitely know more when you have an indept understanding what to look out for.
2. Take breaks and look outwards: allow your your mind to be in charge of your observation processes. Your mind should be allow to determine when, how and what to observe. In this way, other learning parts will follow the lead of the mind. This includes your ear, eye and brain. They will help sieve information according to the specifications adopted by your mind.
3. Attempt new trials: make a deliberate engagement of activities that will involve your senses and also keep renewing your awareness of related topics. This helps you to learn the dynamics without been confined to limited cons of your cover area.
4. Keep concentration alive and cut off distractions: stay outside the reach of people at intervals. Turn off your phone, stay away from social media and other public functions when you need to make some runs to learn. Avoid the slightest disturbance and you will be amazed how fast you can crawl to your destination.
5. Engage in personal metal work challenge: you need to keep your brain agile and smarter as you proceed in learning. Such mental work may involve games. For example, chess and scrabble.
6. Play memory games by testing your observation: make descriptions, write about things you've learnt off hand without making reference to any available document. In this way, you will be able to score yourself through the learning process and know what your weakness are and how to deal with it.
7. Do not stop making observations: your aim should be allow to stay up at all times. Your strenght is your level of observation. Build on it and never starve it.
8. Be inquisitive: a mind that ask questions, learns more faster. Question and analyze your observations, this will add value to your work.
Motivation is a complex topic that spans virtually all areas of psychology. No one theory is capable of explaining all that we know about motivational processes. Some motives such as hunger, thirst, and sexual activity seem best understood from a biological viewpoint. Other motives appear to be learned, and such motives help to account for the diversity and complexity of human activities.
A complicating factor in human motivation is the fact that even basic motives are influenced by a variety of elements. For example, we may eat because of energy needs, but some people also eat when stressed or anxious, when depressed or alone, or because of social influences such as other people eating. The taste qualities of certain foods may also cause us to eat when not hungry.
Sometimes, it is the quiet observer who sees the most.
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