Learning is a universal human activity. All people participate in a lifelong process of self-development, whether it is formal education or simply life experience incorporated into an expanded knowledge base. These considerations are the basis of my philosophy of learning, which is anchored in a belief in strengths-based educational experiences.

Having always believed everyone could learn, I also incorporate the caveat that people don’t always learn the same way and that novel and varied methods can have tremendous positive impacts. In my teaching, I strive to help learners recognize the skills and knowledge they already possess and use those as a springboard to further learning. I present the subject matter with multiple access points or perspectives so that learners can find meaning from the varied angles of approach. Some learners have internalized a belief that they are not skilled learners, or that they cannot learn new materials. In those cases, I find it particularly vital to lead them to notice when they have any level of mastery, or as they show improvement. The simple process of decreasing self-doubt can create a new self-fulfilling prophecy to replace hopelessness.

Another governing value in my philosophy of learning is the importance of collaboration. Multiple contributors create a superior product by merit of combining observations and strategies to create a more nuanced and robust solution. The simple act of examining a situation from multiple viewpoints offers increased avenues of approach. As learners work together and learn from each other, it also gives them more confidence in their abilities to seek broader sources of knowledge and to better evaluate new information. Collaborative teaching and learning also increases learner confidence in pursuing new sources of information rather than relying on a single authority for all answers.

As a learner myself, I continue to engage with others both in my field and from radically different backgrounds, to pursue new ideas and helpful technical advice to expand my skills. This practice improves my expertise in the field and helps me create better products for users. The constant quest for new knowledge also gives me further experiences to compare with learners that I design for. As I recognize items that were stumbling blocks for me, they provide additional insight on topics that can cause difficulties for others and provide me the opportunity to create a better model for the next group I instruct.

I find it particularly important that processes or programs are created with the goal of helping more people learn the things that matter to them and to streamline their learning. As I transition towards the training or curriculum design fields, I hope to help learners recapture the fun and enjoyment that learning can hold. Children love to learn and revel in discovery. I do not believe it is a lost cause to reintroduce that idea to learners that have forgotten it.