# 4 Learning through experience

> The scaffolding of the brain (nature) defines the arena in which change happens through experience (nurture)…[N]urturing is experience. Whatever happens, good or bad, is part of nurturing.

Zull, 2011, p. 233

The human brain’s survival instinct is a remarkable evolutionary adaptation that shapes our learning processes. By focusing on relevant and authentic information and dismissing what is irrelevant, the brain ensures that we acquire knowledge that is crucial for our wellbeing. This natural prioritisation can be leveraged in educational settings to enhance learning outcomes. By making learning relevant and authentic and avoiding unimportant information, engagement and retention are deepened and students can extract more meaning from their learning.

> We have cast our lot with learning, and learning will pull us through. But this learning process must be re-imbued with the texture and feeling of human experiences shared and interpreted through dialogue with one another.

Kolb, 2014, p. 51

## Constructivism

Students may know all the content, but not know how to use it, or see how it interacts with the real world. Constructivism – the idea that people cannot fully learn or understand unless they have been active participants in building knowledge and concepts for themselves – can be a solution, while also supporting the dyslexic mind. Learning through experience is strongly biased towards episodic memory and experiences which can be used as the foundations of learning. Practical experience and doing things firsthand using real life examples, objects, and situations, makes learning, authentic, interesting, memorable, and believable.

## The dyslexic mind

Learners should be exposed to as many experiences as possible: doing things, getting involved and feeling curiosity. Dyslexic minds need case studies, examples, and concepts which they can relate to or transfer into other situations, gaining information from an exploratory process of learning rather than receiving information passively (Eide and Eide, 2023). Use this idea to connect learning to real world information, as these links will help to embed memory. Use diagrams, flowcharts, graphs, mind maps, visual images, posters and infographics, as translating ideas into words is hard. Consider these methods for alternative forms of assessment too. Nurture the ability for 3D thinking and interaction with visual/mental images, use past experiences and varied topics. In the case of dyslexic children, they can engage in special, more interactive projects which engage with their strengths. This can help to support their self-esteem when other areas of learning (such as reading and writing) may prove more challenging.

OpenLearn - Understanding dyslexia
Except for third party materials and otherwise, this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence, full copyright detail can be found in the acknowledgements section. Please see full copyright statement for details.