Views on learning
Views on learning
Teaching is not simply about delivering content. It's about fostering understanding, shaping judgement and cultivating professional competence.
Two Views of Learning: Passive Reception vs Active Construction
Learning can be conceptualised through two contrasting lenses:
1. Passive Reception
In this traditional model, knowledge is viewed as something transmitted from teacher to student. The learner is relatively passive - a recipient of information who absorbs and recalls facts and procedures. This approach is often linked with lecture-based teaching or didactic instruction and it's not inherently negative; it can be effective for transmitting essential foundational knowledge, especially in early stages of learning.
However, the limitations become apparent when knowledge needs to be applied, interpreted or adapted - key demands in clinical practice.
2. Active Construction
This view frames learning as a process of construction, not consumption. Learners actively build meaning by integrating new information with what they already know. They reflect, question, experiment and adapt ideas. In this model, the teacher becomes a facilitator - someone who designs learning experiences that provoke curiosity, challenge assumptions and support reflection and dialogue.
Active construction is especially powerful in clinical education, where learners must apply theory to practice, make decisions under uncertainty, and continuously adapt to new contexts.
