The Laws of Learning

More than a decade ago I worked for a helicopter company. I had received my private rotorcraft pilot certificate and then passed the ground instructor and advanced ground instructor certifications (and later I got the instrument ground instructor certification).

With my AGI and pilot certification I got hired by the company as a ground school instructor while I worked on, and completed, my commercial rotorcraft pilot certificate and added the instrument rating. I also completed the flight instructor certificate and instrument instructor rating for that certificate.

After a couple years, economic conditions collapsed the company and I was inspired to move on to other pursuits. It was after that change that I met a beautiful woman who would become my wife.

Since that time, I haven't flown. But every couple years I go through a flight instructor renewal course to keep up-to-date in my knowledge (at least in some areas).

One of the areas that has fascinated me is the learning process. I enjoyed teaching ground school classes and also teaching individually. It was a great thrill to see eyes light up when the student "gets it".

As I've studied and worked to implement greater self-improvement in my life, and I've been taking the flight instructor refresher course, the Laws of Learning have come up.

These laws are very applicable in all areas of learning, including self-improvement. The laws are:

1. Law of Readiness - you have to be prepared to learn, have your basic needs met, and have the motivation to learn the topic, and understand prerequisite principles.
2. Law of Effect - learning is strengthened by pleasant or satisfying feelings.
3. Law of Exercise - repeated practice strengthens lessons learned, disuse weakens them. 
4. Law of Primacy - the first exposure to knowledge often creates a strong, almost unshakable impression. Early, first experience has the greatest effect on us.
5. Law of Recency - tasks (and knowledge) most recently learned are most likely to be recalled accurately. Review material to keep the knowledge fresh
6. Law of Intensity - lessons involving immediate, exciting, or dramatic learning events connected to a real situation will be remembered well. Intensity can be increased by sharing your own excitement, and shared positive experience

While all the laws are important, the repetition of the law of exercise is often negated in its importance. Too often many of us want to learn as much as we can, as quickly as we can. However, frequent shorter lessons will often increase learning more than less frequent longer lessons. 

Most people have heard the phrase, "practice makes perfect" but the truth is what and how we practice is how we will perform. I've heard the phrase re-stated as "Practice makes permanent" or "perfect practice makes perfect".

With this in mind, learning to master the fundamentals can seem slow in the beginning but it will actually aid in greater and faster mastery later.

When it comes to improving ourselves, usually by incorporating new habits into our lives, it may help to look at these desired habits as new learning.