Given that learning appears to be an innate human trait, reason suggests that humans could devise a standard definition of learning. Such is hardly the case.
From ancient philosophers debating learning as either experience or reason to modern educators quibbling about whether learning is a process, product, or function, perspectives on learning seem to be as numerous as practitioners of learning. Theorists, researchers, practitioners, and philosophers may never agree on a single definition of learning because the definition seems to depend on so many dynamically interacting variables. Some of these variables include the philosophical and theoretical foundation of the institution, the social agenda of the administration, the philosophical perspective of the practitioner, the needs and capacity of the learner, and contextual factors.
The confusion presented by disparate perspectives on learning presents an opportunity to explore the foundations of modern education practice to understand why some learning programs apply the methods they do while providing a basis for a principal-based approach to learning that matches the method with context.
The Learning Perspectives category reviews competing perspectives on learning, from the classical foundations of rationalism and empiricism through the traditional classifications of learning theory-- behaviorism, cognitivism, humanism, and constructivism. The purpose of this exploration is to understand the foundations of historical and modern learning practice and to illuminate the practices that may best serve learners and context.