Emotions & Mindful Listening:
The Downplayed Factors in Education

Kim Williams
Dr. A. Dorsett
COMM 2425-04
12/5/12

The learning process, like a finely engineered automobile, is comprised of many key components that are important and necessary for things to properly function. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, learning is defined as “knowledge or skill acquired by instruction or study.” The learning process encompasses much more than just acquiring knowledge. The traditional process of learning is student-centered, but revolves around the artful instruction of a teacher or professor. Students are typically given new information that they are taught to absorb and apply to everyday life. Most instructors try to relate their curriculum to situations that students will find relevant and applicable to conditions or circumstances that have occurred or will occur in the future. Through that technique, the facilitation of comprehending and remembering the material comes into effect. Just as different teachers have varied teaching styles, students also have different ways of learning and affixing meaning to certain information. The Kolb Model of Experiential Learning classifies four modes in the learning cycle. The first mode, concrete experimentation, is learning through doing something. The second mode, reflection, concentrates on thinking about the information relayed. Abstract conceptualization, the third mode, involves talking with others and applying what is already known to the situation. The last mode of Kolb’s model is active experimentation, which entails doing something new or doing the same thing in a more highly developed manner based on what has been learned. Even though the primary focus of learning is the informational aspect; there are a number of other underlying factors that contribute to