For several weeks I have been pondering a question – what is learning?
I consider learning effective, when one can carry out a task for productive gain, learning requires action. My current definition of learning is:
Learning is the process of going from inability to capability and from capability to increased capability.
Several years ago, I wanted to become a developer and believed learning React.js would be the best way to prepare myself for the career change. It was a newer programming language at the time, and I had taken some web development classes in college and knew enough to be dangerous. React was attractive because Facebook invented it to make it easier for developers to ramp up to complex programs and to increase the speed of Facebook. This seemed like a great place to start.
React was completely new to me, I knew nothing about shipping a product in React. I lacked the skill in this new programming language, and it was clear I was not capable of React development.
I took classes, read articles, browsed documentation, and followed several tutorials. In time my confidence grew as I could “speak” the language, but I had not built anything on my own. My skills were incomplete.
By this time, I knew I needed to create my own project and I went to work. Brick wall after brick wall I learned how much I didn’t know. It felt like what I was trying to do was so simple. Ultimately, I “shipped” my simple web app. I learned sufficient skills to deliver a React web app that still works today. (For those tech nerds that are curious about the web app ask me and I’m happy to share a link to it.)
Learning is not binary. I did not go from not knowing React to learning React. I improved slowly and built capability literally line upon line. Learning can be best illustrated on a scale – below is my attempt to visualize this scale.
Try out this scale. Think of something you have learned – does your experience fit this scale and definition? I want to find anomalies to make this better and more robust. Please share with me so we can learn together.
