Four Ways the Learning Sciences Can Improve Your Life
Updated: Jun 19
I had two goals in mind when I founded Good Wood Learning Co. The first was to use my unique background to create engaging and effective learning experiences for working professionals. With significant time in the trenches as a civil engineer and formal training in the learning sciences, I am uniquely positioned to create professional learning experiences that matter.
The purpose of this article is to further my second goal when I started Good Wood. It was to become an evangelizer of the learning sciences. As I describe on my About page, earning a master’s degree in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences while working in a (seemingly) unrelated field was a transformational experience. I quickly discovered that learning is much more than accumulating knowledge and good instruction is so much deeper than creating snazzy slide decks. I am on a mission to help other everyday people realize the power that comes with knowing how learning works.
The “learning sciences” is a collective term for fields like cognitive science, educational psychology, behavioral psychology, and neuroscience.
Learning is a foundational function of the human mind. When you know how learning works, you know how the mind works, and every process that involves one or more human mind makes a little more sense. That is a very long list.
To help you conceptualize how the learning sciences can improve everyday situations in virtually every corner of your personal and professional life, I have created a framework that I call the TSLL (“tassel”) Matrix. More on that in just a little bit. First, we need a working definition of the word “learning”.
“Learning” Defined
Of course, there are many nuances to the term “learning”. Anyone you talk to will have their own spin on it. (As you’ll see later, I use different definitions of this term for different contexts.) With that introduction, this is my go-to definition of learning:
Learning is the long-term gain of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or behaviors.
I will break this definition down into each of its five parts with some discussion on each. The explanations I’m about to give all reflect my own experiences. I would encourage you to consider your own experiences with learning as you read about mine.
Long-term Gain
If information only satisfies an immediate need, and is then quickly forgotten, does it count as learning? Strictly speaking, no. You might say you learned someone’s name, but can you remember it when you see them the next day? The next year? If it was a brief, casual encounter, then there is little chance that you have it locked safely away in long-term memory. If it is a new colleague whom you address and communicate with often, then you will likely remember it for years to come, even after you stop interacting with them regularly.
Cognitive psychologists use the term “durable learning” to describe learning that lasts long-term. In another post, I give a simple overview of how our brains turn information into long-term memories, and I would encourage you to read it to learn more. In summary, for learning to be “durable”, the learner needs to have found significant meaning in the information and ensure it is well-connected to other memories. Anything less than that, and the information is subject to be tossed in the dustbin of your mind.
I worked incredibly hard to earn the grades I did in my college math classes. But did I learn the material? In short, no. However, my middle school math teachers would be flush with pride to know my mastery level in the content they taught me.
The difference in my mastery of calculus versus algebra is not inherent in the difficulty of the subjects, but in the way I have interacted with them. I “learned” calculus to pass the test and get a grade but haven’t used it since. Algebra, on the other hand, is an invaluable tool in my toolbox. I have used it to solve innumerable very tangible and impactful problems. I am comfortable saying that I have mastered single variable algebra. Had I had the same level of exposure to calculus, I would have a similar level of proficiency.
Knowledge
Knowledge is the comprehension of ideas and concepts, which of their own merits, may not have practical value. It is information that can be reported or acted on.
I could debate that engineering school overprepared me for professional practice. I learned WAY more in school than I need to be an effective engineer. However, I could also claim that my formal schooling also underprepared me for professional practice. Like every other civil engineer I know, most of the knowledge that I use in my day-to-day practice was learned on the job. (Average those arguments out, and engineering school was just right.)
It seems every day brings a new learning opportunity – whether it is a nuance of a design standard, a one-off technical subject or a project management strategy. The ability to gain knowledge is the lifeblood of civil engineering practice.
Skills
Skill and knowledge are close cousins, but there are some important distinctions. Skills of any kind are the physical expression of an individual’s assimilation of many kinds of knowledge. My knowledge of airfield grading design standards is much more valuable when I can make practical use of it to create a well-built surface model. The skill of designing a runway requires core technical knowledge, to be sure. But it also requires the ability to visualize 3-dimensional space, an understanding of design constraints, aptitude in CADD software, and a bit of artistic touch.
Attitudes
Attitude is the lens through which we see the world. At a basic level, it is our emotional response to our environment. Attitude is subjective, but it dictates our reality. Please indulge me in one story from my personal life about the relationship between attitude, emotion, and reality.
My family’s first trip to an amusement park was one of the most memorable and fun days we’ve had together. After a morning of getting warmed up on the kiddie rides, a thunderstorm rolled through in the early afternoon and shut down most of the “good” rides just as my kids had built up the courage to try them. We were physically and emotionally unprepared for rain and on the brink of crisis. On a razor’s edge, our attitudes tipped towards optimism as we fueled up on greasy food, tromped through the puddles and enthusiastically re-rode all the kiddie kids until we were completely ready—on our own terms—to go find dry clothes and warm shelter.
I tell this story not to flaunt our sainthood but to showcase a meaningful example where attitude made a notable, positive difference. The park was filled with people in the same circumstances but with completely different realities and we could have very easily joined the “worst day ever” camp. I am forever grateful that we pointed ourselves the other way that time.
Because it is subjective, attitude can be learned. We can learn to like new foods and people. We can learn to appreciate alternate viewpoints and—sometimes—even change opinions on social or political issues. We can learn to see silver linings in adversity and launch ramps instead of roadblocks. Whether at home or at work, we can learn to have the attitudes that will lead to rewarding opportunities and personal fulfillment.
Behaviors
Just as skill is a physical indication of many kinds of knowledge, behavior is a manifestation of our attitude, emotions, beliefs, values, and intentions. Behavior is closely associated with habit. It could be described as the “default mode” of our actions. It is what we do when we don’t know what else to do, and we might not always know why. We “just do it.” It is a deeper, more intrinsic form of action than skill. Skill is being able to engage in a conversation, but behavior is what we do when we walk into a room full of strangers.
Like my attitude, I wish I could report that my behavior was always beyond reproach. I do my best, but I have my limitations. Anyone reading this who knows me could probably share a story that would make me look like a hypocrite with what I have written about attitude and behavior. The truth is that none of us are perfect and our “best” is all we could expect from ourselves or colleagues.
The TSLL Matrix
To help conceptualize my definition of learning, I have developed a model that I call the TSLL (“tassel”) Matrix that defines four areas of change that are applicable to every professional. This model distinguishes between gaining capabilities (i.e. knowledge and skills) and character (i.e. attitudes and behaviors). It also differentiates between two audiences, namely, oneself and others.
As shown in the TSLL Matrix below, the effort to help another person gain knowledge or skill can be called Teaching, whereas efforts to help oneself gain knowledge or skill can be called Learning (I know there’s some overlap in the use of this term, but stick with me). Similarly, efforts to help change the attitudes or behaviors of others can be thought of as Leading, and changing our own attitudes or behaviors is Self-management.
Put all this together, and you have the TSLL Matrix:
Earlier, I explained knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors within the context of my own life. To dig deeper into these TSLL change areas, I’ll take a more generic perspective of civil engineering as a profession. As before, I encourage you to think about how they apply to your specific situation.
Teaching
Teaching is an effort to help other people gain knowledge or skills. You likely have experience teaching a colleague how to use software or fill out their timesheet in the new accounting system. You may have presented in a brownbag session or at a conference. These kinds of teaching opportunities are easy to identify, but we can go deeper.
As one example, civil engineers often work with decision makers who are not technical experts. Many civil engineering projects rely on public funding. Elected officials and administrators are tasked with making wise use of these funds, but they usually do not understand the technical aspects of the projects they are asked to support. They rely on their staff engineers or consultants to teach them just enough to feel empowered to make an informed decision without getting sucked into the details. Wise engineers know how to teach to that sweet spot.
Self-Management
Self-management is one way to desc26ribe any effort to change our own attitudes or behaviors. Civil engineers, like most other professionals, have many priorities competing for their attention. An engineer’s ability to effectively manage workload, maintain helpful habits, and use time wisely makes a significant difference in their job performance and personal satisfaction with life.
Furthermore, self-management is directly associated with our ability to weather adversity, deal with difficult people, and adapt to changing conditions. In the words of the Stoic philosopher Seneca, “Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power.” It was true for ancient Romans, and it is no less relevant to modern day professionals.
Leading
“Leading” is a broadly used and loosely defined term. In the context of the TSLL matrix, though, “leading” means an effort to change the attitudes or behaviors of others. It should go without saying that leadership defined in this way should always be supportive and never manipulative. Our efforts to change others must be for their own benefit and with their partnership.
It is easy to jump to hierarchal order when we think about leadership, and those applications are valid. Leadership within an organization can flow either way on an org chart as every member of a team attempts to influence the attitudes and behaviors of their colleagues and thus shape the culture.
To broaden our understanding of leadership, let’s look at an example where formal organizational relationships are not in place. Public infrastructure projects are always motivated by some kind of public benefit such as improving well-being, safety, or commerce. However, having good intentions and sound technical backing is often not enough to get buyoff from everyone who will be affected by a project. Concerns such as environmental impacts, funding, or construction disruptions, are often much more visible to the public and other non-technical stakeholders than the long-term benefits or regulatory necessity of a project.
It takes leadership skills for a project team to navigate the sea of attitudes surrounding a proposed project and guide the project to successful completion without disenfranchising the very people it is intended to benefit.
Learning
For the purposes of the TSLL matrix, “learning” is an effort to grow in our own knowledge or skill. This is a more specific definition than I gave at the beginning of this article.
One of the most important learning skills a successful civil engineer has is knowing how to find the information needed to solve the problem at hand. Access to information from colleagues, the web, and standards books is not usually a problem. Efficiently digesting the mountain of available information to find the most useful nuggets is much more of a challenge.
Some of the most interesting learning challenges faced by civil engineers come when we are trying to gain information that can’t be looked up or peer reviewed. This kind of learning comes when we sit with a client or colleague to understand their needs, then work together to find a solution. It starts with attentive listening, then follows with questions of curiosity, expert observations, careful analysis. We might find that the “right” problem to be solved is different from the one they originally expressed. If we fail to understand right problem, we will never deliver the right solution. Viewing it as a learning process can help us get there.
Wrap-Up
I hope you’ve been able to connect your own experiences to the principles I’ve introduced in this article. With the TSLL Matrix, I have introduced four “change areas” that are relevant to every person, regardless of their current professional role. Beyond your work life, I’m confident that the TSLL Matrix is equally applicable to your personal relationships and hobbies.
I have a fundamental belief that learning is tied to our professional and personal well-being. When you understand even a little bit about how our minds work, you are empowered to help yourself and others understand more and do more good in the world. Harnessing the power of our brains is a key to realizing the full potential we each have within us.
My goal with this post has been to explain the “why” of learning. Future posts will dig deeper into the “how” of learning well. Subscribe to my mailing list to stay up to date with my latest news and content. Please also drop me a line to share your experiences with learning.
What is your best or worst experience with learning at work? Let me know in the comments below.
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