An engineering model of learning

Abstract

Learning theories that are favored by psychologists and by industry for education of adult learners turn out to be too simplistic for application to engineering education. An integrated learning model that is taking into account recent results from cognitive psychology, from neurophysiology, and from information processing appears not to be available. Therefore, this paper is aimed at designing a novel, interdisciplinary model of learning from an engineer's point of view. Learning was described as an adaptive and nested feedback control process that comprises different levels of learning, as reacting automatically to recognized situations, training of skillfully handling decisions, or handling abstract ideas. Thus it might be explained why learning to understand abstract ideas takes considerably more time than learning to handle situations by rote. From that, conclusions might be drawn concerning mediating knowledge in classroom, or on designing complete curricula for engineering education