Adam Grace

3/10/2015
Learning Episode Paper
Why We Learn
If theres one thing that humans desire most, its the accumulation of information.
And if history has shown us anything, its that were really damn good at it. From what
we know as of now humans have been writing things down for thousands of years, and
drawing for tens of thousands. This shows that we not only love to know, but we love to
share this knowledge. There must be some aspect of our dna that compels us to share and
teach like we do. Possibly some sort of sharing gene that, when activated, fills us with
a sense of fulfillment and purpose. In any case, teaching and learning are fundamental
aspects to the human experience, and have been present in us since the dawn of our
existence.
Learning is the stuff that fuels the engines of generations. Its the thing that puts a
glimmer of curiosity in the eyes of many. And above all else, its a strange process. My
first and foremost claim is that learning is a different procedure for everyone. There isnt
one specific way of learning and gaining knowledge that will work across the board. For
example, in my observation I noticed that my subject, Joe, didnt seem to follow the
video games instructions that were given. Instead of following many of the instructions,
Joe often tried to figure out the puzzles using his own methods. This may be accounted to
Joes past in video games. Joe is an avid gamer and so many of the basics of the game
were already set up in his expectations when he began playing. Joe had already known

how to move, operate the cameras, and activate certain buttons before the game had
taught him, due to his history in gaming. So its entirely possible that Joe was able to
infer how to solve certain puzzles by drawing from those expectations. Similarly, John
Dewey talks about this phenomenon in his paper entitled: The School and Social
Progress. Dewey speaks about how the current school system only favors the child
interested in learning solely for the sake of learning. The subjects taught in classes have
no foreseeable relation to real life for the children, and the school system seems to be
completely separate from society when, ideally, they should intermingle. Dewey states,
Under the industrial regime described, the child, after all, shared in the work, not for the
sake of sharing, but for the sake of the product, (Dewey 32). The problem with our
current school system is the fact that it only favors one specific type of learning method.
Learning for the sake of the product, to regurgitate the information without any
processing. But learning isnt that simple. True learning takes processing time, and actual
involvement of both the teacher, and student. A better solution to this problem would be
for the school system to understand that learning isnt something that can be solved with
a simple equation. The fact that learning is different for everyone should be kept in mind
when putting together curriculums and classes. While its realistically improbable that
this problem would have a perfect solution, its something that can definitely be improved
on.
My second claim involves guided participation. In my observation I noticed quite
a few times that the game was instructing Joe in very subtle ways. In my observation,

within the game there was a narrator/instructor. At times the narrator chimed in to help
out the player in certain ways. When Joe was stuck on some puzzles, the narrator often
commented with a hint to solve the puzzle. Without giving the puzzle away, the narrator
gave cryptic clues that possibly just swayed Joe towards certain conclusions. Joe
dissected these clues as he was playing and used them to solve the puzzles, and also
further his understanding of how the game worked. This seems to show that guiding a
learner instead of directing them can lead to them receiving a deeper understanding of
what theyre learning about.
Rogoff also mentions this in his paper on guided participation. For example, in an
observational study conducted in middle class America, a mother sat her child in front of
a pile of toys. Instead of directly giving the child certain toys, the mother simply put toys
that she knew the child liked next to the child. The mother also placed these toys in such
a manner that they would be easily grabbed by the child. In a similar study, parents who
read to their children were often found to let the child eventually start reading more. They
also began asking questions to their children about things that were related to the subject
in the book, but not necessarily in the book. For example if there was a picture of a bee a
mother would ask, What do bees make?. The parents often avoid explicitly giving the
answer away, as when the child is participating they are more likely to absorb the

information successfully. Additionally, while I didnt mention it within the observation, I

seemed to pick up on a lot of small parts of the game and, if given the chance, would be
able to play it with ease simply from watching Joe play it. Rogoff comments on this
regarding blacksmith apprentices, Rather than relying on explanations to organize their
learning, apprentices may be skilled in picking up information through watching,
sometimes even without carrying out the central features of the task, (Rogoff 324).
My third, and final, claim is that learning is a method of giving purpose to an
otherwise seemingly meaningless existence. Humans strive not only to learn the factual
basis of all life, but also aim to answer the more philosophical questions that life has
presented. As Moje states, its all about being part of the story. Mojes various studies on
the literacy of gangs had found that the reason for the gang affiliates joining of the gangs
was due to their want for a purpose. Being within a gang gives a strong sense of
community and function. Humans are social animals, so we are required to be a part of
social settings to get any kind of fulfillment. While I didnt directly find anything of this
sort in my personal observation, I can assume that Joe has had a similar experience in his
life. While Joe isnt in any kind of gang, or affiliated with any gang, he is very present
within a strong community of people who partake in video games. When Joe began
playing the game for my observation, it was obvious that he had experience with video

games before. As I stated before, Joe automatically knew how to control the character and
knew many of the fundamentals of the game. I assume that Joe had this knowledge from
playing video games in the past. And Joe didnt learn these skills entirely by himself.
There are many communities around the globe that are involved in video games such as
arcades to large groups on the internet. Not unlike how the gangsters in Mojes study had
learned to tag through community involvement, Joe had learned how to game through his
community involvement. Joe simply wanted to be part of the story as well. I draw this
parallel because this type of behavior can be seen in any community across the world.
From the streets of the Bronx to the mountains of the Himalayas to the living rooms of
middle class America, learning and sharing gives purpose and meaning to life.

Citations

Rogoff, B. (1993). Learning Through Guided Participation in Cultural Endeavors. In Guided

participation in cultural activity by toddlers and caregivers. Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago.

Dewey, J. (1915). The School and Social Progress. In The School and Society (Rev. ed.).
Chicago, Ill.: The University of Chicago Press.

Moje, E. (n.d.). "To Be Part of the Story": The Literacy Practices of Gangsta
Adolescents.Teachers College Record, 651-690.