Technology Blog #4: Learning to Learn

    To me, Chapter 3 "Learning to Learn" in The Connected Educator makes clear the idea that true learning is a highly interactive, self-directed and collaborative process. To support the idea that people need to be viewed as "learners first," the chapter advocates that people should take full responsibility for their own professional development rather than rely strictly on traditional, non-interactive methods of education. The chapter supports its argument by introducing the idea of knowledge construction in terms of three interrelated levels of knowledge acquisition: knowledge for practice (the basic foundation level of knowledge), knowledge in practice (applied knowledge based upon direct practical experiences) and knowledge of practice (collaborative reflection and analysis resulting in new understanding or insights). Also, the chapter emphasizes the importance of developing learning connections within groups of learners that are willing to inquire, collaborate, and continue to learn, unlearn and relearn as part of the educational process.

    The concepts presented in this chapter are directly related to my future role as a structural engineer. As a structural engineer, the mastery of technical knowledge including physics principles, material characteristics, and design criteria will represent the knowledge for practice. Application of these technical foundations into the real world, i.e., the design of safe structures, bridges and infrastructure would exemplify the knowledge in practice level. At the knowledge of practice stage, structural engineers would be working collaboratively with architects, contractors, and others to assess/evaluate designs developed during previous projects, identify lessons learned from those experiences, and develop innovative solutions. Thus, successful careers in structural engineering depend heavily upon continued learning and adaptation to emerging technology, materials, and regulatory requirements.

    In addition, the chapter's focus on collaboration and connected learning communities parallels the team-based nature of structural engineering. Structural engineers typically do not work in isolation; rather they interact with multidisciplinary teams and professional organizations to leverage each other's expertise to address difficult-to-solve problems. The theme of unlearning and relearning is also especially relevant due to the ever-changing nature of the engineering profession. For example, Building Information Modeling (BIM), sustainability-focused design methodologies, and updates to local building codes all require structural engineers to continually update their skill sets. Therefore, by embracing a mind-set that reflects being a connected lifelong learner I believe I will be able to remain agile and innovative while ensuring that my skills remain current and that I am able to make meaningful contributions to safe and sustainable structural designs over my entire career.