learning@maricopa.edu / pubs / oct97 /
	Learning is Natural and Life-Long
The learners and the learning facilitators must be aware of the awesome power that can be released when learning works well. Terry O'Banion, League for Innovation in the Community College All human beings, by nature, desire to know. Aristotle, Philosopher In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists. Eric Hoffer, Author and Philosopher This characteristic of learning implies two things. First, it implies that learning is a natural condition of being human. Humans inherently look for opportunities to create meaning from new situations. Ewell (1997) adds, however, "an obvious, but often-overlooked, implication of this capacity is to recognize all situations and events as learning opportunities" (p. 6). The second implication of this characteristic is that learning can and should continue throughout a person's life. In fact, research has shown that new synaptic connections can continue to be generated and reused throughout the life cycle. The fact that learning should continue throughout our lives is also supported by findings in the world of work. The changing role of education and its impact on worker performance is cited in the 1991 SCANS report which states: A strong back, the willingness to work, and a high school diploma were once all that was needed to make a start in America. They are no longer. A well-developed mind, a passion to learn, and the ability to put knowledge to work are the new keys to the future of our young people, the success of our business, and the economic well-being of our nation (p. 1). To develop this idea further, Carol Twigg (1994) writes that "The Big Six" accounting firms have declared that no one can master the full content of a discipline in an undergraduate education. Rules change so fast that accountants must continually relearn them throughout their professional life. The Big Six want graduates not who know everything, but who have the capacity to learn (paragraph 5). While our students are biologically capable of learning and continuing to learn after they leave MCCD, this does not mean that they have the learning skills, attitude, or desire to do so. It is our responsibility as members of an educational system to help students develop the skills that will allow them to facilitate their own learning, challenge them with a multitude of learning opportunities, and help to create an excitement about learning that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
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