In the effort to meet No Child Left Behind mandates as well as to increase performance through corporate training and development, how to make students or participants learn continues to vex highly trained educators and professional facilitators. From my 25 plus years of experience in business and education, I have come to accept and believe in these 10 Universal Laws of Learning.

Universal Learning Law #1 - Learning is an innate desire within ALL human beings.

Universal Learning Law #2 - Learning is multi-dimensional for ALL human beings.

Universal Learning Law #3 - Learning is an ongoing process for ALL human beings.

Universal Learning Law #4- Learning is a separate behavior from performance. Learning is the acquisition of knowledge. Performance is the application of knowledge.

Universal Learning Law #5 - Learning needs to be relevant to each individual based upon his or her existing experiences or schema.

Universal Learning Law #6 - Learning is a bridge between new information and the students' or participants' existing schema.

Universal Learning Law #7 - Each learning objective requires a one to one correspondence to each testing statement to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction.

Universal Learning Law #8 - Learning is delivered in short sessions to allow time for interaction between students or participants.

Universal Learning Law #9 - Learning must avoid the "Osmosis Factor" where a presumption exists that the students or participants will acquire certain knowledge and skills without direct instruction.

Universal Learning Law #10 - The brain will only absorb what the butt will endure.

Word Count: 245 words Copyright 2005(c) Leanne Hoagland-Smith, M.S.

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