Through recollecting my student life although I’m still a student now, I think learning has its pathway depend on why people learn. There are two different start points, one is interest-driven, and another one is needs-driven. Let’s talk it separately.
Interest-driven learning
The interest-driven learning generally derive from personal demand of specific area knowledge. This demand may come from curiosity or stimulation. Once people interested in some thing, their passion will drive them to ask questions to expert, review literature, conduct experiments, search through search engines, and join in a related online learning community. All above activities are voluntary and learner-self centered. Teachers or experts, if occur, are not the “sage on the stage”, they only play as guider. The learning outcome of interest-driven learning may has more opportunities to be transferred to using in real life and work place, and learners more likely to act “learning to be”.
Requirement-driven learning
This type of learning happens in some common required courses, core course required by departments, schools, colleges, or employers, and required knowledge by instructors. Learners may not interested in those course but have to study it. In this way, teachers or experts generally in the center of learning. Learners may lack of passion and become passive during the learning. So, learning will not going beyond the course delivered or textbook content after instructors done with their lectures. Learners only ‘learning about’ what instructor want they learn.