Education vs Learning
Education and Learning are two words that are often confused due to the closeness in their meanings though there is a difference between them. Therefore, they are to be looked upon as two different words with different meanings. Education in the modern society plays a vital role. Through schools and various institutions, formal education is provided to the student. In this sense, education can be defined as the process of giving intellectual and moral instructions to an individual. It involves the transmission of knowledge from one person to another. Education in this sense has more extrinsic value to the individual, whereas in learning it is quite different. Learning can be defined as the process of gaining knowledge. This comes from within the individual unlike in the case of education. Through this article let us examine the difference between the two words.
What is Education?
First let us begin with education. As mentioned earlier education is the process of giving intellectual and moral instructions to an individual. In any society, education plays a significant role. Mainly education has two functions. They are the,
The conservative function of socializing the younger generation.
The creative function which allows the child to develop his faculties so that he can bring about social change.
The conservative function of education is equivalent to the socialization process, where the child is acculturated. The creative function, however, goes against this conservative function as it allows the child to develop his cognitive capacities so that he can challenge the existing beliefs.
Education as a process is not confined to the school alone. Education takes place through the influence of various social agents. For instance, one’s religion and media can all act as social agents that transmit knowledge to the child. Unlike in the past, in the modern world formal education is widespread. This includes not only instruction in various disciplines, but also examinations where the child is being pushed towards appreciating the extrinsic motivation. Also, formal education is vital today for various job opportunities as well. Education should not be confused with learning.
What is Learning?
Learning can be defined as the process of gaining knowledge. Unlike in the case of education that is imposed on the younger generation through various societal mechanisms such as schools, learning takes place through individual effort more than external pressure. It is believed that learning is a process that continues throughout the human life. Learning curve of an individual expands beyond the mere acquisition of knowledge of academic disciplines and embraces skills, values, and behaviors as well.
As we grow up, we acquire new experiences and are exposed to various situations. These are also a part of learning. Learning usually creates a change in the individual or at least a modification of an existing set of beliefs. Psychologists believe that learning can occur both consciously and unconsciously. According to educational psychologists, learning can occur through various methods such as conditioning and vicarious learning. Children learn new things through observation. The world around the child fascinates him, making him eager to learn new things. As the child grows up, learning centers on various situations that the child encounters and also his interests. This highlights that education and learning are two different concepts that should not be used interchangeably.
What is the difference between Education and Learning?
• Definitions of Education and Learning:
• Education is the process of giving intellectual and moral instructions to an individual.
• Learning can be defined as the process of gaining knowledge.
• Transmission of Knowledge:
• Education involves the transmission of knowledge from one generation to another.
• Learning does not involve the transmission of knowledge from one generation to another.
• Internal vs External:
• Usually learning stems from the individual himself.
• Education comes from external social agents.
• Period:
• Education can be limited to a number of years.
• Learning occurs throughout the lifespan of an individual.
• Conformity:
• Education can work as a mechanism for conformity, but learning does not.
Images Courtesy:
- Wikimania Education Session by Habib M’henni (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- A Ladies Learning Code workshop in Toronto by FlickreviewR (CC BY 2.0)