Teaching and Learning - Essay Example

In this respect, the holistic learning models are more comprehensive learning models, which recognizes that learning is not enough and cannot be effective, when it entails teaching only the mind (Conlan, Grabowski & Smith, 2003). The holistic learning models recognizes that the body, the spirit and the emotions play a vital role in determining the learning process of an individual, through playing the facilitative role of creating a favorable and enabling learning environment that connects the mind, the body and the emotions (Stewart, 2001).

On the other hand, when the emotions and the spirit are ignored in the learning process, leaving only the body as the major learning component, these factors will influence the body negatively and thus hinder the mind from concentration and understanding, which are the two essential components of effective learning (Kilgore, 2001). Thus, under the holistic learning models, the guiding principle for effective learning has always been the philosophy that; if learners enjoy the learning and likes the complementary activities that are associated with the learning, they are likely to pay more attention to the learning process, and thus learn and understand better (Conlan, Grabowski & Smith, 2003).

Further, the holistic learning models philosophy holds that if learners are motivated, they will work harder and better, which will give more positive results. Finally, the principle guiding the holistic learning models is the fact that, if learners can encode the information learnt more easily, they will be in a better position to recall it easily, and thus will be able to learn and understand better (Knowles, wanson & Holton, 2011). Therefore, to achieve the above three philosophies of effective learning, the holistic learning models has established six major factors that are essential for