Repository | Book | Chapter

Chapter Two addresses the foundational question, "What is learning?" The chapter considers the nature of learning as it is lived by human beings, including its typological variants, relying on phenomenological description and intuitive discernment rather than "defining" learning theoretically or operationally from without. There have been several descriptive phenomenological streams of investigation in the area of learning, beginning in the 1960s and continuing on into the new millennium. This chapter integrates relevant insights derived from these research efforts and concludes with a summative overview forecasting upcoming chapters. It is shown that learning, as a transformative encounter with the novel, has deeply personal and interpersonal implications that call for continued investigation.

DOI: 10.1057/978-1-349-95204-5_2

Full citation: