Plain English Meaning

The basic traits of how people actually learn. The handbook lists four: people learn because they want something out of it, they learn by doing and experiencing, they learn many kinds of things at once (facts, skills, feelings, judgment), and they have to be actively involved -- not just listening passively.

Full Definition

The fundamental qualities that describe how human learning works. In the Aviation Instructor's Handbook, learning is described as having four characteristics: it is purposeful (the learner has a reason to learn), it is a result of experience (it comes from what the learner does, not just what is told to them), it is multifaceted (it involves verbal, conceptual, perceptual, motor, problem-solving, and emotional elements at the same time), and it is an active process (the learner must engage, not just sit and absorb).

Context Anchor

Seen in the Aviation Instructor’s Handbook when studying how to teach pilots effectively.