Part 1
Learning Theories
Learning, by dictionary definition, is the action of the verb “learns” which in turn means to acquire knowledge. It also means the action of acquiring instructions or, again, knowledge. The way people learn however, differ between persons. Some learn through words, others through experience, some do it by remembering and burning it into their memories, some by observing and some are born simply with the gift of quick understanding .
How a person learns has been one field of education that has been changing since it came to the attention of the human race that learning is different for people. The subject is a very ripe field as it has been changing since it was first recognized due to the fact that society and people in general, change as time goes by. Regardless, there are five paradigms where every theory of learning has fallen into. To date, these five paradigms are behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, design based and humanism .
Behaviorism can be seen as a principle that is based on the tabula rasa principle of the philosophers Aristotle and John Locke where a person is born in a “blank state” and everything that he or she learns comes from an outside factor . Under this paradigm, some of the most famous learning theories exist such as the Social Learning Theory. Behaviorism believes that a person learns by how he or she is taught. While the finer points of each theory under it may differ, they all have one thing in common; they all accept the fact that there are only two types of reinforcement when it comes to learning: positive and negative .
Cognitivism in turn is the direct opposite of behaviorism . Behaviorism believes that the person is simply responding to stimuli of the outside world, cognitivism believes that the information must first be processed and numerous outcomes can be observed even if the same information is fed to two different people. This paradigm includes different theories about learning such as the cognitive load theory and the schema theory which all include the idea that the human being (specifically the brain) is akin to a processor which will extrapolate its own results from the world around it rather than just reacting to it .
Constructivism in turn is as the name says; it follows the belief that all new knowledge is “constructed” from prior knowledge . It is a paradigm that believes that a person is not a “blank” when he or she is learning something, instead a person is constantly trying to understand it in their own way by aligning the information they are hearing now with experiences and what they know from the past thereby, everyone has their own interpretation of a given situation. As social interaction in crucial in any theory of constructivism, this paradigm, while not the first, is based on social theories such as the social development theory of Vygotsky and discovery learning by Jerome Bruner .
Design Based Research Model (DBRM) follows the belief that research alone, or studying the subject in a theoretical setting is not enough to grasp the ideal, one must be able to apply it in a realistic setting in the real world before knowledge is earned. This paradigm holds the belief that there is no sense in studying something if the information is not feasible in the setting of the real world. Like the other paradigms, DBRM has a great number of theories it point such as the elaboration theory and the ADDIE model of instructional design which all accept that research is separated from practice which results in incomplete knowledge and the loss of factors that are relevant in predictions .
Humanism centers on, quite obviously, humans . This paradigm holds to the belief that learning requires a person to know about themselves first before being able to learn about anything else . It is the set of beliefs that a person does not learn by simply reacting to a certain action (as behaviorism believes that a person is simply responding to causality) but rather a person acquires knowledge differently as he or she grows as what they want (self-actualization) becomes different, so do the different aspects of their life such as socialization. This paradigm is best supported by theories such as Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the self-determination theory and experiential learning .
Reflection
There are many other theories that do not fall into the five paradigms listed above such as descriptive and meta theories, the affordance theory and identity theories, and while they were not covered, what is important in all of these theories is their common goal: to make it easier for a person to learn .
Personally however, my own way of learning is an anagram of quite a few different theories. There are times when one theory seems to fit better into how I study and then there are other times when it does not seem to be able to apply to me. An example of this is found in constructivism, DBRM and humanism. At times, I can overcome the hierarchy of needs when I can still learn even on an empty stomach. At other times, I require an example which is set in real life before I find interest in the topic even when all my basic needs are met and at other times, no matter the amount of examples or food and sleep I get, I still won’t be able to understand the topic if I cannot relate it to my own stock of knowledge.
Self-Reflection: the definition
Self-reflection, or introspection as dictionaries would define it, is a time when a person looks “inward” to answer a series of vital questions that is important for a person’s growth. Even if the answers are only applicable to the person alone, the point of self-reflection is still not lost. The difficulty level of self-reflection depends on the person itself. There are numerous factors to consider, such as the person’s state of mind which can be detrimental to the effects of self-reflection. This is not to say that there are certain people that cannot do it, as a person will have done it at least once in their life, the problem truly lies in the choice of actually doing it .
Like the difficulty of starting a self-reflection session, the benefits of self-reflection is also affected by different factors such as, again, the person’s state of mind, the choice of accepting what they hear (as a person can tune out their own inner voice if they do not like what they are hearing) and the revelations about themselves that they may not like. Regardless of this however, there are certain benefits of introspection that is prevalent in everyone who does it.
One of this is a clearer state of mind as the person has been able to answer a question that has been bothering them for some time. This itself has a domino effect on the other aspects of a person’s life such as the way they talk, the confidence that they exhume, the way that they interact and their basic disposition in life. Furthermore, introspection automatically leads to self-awareness. A person who is self-aware has been shown to be more productive as they know what it takes to make themselves work or how to trick themselves into doing work that they don’t like or even using a new skill that they did not know they possessed to solve a problem in a new way .
Self-Reflection
Personally, I do not find it hard to practice introspection as it is the easiest way to apply the principle of thinking on the solution and no the problem. The benefits I find from it is as simple and as direct as the benefits that was listed above, it does help clear the mind, it helps you compartmentalize your problems and it basically gives you time to think on the possible solutions to the problems that you face without the idea of someone else changing the way you think which in my opinion, is the entire point of introspection in the first place, to have a meaningful conversation with yourself without the risk of looking or even literally going crazy.
Part 2
Approach to the Module
At the time of introduction, I had a hard time grasping the more intrinsic patterns of retailing. I found it difficult to believe that, at times, business could look quite evil, in a sense that it “tricks” an already gullible group of people that retailing is making their lives easier with easy access such as the internet when in the long run, it seems that these channels are not truly beneficial to the customer (as they tend to grow lazy and fat) and only beneficial to the business owner.
In time however, I found out (through the different assignments that were given) that this was not the case. While people may turn fat and lazy because of some of the more convenient channels of retailing, this is no longer covered by the social responsibility of the business as the act of avoiding the traps of fatness and laziness is for the customer to decide. Retailing has already made their lives easier, they just need to know when and where to stop.
Multi-channel Retailing
Online retailing has some of the most obvious advantages for both customers and providers alike. For one, business is open 24/7 even when the physical store is closed. A website is cheaper to run than a store, and also cheaper to get to and perhaps one of the most obvious advantage is the fact that the customers around the world are reached despite the physical distance in between.
Stores in turn are the more traditional aspects of retailing. While there are new ways to sell the products, good old fashion store is still one of the best ways to go. For one, it builds a rapport towards customers. Two, it makes it easier for customers to see that the business is in fact legitimate and not some scam that is pulled off on the internet and there is less hassle in putting up a store than delivering the goods to the customers in online retailing as you no longer have to pay for shipping, the fact that the package might be lost, the mistaken address and whatnot .
Catalogue retail in turn has three main benefits, convenience, safety and visual presentation. Convenience lies in the fact that the customer can shop at any time, in any place, even without the ability to go online or to the store itself. Safety for the customer in turn is felt in the fact that the customer can do his or her shopping within the confines of their own home and finally, visual presentation talks about the fact that the business can showcase their merchandise in the best way possible which is not an option in store retailing .
The fact of the matter is, all three channels provide their own sense of pros and cons. By using all three, the chances of overcoming these hindrances in all three fields increase by the fact that another can help cover the problem of one. For instance, retail stores cannot proved the comfort of online or catalogue retailing, while online retailing does not guarantee that the business will not have to pay more than what it really is supposed to when it comes to responsibility of the package .
Furthermore, multi-channel retailing also provides more in customer care as they now have more ways to get to the item they wish to purchase. They now lose the excuses of not buying something from the retailer due to inconvenience on their part. This also provides more customer services as the retailer can now be reached in more than one channel of communication and from what I’ve learned; successful multi-channel retailing lies in the ability of a person to multitask or barring this, placing competent people in the different fields.
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Retailing Strategies
In simple terms, a retail strategy is the way the business will mean to offer its products or services to the customers it has. This can be simple store location or the long term goal of the retail store. It can also include plans on how to attract customers, signs, witty slogans and advertising .
The best way to pull of any retail store is its resilience to the times when it comes to the way things are handled, the image, however, must go along with the times. In this sense, if the business is well known for taking care of its customers, then this is a trait that must be kept at all times. What must adapt is the company’s product itself, or the quality of the suppliers and other short term variables like cost control and management .
Conclusion
At the end of the day, what I learned here in this module is more than just retailing, but rather, how I can apply this in life and not just in business. While business may seem like kneeling to all the whims and desires of the customers, a true student of business will realize that this is not true, even in retailing.
Retailing is about getting along with people, not just the customers or the suppliers, but people in general. It’s about applying your social suave in a way that makes you money but more importantly, it’s about finding ways to keep things interesting in an everyday situation where a new result must come out of the same permutation.
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