Research is Learning

RESEARCH IS LEARNING

Do you know what a paradigm is? It’s a little bit abstract, but it’s basically a set of thoughts and ideas that create a certain way to understand something. For example, have you ever been asked the question, “Are you looking at the glass half full, or half empty?” This question helps you define what mindset, or paradigm, you view the world through: optimistic or pessimistic.

Sometimes in life, our views shift, and often these shifts can be massive, like when Copernicus helped people understand that the earth is not the center of the solar system; the sun is, or the realization that the earth is, in fact, not flat: it’s a sphere (or if you want to be technical, it’s an oblate spheroid).
Anyways…

What does this have to do with research? What does this have to do with getting your homework done?

Here’s the deal: The way we view research and writing drastically changes the way we work, and we believe that a certain mindset will help you approach your research in a better and easier way. Other paradigms can make things harder on you. So we want you to approach research with the right mindset. It’ll make it more enjoyable and help you develop the skills to navigate this crazy age of information.

Download a transcript of the video here.

Download a transcript version of the slides here.

Being assigned to research a topic and then write a paper can seem scary at times, but thinking of research as a learning opportunity will help the process be a lot more natural and enjoyable. If you see research as learning, you may actually enjoy writing your paper.

As we seek to view research as learning, it is valuable to make sure we are seeking accurate information. Learning new things takes effort. Don’t waste your energy filling your brain with false information. The next section will be about the value of seeking truth.