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Re:What Does It Mean to Learn? by paulpauper on Monday September 02, 2024 @11:45AM (#41426417)
“The Importance of Being Educable,” he argues that it’s key to our success. When we think about what makes our minds special, we tend to focus on intelligence. But if we want to grasp reality in all its complexity, Valiant writes, then “cleverness is not enough.”

But isn't the ability to learn also a major component of IQ? "Educable” seems like the latest iteration of 'multiple intelligences' or the 'street smarts' vs. 'book smarts' distinction. It's yet another ill-defined concept that attempts to broaden the definition of intelligence to something that is more inclusive.

Re:What Does It Mean to Learn? by aithrowaway1987 on Monday September 02, 2024 @12:13PM (#41426638)
> But isn't the ability to learn also a major component of IQ?

Not sure what you mean by this - it's certainly not something a single-day IQ test could possibly measure! The primary reason IQ is a discredited measure of intelligence is that people are perfectly able to learn how to perform better on IQ tests - any supposed influence of "intelligence" on IQ scores is hopelessly confounded with how much you've practiced similar tests / trivial logic puzzles / etc.

This stuff about "attempts to broaden the definition of intelligence to something that is more inclusive" is backwards. The whole problem is that nobody has managed to scientifically define (let alone measure) intelligence in any vertebrate species. IQ is dangerously misleading precisely because it is so narrow: its precision makes claims about IQ seem quantitatively rigorous when they are qualitatively meaningless.

Re:What Does It Mean to Learn? by wouterjanl on Monday September 02, 2024 @12:12PM (#41426627)
The ‘ability to learn’ idea may not be so novel, but I am not sure if I agree with calling it ill defined or it having an agenda for more inclusivity. Generally, in schools, at least from my experience, it will still mostly be abstract thinking and memory capacities that are measured. Curiosity, and the ability to turn that curiosity in new knowledge, also broadens the mind (in addition to abstract thinking and remembering things), which can be an enormous quality that is highly valued on the job market, arguably more than what is mostly measured at schools. I think that’s the point the author tries to make.
Re:What Does It Mean to Learn? by uncle_charles on Monday September 02, 2024 @12:28PM (#41426759)
IQ is just the wrong way to approach the subject, to be honest. Metacognition plays the biggest role in learning by far and is trainable. But in order to think properly about your thinking, you need the requisite declarative, procedural, and conditional knowledge.

Most people, including "intelligent" people, have no clue how learning works. Learning scientists actually study student perceptions of their learning and learners are terrible at selecting appropriate learning techniques. Even when forced to use effective learning techniques, they rate the effective strategies (as determined by their outcomes) as least effective.

We need to start teaching people how learning works to begin with.