Dr Shiam Chuttoo

How people really learn: my LEARN Model

I saved a chart called Psychological Foundations of Curriculum. It shows four big ideas about how people learn. Reading it took me straight back to my PGCE, and to my years teaching at Waltham Forest College, part-time from 2002 and as a lecturer from 2003.

The four rooms

Behaviourism (Pavlov, Skinner, Thorndike) says behaviour is shaped by repetition and reward. Think of the progress chart and the words “great job”.

Cognitivism (Piaget, Bruner, Gagné) says learning is about organising and storing information. The teacher builds scaffolds and concept maps that link new ideas to old ones.

Constructivism (Vygotsky, Piaget, Dewey) says learners build their own understanding by doing things together. Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development is the gap a learner can cross with a little help.

Humanism (Maslow, Rogers) looks at the whole person. Before anyone can grow, they need to feel safe, fed and valued.

Why I use all four

In my classroom I had nursing students and mature learners, and each of them learned in a different way. There are different types of learner, so I adopted an eclectic model and used whichever room the learner needed. As an assessor and a sign-off mentor I saw the same thing on placements. A frightened student learns very little until the fear is dealt with.

I also present my work as models with acronyms, so people can remember them and use them without me. Teach a man to fish. Most of my students liked this method, and it is how this blog is built too.

My LEARN Model

L	Link the new to the known. Start from what the learner already knows and build a scaffold from there (cognitivism).
E	Encourage every step. Praise effort, track progress and reward small wins (behaviourism).
A	Act it out together. Let learners practise, experiment and help one another across the gap (constructivism).
R	Respect the whole person. Check they feel safe and valued before you ask them to stretch (humanism).
N	Name it so it sticks. Give the learning a short name or acronym they can carry out of the room.

Whether you teach a class, coach a team or raise a child, walk through all four rooms. The learner will show you which door to open first.

Pass it on, and let us learn together. If this post spoke to you, please share it with someone who needs it, and join my discussion group, where we talk these ideas through together. Tell me what you would like me to research next, perhaps something on teaching, learning or coaching: suggest a topic here. My other models are on my My Models page.

How I prepare my work. I prepare my work using every tool available to me: Google, Microsoft Word, and AI tools such as Claude and ChatGPT. The experience behind each piece is my own. I write as a former CEB lineman, a nurse, a social worker, a lecturer and a life coach, and as a man who lives between English, French and Hindi.

A word of caution. This blog is for education only. It is not medical, psychological or legal advice. Make sure you understand any technique before you use it, and remember you are responsible for your own actions. If you are struggling, please contact your GP or a health professional. © Dr Shiam Chuttoo 2026. The LEARN Model (L Link the new to the known, E Encourage every step, A Act it out together, R Respect the whole person, N Name it so it sticks) is his original work. Credit line: Source: Dr Shiam Chuttoo, The LEARN Model, 2026. Use only with his permission or with clear credit to him. Work record: Ref DSC-BLOG-041126-04. Title: Four Rooms of Learning. Author: Dr Shiam Chuttoo. Created 4.11.26. All rights reserved.