Learning theories are the framework that describe how different materials are absorbed, processed, and recollected during the process of learning. One theory of learning focuses on learning as a form of recollection composed of student's past experiences and knowledge. Plato, John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking have written about this theory. In Plato's "The Meno" (1956), he proposes that learning is a process of recollecting knowledge brought about by prior experiences or questioning. .
In the article "Learning: From Speculation to Science"," Bransford (2000) claims that learners construct new knowledge based on what they already know, even if the prior information is a misconception. Both authors argue that knowledge comes from within the learner and people are born with knowledge that they continue to develop. On the other hand, the authors differ on the methods used to uncover knowledge. .
Plato's "The Meno," emphasizes the idea of learning as a process of recollecting knowledge through questioning and discovery. "The Meno" is a dialogue between Socrates and a character named Meno, who discuss whether virtue can be taught. Socrates attempts to define virtue by questioning Meno, a person who claims to know the term's meaning. Socrates claims that the soul is immortal and therefore is full of knowledge. He states, "Thus the soul, since it is immortal and has been born many times, and has seen all things both here and in the other world, has learned everything that .
is." (Plato, 1956, p. 129) Thus, Plato (1956) is declaring that the soul is the source of knowledge for the learner. Plato expands on this declaration by having Socrates question a slave boy about a geometry problem. Socrates' questions help the boy discover the answer about a concept he believed not to be cognizant of. This experience highlights the notion Plato espouses: that learning the truth is the soul recollecting what it has learned before its human birth.
