Completely limited?
My framing of human learning goes roughly like this:
1. When we are motivated to solve a particular problem, we can draw upon a multitude of “frames” (one example being metaphor, another being an equation, another being a visualization) to help us.
2. People sometimes cannot shift frames of reference effectively (i.e. perhaps fixating on only an few approaches). This is not the fault of the particular frame(s); this is a limitation in how people use them.
3. To our brains, almost everything is a “model” … a way of conceptualizing, deciding what to pay attention, what to ignore, what questions to ask, and when to recognize we aren’t getting anywhere.
4. Some models / metaphors are better than others for certain people and contexts.
- Some are better connected to other models, allowing more fluid thinking.
- Some are more rigorous.
- Some are simpler.
It depends on so many things.