UNDERSTANDING- ("?")

 Almost all students have a knack of surprising their teachers just when the teachers start feeling that they know their students. The questions can be from any field and also without any particular reference or context. I realized this when one of my students approached me. He was visibly nervous and a little embarrassed. After a bit of small talk he asked “Sir, how do I know whether I have understood any concept or not?” I thought that he was pulling my leg so I just smiled. I also expected that he would disappear and that would be that.

 Not this time! He just lingered and expected an answer.

 I took a deep breath and prepared for the action. I asked him ‘why you say so’. He said very solemnly that after some time, understanding of everything goes away and the doubts persist. When in class, everything seems easy, but after some days the understanding tends to wither away. The problem to some extent seemed genuine and I felt that analysis would be in order.

 So I started to think and this is what emerged.

 1       Understanding as a term can be as in:

a.      The understanding as the basis of some process or a concept. It can be the basic premise or assumption.

b.     It can be comprehension.

c.      It can be as in understanding of mentality of a person.

d.     It can be as the ability to express or impress.

2                   Understanding,can also help in deciding what is wrong and what is right. This when extended forms the core activity of the management process, known as the Decision Making!

3                   Thomas Edison believed that the concept of understanding comes from the two simple words under and stand. When one acknowledges that he stands below someone or something else, he makes him receptive to obtain and retain information from it, thereby allowing for understanding to occur.   (Wikipedia)

When you start to find more about understanding it becomes tricky. Where understanding concludes is a difficult thing to decide, whereas the beginning of the understanding is comparatively easy. Is it enough if you are able to repeat what you have read? If this is true then almost all students would be declared as master understanders. In practice, we find that the understanding in such cases is extremely temporary and volatile.  It is common, these days to find that students rarely recall what they studied in the preceding session or semester.

Understanding can have two major parts and may be connected to the active and passive vocabulary of the students. When the teacher says something the students feel that they have understood. However, at a later stage when they are supposed to repeat the learnings, they find it difficult. That they seemingly understand is due to their passive vocabulary, but when they try to repeat, they are dependent on their not so rich active vocabulary. The result is not very encouraging. In the same context it needs to be mentioned that the understanding also is with respect to the time elapsed. What the students understand for one academic session they cannot retain. Again, it is something to do with the teaching methodology, capacity of the teachers to explain, evaluation methodology and the differential retention capacity of the students. The exams where verbatim repetition ensures more marks almost always fail to produce the long race horses.

In human interactions it is further difficult to really assess whether someone has understood anything or not. Why? Because, the humans can mimic the correct appearing responses and get away, leaving the person in charge with the egg on the face.  It is very dangerous if one has to plan on the basis of such a response. When actually needed for the doing phase in the future, very seldom these types are of any use.

Understanding can be knowing about the origin, scope, exceptions and application of a concept. When you start with the scratch you tend to realize the difficulties faced at that time, shortages of resources, very extreme conditions and it certainly helps one to appreciate the concept. The study of the scope gives you an idea of the total gamut and where else it can further grow. The exceptions give you the dependability of the concept and what different variations it may have. The application aspect is the most important of all things connected with understanding.

If one has to check whether or not he has understood anything or concept or a term he can do in a simple way. If he can define a term, find out the scope, limitations and finally the all important application of the term, he can say that he has grasped the term.

Is there a simple check list which tells you correctly whether you have or have not understood anything? Let us see!

1.     Can you make a gist of what you have read?

2.     Can you define the terms; explain the scope and importance of the chapter?

3.     Can you explain it to someone in your language?

4.     Can you apply it in the actual field?

5.     Can you relate it as a solution to a problem faced?

6.     Can you remember the examples given by the teacher?

7.     Can you draw a flow chart explaining the chapter?

8.     Can you solve all the questions printed at the end of the chapter?

9.     Do you know exactly what a particular job/ process needs from you?

10. Do you remember what you learnt in the first semester of MBA or BE?

11. What a manager does when faced with a problem?

When it comes to actually apply the understanding the difference between the boys and the men comes to light. To look for the pointers in the giving situation and apply them on a day to day basis is what we have to do whether as a manager or follower. One more important thing is not to forget that the process is more or less on a continuous basis rather than ad hoc basis. Further the understanding is not the constant but keeps on changing depending upon the different factors prevalent at the particular time. So in such a reference, understanding is relative.

What really matters is the ability to transfer, apply, utilize and further improve what you think you have understood. Understanding, in a practical world is simple. Can you produce desired results on the basis of what you have understood? If an ordinary person is conversant with game of chess, what he does on the 64 squares and with chess pieces is one thing and what the grand master does is totally different.  It is probably the difference in the level of understanding. The, chess board is same; pieces as well as the rules are same and YET the results are so vividly different.

When you understand such things as the above and their logic you can be sure that you are now a different person and can approach your life in new vibrant way. Remember, understanding is not what you want to say but it is to say what your teachers want as a correct answer. What you understand and in what way you are able to express decides your level of understanding.

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