Lernens

Lernens is a multidisciplinary concept used in educational research to describe the ongoing process of acquiring knowledge, skills, and dispositions. The name derives from Lernen, the German word for learning, with the suffix -ens to indicate an active, process-oriented perspective rather than a static outcome.

Core ideas include active engagement, reflection, and feedback. Lernens emphasizes cognitive strategies such as retrieval practice and spaced repetition, metacognitive regulation, social interaction, and the role of context, tools, and technology in shaping learning trajectories.

The concept intersects with theories of constructivism and self-regulated learning. It highlights learner agency, goal setting, and adaptive support from instructional environments. Lernens is sometimes described as the integration of cognitive, affective, and motivational processes that guide task choice, persistence, and transfer of learning.

Applications include the design of digital learning environments, learning analytics, and competency-based curricula. By focusing on process, Lernens informs assessment approaches that track growth over time and provide timely feedback to optimize durable understanding.

Critics argue that Lernens risks vagueness if left as a broad umbrella term, potentially overlapping with existing concepts such as lifelong learning and self-regulated learning. Proponents maintain that it offers a cohesive frame for cross-disciplinary study and policy development.