What If Learning Looked Like This?

Imagine a learning model that truly embraces everyone. Not just different skills or grade levels, but also differences in culture, language, race, ability, and ways of thinking. That is the heart of what I call the HI Theory: Holistic & Inclusive Learning.

Instead of sticking to a single method, HI Theory draws from multiple influential learning theories: behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, and critical pedagogy and blends them into something that feels both deeply personal and universally human.

In this model, learning isn’t a one-size-fits-all system. It’s alive. It grows out of our experiences, cultures, reflections, and relationships. It’s not about memorizing facts. It is about building identity, critical thinking, and the agency to act in the world.

HI Theory sees learning as a dynamic, integrated process shaped by our cognitive diversity, social connections, cultural context, and emotional experiences. Above all, it is inclusive because learning should adapt to fit the learner, not the other way around.

Whether it is decoding patterns, telling your story, solving problems with friends, or challenging injustice, this theory recognizes that learning is complex and that’s exactly what makes it powerful.

Why I Envisioned the HI Theory

Working as a family facilitator and former teacher, I saw firsthand that something in the education system felt off. Teachers were overwhelmed. Parents were demanding change. Leaders seemed lost. I decided to step back from the day-to-day and started researching. I wanted to understand where education is headed and what it could be.

From this reflection and study, the HI Theory was born. It felt like a natural way to bring together my experiences and the research that echoed them: learning is complex, deeply human, and it needs to work for everyone.

I know there are many teaching methods out there. School districts often follow different philosophies and systems. That variety is beautiful, but we also need a shared understanding of the basics: what learning really is. That’s where the HI Theory comes in.

So, What Is Learning?

The definition of learning has evolved. Rooted in the Latin word “cognoscere” meaning to know or understand, learning has always been about growth. More recently, Schneider (2024) defined it as “the acquisition of knowledge by reasoning." As Freire (1970) reminded us, learning is not about passively receiving information (what he called the “banking model”). It’s about engaging, questioning, and thinking critically.

Neuroscience also contributes to this view. Keeling and Hersh (2012) describe learning as a neurobiological process, a physical, biological, energy-dependent activity, shaped by stimuli from our environment. In other words, learning isn’t just mental. It is also physical, social, and emotional. It involves energy, experience, and transformation. 

Why the Name HI Theory?

Holistic stems from a health-centered idea of looking at the whole person in balance with their environment. It means growth in every dimension - intellectual, emotional, and social. As Tina Martin (2024) put it, it “promotes continuous personal growth and development.”

Inclusive, as defined by Merriam-Webster, means “including everyone." Especially those historically excluded due to race, gender, age, language, disability, or socioeconomic background. Education should leave no one behind. It’s universal.

As Antoine Lavoisier once said, “Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.” So, let’s look at how early theories helped shape this transformation that I call the HI Theory.

Early Theories That Still Matter

Behaviorist B.F. Skinner (1953) showed us that repeated actions followed by rewards can shape habits. This is simple but effective. Just think of sticker charts or classroom incentives.

Then came Piaget (1952), who explained that we build mental models or “schemas” to understand the world. Bruner (1960) added the concept of scaffolding. Step-by-step support that helps learners move toward deeper understanding. This approach benefits everyone, especially multilingual and special education learners.

Vygotsky (1978) went further. Learning isn’t just individual, it’s social. We learn best when we work with someone more advanced than us. That’s what Vygotsky called the More Knowledgeable Other (MKO). Dewey (1938) reminded us to get our hands dirty because learning by doing is powerful. Visualize project-based activities with LEGO, models, or anything hands-on.

Freire (1970) urged us to connect learning with justice, helping learners develop “conscientização” - critical awareness. Ladson-Billings (1995) emphasized that learning should reflect our identities, cultures, and languages. That’s us improving society as its core.

Together, these theories laid the foundation for HI Theory.

Building the HI Theory

One major influence is Bloom’s Taxonomy. A model that outlines six levels of cognitive thinking, from remembering to creating. It helps us understand how knowledge is built and applied.

By building on Bloom’s levels, the HI Theory encourages educators to support all learners in progressing from surface learning to deeper engagement. This layered approach promotes equity by recognizing that students begin at different points, but all have the potential to grow toward critical thinking and creativity. It provides a structure that values both foundational knowledge and higher-order thinking, reinforcing the idea that learners should not only recall information but also analyze, evaluate, and create, skills essential for inclusive and transformative learning.

In practice, Bloom’s work has affinity with the early learning theories making a fantastic work together. Here are some examples:

• Creating a memory game or flashcards to recall key vocabulary (e.g., weather terms, historical dates, math formulas). This helps retrieve facts (Remember) and basic concepts through repetition and reinforcement, principles rooted in Behaviorism.

• Learners using (Apply) a math formula learned in class to calculate car financing, incorporating saving strategies. They harness stored knowledge to a real-world task, an approach aligned with Cognitivist and Situated Learning theories, which emphasize transfer of learning to meaningful, everyday contexts.

• Or designing (Create) a public awareness campaign (poster, video, or podcast) to address a local environmental issue. This project fosters creativity, problem-solving, and real-world application which are the principles in Constructivist and Culturally Responsive Teaching approaches.

Learning Is Messy, Beautiful, and for Everyone

Learning doesn't fit neatly into rows of desks or standardized boxes. It shows up in classrooms, conversations, mistakes, and moments of wonder. The HI Theory (Holistic & Inclusive) embraces this full spectrum of learning; honoring culture, creativity, collaboration, and the ever-changing world we live in. What follows are truths I’ve come to believe about learning. Truths that reflect who we are, how we grow, and what education can truly become.

Learning That Reflects Who We Are (Ladson-Billings, 1995) - We are not just brains. We are people shaped by where we come from, what we speak, and how we see the world. That’s why HI Theory insists on culturally responsive learning. When learners see themselves reflected in the curriculum, they become more engaged. When classroom knowledge connects to real life, learning becomes meaningful, and it sticks.

Learning That Transforms - Freire believed learning should change us and empower us to change the world. That’s why critical thinking and social awareness are central to HI Theory. Through storytelling, inquiry, and civic action, learners are invited to reflect, speak up, and make a difference.

Learning is not a Straight Line - Sometimes learning happens in the classroom. Sometimes it happens when a kid figures out fractions by slicing up a pizza at a party. Learning isn’t linear, it’s full of loops, detours, and surprises.

Learning in a Human and Digital World - In today's evolving landscape, learning must go beyond traditional content delivery. It must integrate technology, creativity, and a deep understanding of what it means to be human. In this vision, digital citizenship becomes just as important as reading or math. Learners need to learn how to think critically, use AI wisely, and project their voices in digital spaces with empathy and responsibility.

Learning is not Boring. Tech alone isn't enough. Learning thrives through a diversity of mediums and activities: books, crafts, videos, interviews, hands-on projects, field trips, internships, apprenticeships and much more. These experiences bring emotional resonance, awaken motivation, and build soft skills like confidence, empathy, resilience, and reflection.

Learning With and From Each Other - Humans are social creatures. We’re wired to learn together. That’s the best part. Have friends. Have mentors, coaches, teachers. Talk to experts.

Learning is Everywhere - To truly support all learners, we must recognize the value of formal, informal, and spontaneous learning. Whether it’s sparked in a classroom, during a museum visit, or over a kitchen table conversation. Learning is an integrative and contextual process. That means teachers must be constantly learning too, through immersive training, in-locus learning labs, and collaborative reflection.

Learning Demands Change – For learning to be sustainable, educational policies, curriculum standards, classroom design, and teacher preparation must be regularly updated. Another important point is that we need new, holistic ways to assess learning. Ones that honor creativity, progress, and growth over time, not just test scores. Learning is a progression, and so our systems must be too.

Learning That is Alive - When we combine the best of behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, critical theory, and culturally responsive practices, we do not just build a learning theory, we build a living one because I am sure more will continue to emerge. Let’s stop trying to make all learners fit one mold. Instead, let’s build systems that grow and evolve around them. Learning is as complex as the learner themselves.

HI Theory embraces all that. It sees learning as lifelong, stretching from birth to old age, from doodles in a notebook to bold speeches at a rally.

That’s holistic. That’s inclusive. That’s HI Theory.

References

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Brown, J. S., & Duguid, P. (2000). The social life of information. Harvard Business Press.

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Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. Macmillan.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Herder and Herder.

Gay, G. (2000). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. Teachers College Press.

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https://doi.org/10.1080/00405849509543675

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Image Credits & References

GDJ. (n.d.). Lovely education concept with flat design [Vector graphic]. Freepik. https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/lovely-education-concept-with-flat-design_2889504.htm

Pch.Vector. (n.d.). Multicultural people standing together [Vector graphic]. Freepik. https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/multicultural-people-standing-together_9176081.htm

Oregon State University Ecampus. (2024). Bloom’s taxonomy revisited (Version 2) [Infographic]. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). https://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/faculty/artificial-intelligence-tools/blooms-taxonomy-revisited/

ChatGPT. (2025). A diagram of the core principles: HI Theory [AI-generated graphic]. Hi Theory. [Unpublished graphic]