What is learning?

I think this is a question that every educator needs to ask themselves. I really thought about this for a long time and even checked the dictionary just to see what it said.
Learning- defined in the dictionary is to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience. I had to think about this because as with most definitions in the dictionary we don't understand the definition they give us. The first part that I noticed was the part about "to gain knowledge or understanding". If this definition had stopped at to gain knowledge I would not have considered that learning because students can memorize and gain knowledge but have not done any true learning. I feel that true learning comes in the understanding. Students have to understand what they are doing to have long lasting learning. For example students can memorize multiplication facts but if they do not have the true understanding then I feel they have not really learned but memorized. Those memorized facts will likely not be long term knowledge but short term. But with understanding, the knowledge is long term and they can apply that understanding to other similar problems. I guess I am saying you can not have true learning without understanding. I also thought about how student memorize all of the information in science and social studies but if they do not have understanding of why these things happened or what was happened to cause things then I feel they have truly not learned. Another member of my group also helped me think about not just the understanding that students have to have but the application of the knowledge makes learning occur. If we constantly "TEACH" students things but never give them time to practice or apply this learning then they will more than likely not have permanent learning. Most of our learning comes from our experiences.