Perception of learning can also influence current learning by helping students identify areas in their study where they need to improve. Sometimes, students may need help to see how their learning is making a difference in the real world. In these cases, they need to clearly understand how their previous learning relates to the subject matter they are now learning. In this way, students can identify how their prior knowledge has shaped their understanding of the subject matter they are learning now and determine how much they understand about a topic. When you start a new subject, you have yet to learn how much you will learn about it.