A learner combines her or his previous schemas or modifies them as per new experiences. The process of combining or modifying existing schemas to arrive at new schemas is known as

Modifying existing schemas to form new ones is accommodation.

Assimilation fits new information into existing schemas unchanged.

Adaptation is the wider process combining assimilation and accommodation.

Equilibration balances assimilation and accommodation.

Accommodation occurs when old schemas cannot handle new experience.

Piaget described these processes in cognitive development.