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Helping Students Learn to Learn:Helping Students Learn to Learn:

Helping Students to AchieveHelping Students to AchieveHigher Level Learning OutcomesHigher Level Learning Outcomes

Angela Ho, EDCChan Chi Hung, Learning to Learn Project

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What Deficiencies in Cognitive Learning do Students Have?

What can the interview excerpts tell us?

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Deficiencies in Cognitive Learning Demonstrated by Many Students Lacking thinking abilities, resulting in

Reliance on memorization, frequently without understanding, leading to

Giving ‘quantitative answers’ which stuff in as much information as possible, instead of producing ‘quality answers’ which demonstrate understanding

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Students have expressed the need for “improving our thinking process” To know the aims of learning To set learning goals Improve our thinking process Skills to answer questions Learn to apply in daily life To know more about real world situations How to learn efficiently & effectively, i.e. less time to learn more, less

effort to get more returns Learn the different ways for learning different subjects e.g. ICT, IT

(Perceived needs for Learning to Learn, ENGL, 2001)

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For the Success of Your StudyFor the Success of Your Study

Addressing the issues of

Deficiency in higher order thinking abilities Reliance on memorization of information Answers which resemble a ‘laundry list’

which shows little understanding

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What is Learning?

What is a Good Answer?

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Underpinning theories Conceptions of learning

Quantitative conceptionQuantitative conception: increase in knowledge

Qualitative conceptionQualitative conception: achieve genuine understanding

Approaches to learning Concept: deep approach VS surface approachdeep approach VS surface approachInstrument: Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ)Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ)

SOLO taxonomy

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SOLO Taxonomy (Biggs & Collins, 1982)(Structure of the Observed Learning Outcomes)

Extended abstract Relational Multistructural Unistructural Prestructural

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Low level answers and High level answers

Unrelated DetailsReproduce as many points as possibleReproduce as many points as possible from the notes or the textbook whether with understanding or not.

Relational UnderstandingThe answer should be able to give a meaningful explanationmeaningful explanation of the topic, showing how things are relatedrelated and appliedapplied.

Extended ideasThe answer contains original ideasoriginal ideas of the student in addition to showing a deep understandingdeep understanding of the topic.

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Improving to Higher Level Answers

Unrelated Details

Relational Understanding

Extended Ideas

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Improving from Unrelated Details to Relational Understanding (p.5)

Unrelated Details

Relational Understanding

Improving from Improving from Unrelated details to Unrelated details to Relational UnderstandingRelational Understanding

Quantity of Quantity of informationinformation

As much as possible

adequate Spend more time on thinkingthinking.

Do NOT simply memorise

Relevance of Relevance of informationinformation

Irrelevant info also included

relevant - Think about meaning - Clarify relationship - Organise into a meaningful structure - Avoid listing facts as unconnected points

Organization Organization of of information information

- lack structure- lack linkage- not addressing key issue

- coherent structure- show relationship- focus on question asked

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Improving from Relational Understanding to Extended Ideas (p.6)

Relational Understanding

Extended Ideas

Improving from Improving from Relational UnderstandingRelational Understanding to Extended Ideasto Extended Ideas

UnderstandingUnderstanding Understand the topic

Able to relate to other topics

- Relate to previous knowledge - Relate theories to experience - try to form own conceptual framework for Integrating knowledge

- read widely

- discuss with others- reflect on past experience- brainstorm ideas

CoverageCoverage What has been taught

Go beyond what has been taught

Structure of Structure of the answerthe answer

Similar to what is taught

Develop new structure

Problem Problem solvingsolving

Able to solve similar problems

Able to solve new problems

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Think in this way !

Relational Relational Understanding Understanding

Contrast Compare Analyze Explain Relate Apply

Extended Extended IdeasIdeas

Reflect Generalize Recommended Hypothesize Theorize

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To achieve ‘Relational Understanding’ – Think in this way!Think in this way!

Thinking Thinking tasktask

Do thisDo this How well How well am I doing?am I doing?

ExampleExample on pageon page

CompareCompare Show how things are alike or not alike 5 4 3 2 1 12

ContrastContrast Show the important difference between things 5 4 3 2 1 11

ExplainExplain Give the meaning of a topic 5 4 3 2 1 14

Analyze Analyze Examine in detail the elements of a topic & how they relate to each other

5 4 3 2 1 13

RelateRelate Show the ideas are connected to each other 5 4 3 2 1 15

ApplyApply Make use of specific knowledge or concepts to deal with a problem

5 4 3 2 1 16

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To achieve ‘Extended Ideas’ – Think in this way!Think in this way!

Thinking Thinking tasktask

Do thisDo this How well How well am I doing?am I doing?

ExampleExample on pageon page

TheorizeTheorize Form general principles of an art or science 5 4 3 2 1 /

GeneralizeGeneralize Draw a general conclusion from a collection of facts

5 4 3 2 1 18

HypothesizeHypothesize Propose an idea which can be used as a starting point for further study

5 4 3 2 1 20

RecommenRecommend d

Suggest on what is the best thing to do based on critical evaluation of available information

5 4 3 2 1 19

ReflectReflect Show new understanding & value of something by studying past experience

5 4 3 2 1 17

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Examples of Good Answers --How the Thinking Tasks are done?

Description of the thinking task

The question What students commonly do

(characteristics of mediocre / poor answers) An example of good work with annotation

Recommend(p.20)

Suggest what is appropriate to do based on a critical evaluation of available information

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What do students say about “For the success of your study”? This is the first booklet I’ve come across which is so

systematically written to tell me what to do in my learning.

In the past, I tried my best to put in everything which I thought the teacher wanted. Now I realise that I need to select and organise.

Teachers asked me to elaborate but I didn’t know how to. Now the thinking tasks have inspired me what to do.

I started to realise why those classmates who explained their steps in calculation got better results than me. I used to focus on calculating the answer only.

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Helping students to achieve higher level achieve higher level learning learning – Simple things teachers can doThree scenariosThree scenarios

Briefing students on grading criteria grading criteria for assignments

Providing feedbackfeedback on students’ work

Engaging students in self-evaluation of their self-evaluation of their learninglearning

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Briefing students on grading criteria for assignments Engage students in discussing1.1. What determines theWhat determines the gradegrade of an answer? 2. the three levels of learning outcomesthree levels of learning outcomes 3.3. ExamplesExamples of the three levels of answers –

given with teacher’s comments4.4. ExamplesExamples of the three levels of answers –

given for students discussion and comments5. Emphasis on thinking – the thinking tasksthinking tasks

Complete Table 5.2Complete Table 5.2 Study Examples of Good answersStudy Examples of Good answers

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Providing feedbackfeedback on students’ work 1. Distribute for discussion, good answers with

comments comments highlighting how the answers highlighting how the answers demonstrate thinking and understandingdemonstrate thinking and understanding.

2. Build a bank of good examples with commentsbank of good examples with comments for

your subject the programme

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Engaging students in self-evaluation of their learningself-evaluation of their learning 1. Completing self-evaluation checklists on the

performance of thinking tasks

2. Reflection on development as a learner by comparing pre- and post- tests of

“Thinking about learning” (p.1 and p.9 of handbook)

Study Process Questionnaire