Students must take responsibility for their own learning | South China Morning Post 28/1/2021, 11:14 AM

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Lifestyle/ Family & Relationships

Students must take responsibility for their own learning

ANJALI HAZRI
Published: 5:55pm, 17 Oct, 2014 Why you can trust SCMP

Pro-democracy students do their homework at a study area. Photo: AP

This academic year has had a rough start. Interrupted by school closure, students have faced a long
commute to school. Even when they have been able to reach school on time, classes have been
cancelled or shortened because teachers were delayed due to the tra!c congestion.

Some students have not resorted to using these inconveniences as excuses for not meeting
homework deadlines. This is especially praiseworthy, as these excuses have validity.

I have had students email me and apologise for handing in homework late, or for rushed and untidy
work. I have been extremely impressed.

This is a concrete and real-life example of "taking responsibility for one's own learning".
Teachers, schools and the media throw out this catchphrase - but what does it really mean? And
why do I consider this situation a good example of it?

Simply because taking responsibility for our own learning prepares us for the unexpected, and for
our future.

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Students must take responsibility for their own learning | South China Morning Post 28/1/2021, 11:14 AM

To be a successful learner, students need to do three things. They need to learn subject matter or
content; they need to learn what they need to do, to gain an understanding of the content; and they
need to be able to get themselves to do what they need to get done. These are academic skills.

By definition, a skill is the ability to do something well. Having academic skills is crucial to
learning.

Of all the skills one can teach and learn, I have found academic skills to be the most di!cult. They
can be best taught by modelling the behaviour ourselves, as parents and educators.

Schools incorporate the best research while trying to motivate students to take responsibility for
their own learning. Teaching the Millennials, those born between 1980-2000, is di"erent from
teaching Generation X.

The Millennials, who grew up in the best economic times for 100 years, are the first generation to
grow up with computers. They are di"erent to previous generations.

Millennials are more group-oriented, global, technologically confident, risk-oriented, and

optimistic.

How do schools help Millennial students become independent learners and take responsibility for
their own learning?

Schools employ several di"erent teaching strategies based on best practice and research.

Teachers involve students in setting their own learning goals through guided class discussions.
Students are o"ered meaningful choices that are aligned with learning objectives. They can choose
how they wish to learn and, how they want to present their knowledge of a topic. They are provided
with guidance that encourages self-monitoring of their own understanding.

Technology to arouse student interest and curiosity is a must when teaching Millennials.

Using games and animations to introduce the mathematics and programming behind them or
improve writing skills by getting students to describe them are commonly used strategies.
Although praise motivates everyone, self-reward strategies motivate students to take
responsibility for completing set tasks.

But taking responsibility for one's own learning and becoming an independent learner mean the
same thing they have always meant. It's just that the jargon has changed.

The emphasis today is more on making students aware of what we know as adults.

Taking responsibility for learning means acknowledging that you are responsible for your life as a
student. You can choose to use Occupy Central as an excuse for not doing homework, or you can
notice the students studying while they protest, and attempt to do their homework on the bus
while you are held up in tra!c.

It means accepting that personal circumstances and other people are not responsible for the
choices you make. Always remembering that irrespective of what happens to us - the choice of how
we choose to respond lies solely with us.

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Students must take responsibility for their own learning | South China Morning Post 28/1/2021, 11:14 AM

Anjali Hazari teaches IB and IGCSE biology at the French International School

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