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Learning to Learn at
University
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Objectives

In this presentation, we will examine:

 the differences between the learning paradigms used in high schools and
universities;

 the corresponding differences in the expectations of high school teachers

and university instructors; and,

 the importance of practicing active learning to ensure that the new

expectations can be met.
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Learning is Learned

 Many students, regardless of the age at which they first

begin to attend classes at a college or university, arrive
with the sense that they are:

1. Capable of achieving success in some subject areas but not in others;

2. Capable of performing well in certain tasks but not others; or,
3. Not likely to perform well.
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Learning is Learned (cont’d)

 Oftenthose assumptions derive from an individual’s

previous learning experiences.
1. Students assume that past performance is predictive because they assume that
the capacity to learn is innate (e.g., one is born with the ability to perform well
in Math).
2. Students also assume, sometimes, that past performance reflects their
respective learning potential, rather than reflecting an inability to succeed in a
particular course, at a particular time, in a particular setting.
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Learning is Learned (cont’d)

 There are a number of factors that will contribute to a

student’s ability to learn:
 Interest
 Students learn better in courses they enjoy.
 Prior Success
 Students are often more interested in courses in which they experience success.
 Motivation
 Students who are motivated tend to perform well (in fact, motivation may be one
of the most significant factors in student success).
Learning Paradigm

 One of the difficulties students experience comes from the need to

adjust to new learning environment of university.

 There is a difference between the learning paradigms of high school

and university.
 A learning paradigm is the theory of learning that lies beneath the teaching and
learning practices of a particular educational environment.
 The learning paradigm will, to a large extent, determine instructor expectations,
instructor practices, assignment expectations, and examination practices.
High School vs. University

 One of the greatest difficulties students face in their transition to the

university is in understanding the differences between the learning
paradigm that had been used in high school classes and the one that is
commonly used in university classes.

 One of the most significant differences is a change in the locus, or site,

of control of the learning process.
Student Responsibility

 In this new learning paradigm, university instructors will assume that

much of the learning will occur outside the classroom and that it will
be guided by the student’s own sense of responsibility.

 It is important, therefore, that students not rely upon instructors to

monitor their progress. Students need to practice metacognitive
learning (this will be discussed below) and other forms of active
learning.
Learning in High School

 In high school, teachers often provided students with both information

and interpretation of information.

 Teachers usually organized material in such a way as to enhance the

likelihood it would be remembered.
 Students were expected to remember both information and interpretation.
 Students could expect that the teacher would explain why the information
was important and meaningful.
Learning at University

o One of the fundamental differences between learning in high school

and learning at university is the expectation of university instructors
that students will seek a deeper level of understanding of a subject.

o Students are expected to discover and remember the relationships

between discrete or individual pieces of information.

o In university classes, students are generally provided with

information and guiding principles.
◦ Students are expected to interpret information and generalize from
those interpretations in new situations.
Relationships Between Ideas

By encouraging students to reflect upon the

significance or applicability of information, the
metacognitive perspective allows students to develop an
understanding of the relationships between ideas.
Strategies for Meeting the Changed
Expectations

 In order to meet the expectations of the new paradigm, students need to

employ new strategies for learning:

◦ They need to assume responsibility for understanding the information in

addition to remembering it;
◦ They need to remember that university instructors are likely to assign
supplementary reading but unlikely to monitor whether reading has been
completed; and
◦ They need to practice active learning, individually searching out the purpose
and importance of information by asking questions of the instructors, the
texts, and themselves.
Strategies for Meeting the Changed
Expectations

 Learn intentionally.
 In the slide series entitled Blooms’ Taxonomy and the accompanying series
on Learning in the Disciplines, we will discuss the importance of adapting
learning strategies to the specific course and discipline in which you are
studying.

 Study actively.
 Most of the content for this unit suggests different strategies for active
learning. Each of them is based on the same principle: students learn better
when they actively engage with the material they are studying.
 That is, students learn better when they make information personally
meaningful.
Strategies for Meeting the Changed
Expectations

 Complete all homework assignments.

 Again, remember that the learning paradigm at university is one in which instructors
assume that learning is, to some extent at least, the student’s responsibility.
 In many cases, the only way to learn is apply new knowledge to problems.

 Make review a part of each study session.

 By reflecting upon the study, students can increase the likelihood that the information
will be transferred to long-term memory. This will be discussed in greater depth in
“Learning and Memory.”

 Read all assigned chapters before the class.

 In “Learning and Memory”, students will be introduced to the concept of elaborative
rehearsal (i.e. a means of transfer to long-term memory. Reading assigned material
before class assists in the process of elaborative rehearsal.
Strategies for Meeting the Changed
Expectations

 Focus on concepts.
 By focusing on concepts, students can develop an understanding of the way
individual ideas relate to one another. This both enhances the
comprehension of the ideas and facilitates their transfer to long-term
memory.
 Conceptual understanding also allows students to generalize from the
context in which the information was acquired to new situations.

 Focus on ideas rather than right answers.

 In university study, students will find that the academic community is more
tentative about asserting absolute certainty. Focus, instead, on demonstrating
that a particular idea is reasonable.
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