Learning to Learn

Kristina Edström, KTH Learning Lab, kristina@kth.se

"Good" and "bad" learningThink back on one example of "good" learning, and one example of "bad" learning, in your experience. It can be in or outside school. ("Good" learning means that you really understand and can use the knowledge, and you retain it for long time.)• Make notes on each of the examples. Focus on your

own role, what you did and how it felt. (6 min)• Work in pairs: compare your experiences. Try to find

issues that your stories have in common. Take notes. (10 min)

• Form groups of four: Find the recurring themes, what you most seem to associate with good and bad learning. Write keywords on poster sheets. (20 min)

"Good" and "bad" learning (cont)• Tack your posters to the wall. Gather around

them.• Each group will in turn choose one item from their

poster and explain it to us. • For each item: Can we together suggest a way to

translate that particular wisdom into to a strategy which you can use to improve your learning?

What I caninfluence

Other factors

The thought "If only the teacher…" is a trap!

My life is my responsibility

4 principles of "good" learning

1. Motivational context– Deep learning is more likely when the student

experiences a need to know something in order to carry out tasks which matter to them.

– Students need to be involved in selecting what is to be learnt and in planning how the learning should take place in order to experience “ownership”.

– A positive emotional and motivational climate is a necessary condition for deep learning.

[Biggs]

4 principles of "good" learning

2. Learner activity: – Students need to be active rather than

passive. Deep learning is associated with doing. If the learner is actively involved, then more connections will be made both with past learning and between new concepts.

– Doing is not sufficient for learning, however. Learning activity must be planned, reflected upon and processed, and related to abstract conceptions.

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4 principles of "good" learning

3. Interaction with others: – It is often easier to negociate meaning

and to manipulate ideas with others than alone.

– Interaction can take many forms […].– Students teaching each other is a very

effective method for learning, however it is the student who teaches who will learn more than the student who is taught.

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4 principles of "good" learning

4. Well-structured knowledge base:– It is vital that students’ existing knowledge

and experience are brought to bear in learning.

– The subject matter must be well structured and integrated.

– The structure of knowledge is more visible to and more useful to students where it is clearly displayed, where content is taught in integrated wholes, rather than in small separate pieces, and where knowledge is required to be related to other knowledge rather than learned in isolation. [Biggs]

Why does one end up in this position?

Teacher - knows all- is active

Student- passive

Student- passive

Student- passive

Change the model - active learning

Student- active- responsible

Teachers, advisors

Tasks, assignments challenges

Peers

Theory, Literature

Motivation can be created in the course

"With some courses I can feel ‘Oh no, not another math course’. But then you get some understanding for something in that course and then it feels great fun in a way."

"The interest for the subject is the most important. It can be an prior interest or it can be created during the course."

"If you get the right answer on a calculation assignment you continue with the next one and it gets fun. If it’s difficult you get unmotivated and you spend less time on it. One should really put more time into things that work badly but it doesn’t work that way."

A monster you face

is never quite so scary

as one you don't.

Professionally relevant competencies for an engineer• Technical / disciplinary

competencies• Professional competencies :

– Working effectively with others– Oral & written communication, in Swedish and

English, with different target groups– Professional ethics– …

• Personal competencies :– Engagement, judgment, independence, vision,

endurance, belief in what you do, driving force, courage, presence, focus, motivation, energi, creativity, integrity…

Objectives

Teaching &

LearningAssessment

What work should I do to reach the

objectives?What do I have to

perform to demonstrate that I have reached the

objectives?

What am I able to do as a result of learning in the course?

What is the aim with project work in my education?

Project goal

Learning outcomes

5 practical tips

# 1”The secret of success is

constancy of purpose.”

Benjamin Disraeli

# 2

Study in informal study groups.

# 3Connect theory to applications,

examples and reality.

# 4

Prepare and follow up onyour learning activities.

# 5Reflect on your study habits,

in order to improve them.

“What really puts demands on you, things you have to fight for - they’re all worthwhile afterwards.

Even if it’s hell at the time.

Whereas you can barely remember something that comes to you easily.”

Lena Endre on working with director Ingemar Bergman

No pain, no gain

Good luck!