I N D E P E N D E N T L E A R N I N G S K I L L S
Learning to learn at university Learning at university is different from learning at high school. If you are prepared for these differences, you can really enjoy the challenging and stimulating learning environment of university. The table at right summaries some of the main differences between secondary and tertiary study.
|
SECONDARY SCHOOL
• guided
homework tasks to assist learning
• Time often structured by teachers/curriculum/homework
• Study tasks fairly evenly spread throughout the year
• Concepts often simpler
• Information often presented as black and white
‘facts’
• writing tasks may not require in-text references and
reference lists.
• Smaller amounts of directed reading
• Less emphasis on online materials
• Less teaching staff and smaller environment makes it
easier to ask for help
|
UNIVERSITY
• Self-directed study throughout semester –need to set
your own homework
• need to manage your own study time
• may have many assessments due at the same time
• Concepts often more challenging
• need to develop higher order thinking skills such as
applying, analyzing and evaluating
• A more critical approach to information required
• need to understand that some ‘facts’ are more certain
than others and there may be different opinions about what is true
• In-text references and reference lists required for
most writing
• Very specific rules for referencing
• Extensive reading of text books and journal articles
required
• need to critically evaluate what you read
• LMS used to communicate important information e.g.
lecture notes, assessment information
• Help is available, but need to know who to ask or
where to look online as universities are large institutions with many staff
|
Learning about
learning
Learning is not the same
thing as simply remembering. At university you will need to develop higher
order thinking skills (see Bloom’s Taxonomy below). Many assessment tasks will
require you to go beyond simply remembering and repeating information. You may
be asked to apply what you have learnt to new situations or to analyze and
evaluate information. This could mean pulling apart a writer’s arguments and
evidence (analyzing) and making judgments about them (evaluating). The highest
level thinking skill is creating. This refers to the creation of new knowledge
that has never been known before. This is a skill that is normally developed at
postgraduate level.
0 comments:
Post a Comment