Learning to Learn

When will they learn?

Students have no idea what it takes to learn. I had a group of students in my office today complaining that they just had no idea what was going to be on the mid term exam. They were unsure if the professor even covered the material. I went to the filing cabinet and retrieved my copy of the text that they are using for the class and then opened the book and asked them what chapters have they covered. The three chapters that they had covered looked simple enough to me and I am not a subject mater expert in that area. Next I asked what is in the course outline. That is when they looked at me like I was crazy. What does the course outline have to do with what is going to be on the midterm?

I had to explain to them that the course outline is the contract between the college and the students. It explains what the learning outcomes are for the course. It is in here that we are then able to narrow down what in the three chapters they will be tested on. Of the four standing there in my office not one of them had viewed the course outline. I showed all four on the LMS (Learning Management System) where they could find a copy for all their courses and then printed one off. I flipped to the learning outcomes and then showed them that each cross referenced to something in the text. A good place to start.

Next I asked for their notes. I saw that each days notes related back to one or more learning outcomes from the course outline and then back to the chapters in the book. I asked for study sheets and they had none. They also had no journal entries and again looked at me like I was crazy. They never read over the notes that they took in class and then critically reflected on what the professor was talking about. Without criticaal reflection how do they even hope to learn?

They pay their money to come and sit in class and I guess they think it will just sink in.

They will never learn and the reason is that we never teach them early enough for it to be a habit.

Happy teaching,

Jeff