Helping Students Learn to Learn: Motivating Students to Learn by Helping them See their Learning Goals

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Helping Students Learn to LearnMotivating
Students to Learn by Helping them See their
Learning Goals

• Angela Ho, EDC
• Chan Chi Hung, Learning to Learn Project

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Why are students not motivated to learn?

• Can the interview excerpts tell us some of the
  reasons?

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Students are easily de-motivated if they do not
understand the programme goals

• Common misconceptions about the Programme of
  study
• Lack of understanding of the discipline /
  profession
• A misconception about practicality a
  technician mentality
• Unable to perceive the relationship among
  subjects
• A narrow perception about their profession and
  hence unable to appreciate the use of some
  non-discipline specific subjects
• A narrow perception about their education and
  hence unable to appreciate the value of the GE
  subjects.

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Many students are not aware of the learning
goals set by the PolyU

• PolyU Strategic Objective 1 (2001/2 2006/7)
• To enhance the all-round development of students,
  particularly in the areas of global outlook,
  critical and creative thinking, strong sense of
  social and national responsibility, cultural
  appreciation, ability to pursue life-long
  learning, good biliteracy and trilingualism,
  entrepreneurship and leadership
• PolyU Mission Developing Preferred Graduates

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Students who understand Programme Goals -able to
learn appropriately from the Programme

• This student is more likely to become a Preferred
  Graduate
• Actually we are diversified. The theories might
  not be in-depth but it shows us many different
  things. If we want to work in the field of
  quality control, we can if we want to make
  moulds, we can we can also make plastic
  products. I like to stay in the Industrial
  Centre ... We might not be working with our own
  hands when we go outside, but at least we know.
  When you talk with other people how you do the
  job, it will be helpful. I also like the
  project here. I know that well work with other
  departments next year. I think I can learn a lot
  because when you go outside, youll have to work
  with different people,

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Student-centerd activities

• two types of objectives involved the academic
  objectives, which was related to the learning of
  the subject matter and the developmental
  objectives, which was related to the development
  of useful life process skills, e.g. independent
  study skills, decision making skills, during the
  course of the task.
• Students used to the academic one, but not the
  other
• (see paper on problems)

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Unable to get the most out of a learning
activity if learning goals of the activity are
unclear

• What do students need to know about a learning
  activity?
• Learning goals of specific learning activity, and
  how these goals relate to a
  preferred graduate
• Design of the learning activity which facilitate
  the achievement of the learning goals
• Strategies for achieving the learning goals
  via the learning activity

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Students have expressed the need for learning
goals

• To know the aims of learning
• To set learning goals
• Improve our thinking process  
• Skills to answer questions
• Learn to apply in daily life  
• To know more about real world situations
• How to learn efficiently effectively, i.e. less
  time to learn more, less effort to get more
  returns  
• Learn the different ways for learning different
  subjects e.g. ICT, IT  
• (Perceived needs for Learning to Learn, ENGL,
  2001)

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Getting the Most out of the UniversityBecoming
a
Successful Learner and a Preferred Graduate

• Help students to understand the learning goals of
  
• the programme of studythe different teaching /
  learning activities

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Section 2Becoming a Preferred Graduate

• Understanding
• the nature of the Mechanical Engineering
  discipline
• the qualities of a preferred graduate in
  mechanical engineering
• how far you are from being a preferred graduate

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Section 3 Getting the Most out of different
learning opportunities

• For each learning opportunity, help you to
  understand
• The learning goals
• HOW to achieve the learning goals

• Lectures
• Tutorials
• Practical Classes
• Fieldwork
• Projects
• Presentations
• Group Work
• Assignment

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What do students say about Becoming a successful
learner and a preferred graduate?

• It helps me to set a goal and to understand the
  things I should learn besides textbook knowledge.
• I know what I should do and learn in these coming
  3 years. And the most important is that I have to
  learn in a correct way in different learning
  activities.
• I helps me understand deeply what I can do after
  my graduation and to realise what employers want
  employees to have.
• University is a new life to me This workshop
  can help us to cope with the new ways of learning.

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Helping students to set learning goals Simple
things teachers can do

• Four scenarios
• Orientation for new students -- introducing
  programme goals
• Introduction session for your subject relating
  the subject to the programme goals
• Launching of a teaching / learning activity
  clarifying learning goals for the activity
• Mentors counseling mentees supporting
  development as a successful learner