Learning strategy
Definition
According to Jasmina Hasanbegovic[1] “learning strategies refer to Students' self-generated thoughts, feelings, and actions, which are systematically oriented toward attainment of their goals”.
Therefore, implementation of appropriate learning strategies is related to student's self-regulation behavior which in turn should be encouraged by pedagogical designs.
Typical strategic questions a learner might ask, are:
- How to write a project thesis. How do I have to do a literature review?
- How to structure my course and lecture notes? How can I cope with note taking ?
- How to organize my time and keep track of various assignments ?
- How can I tackle a difficult exercise, e.g. a math problem ?
Types of learning strategies
Globally, one could distinguish among the following kinds
- Disciplinary heuristics (e.g. "Look at this and that" kind of advice)
- General problem-solving heuristics
- Metacognition
Cognitive vs. behavioral vs. self-regulating
Warr & Allan (1998) distinguish between three categories according to the kind of resources used in the regulation of behavior:
- Cognitive learning strategies: skills in rehearsing a material to be learned or in organizing it into main theme
- behavioral learning strategies: preferences for seeking help from others, for trial and error or for written instruction
- self-regulating strategies: controlling emotions, motivation and comprehension [1]
Metacognition
See the metacognition article for details.
- Blakey and Spence (1990) describe techniques that facilitate metacognition, or "thinking about thinking." Citing the educational value of student-owned learning, the authors suggest that thinking about one's own behavior is the first step towards directing that behavior and learning how to learn. The strategies they discuss as a means to developing metacognition include: "identifying 'what you know' and 'what you don't know'"; "talking about thinking"; "keeping a journal"; "planning and self-regulation"; "debriefing the thinking process"; and "self-evaluation."
Learning styles vs. learning strategies
Issues regarding learning style are somewhat related, i.e. students that willing and able to think in more abstract terms and/or to critically examine what they do may show better performance.
A learning style refers to the relationship between individuals and their ways of learning [2] whereas learning strategies refer to attitudes and behavior that is oriented towards goals. As an example, one could compare/oppose:
| Learning style | Learning strategy |
|---|---|
| self-assessment | self-assessment |
| field-dependent | field-independent |
| cognitive level | plus meta-cognitive level |
| learner preference | learner competence |
Instructional design considerations
It is important to engage students in strategic thinking, in particular more open designs like project-oriented learning.
There exist instructional design models like POME or at least simple pedagogical activities like asking students to blog from time to time about their own progress.
References
- Barrell, J. (1995). Teaching for thoughtfulness: Classroom strategies to enhance intellectual development. White Plains, NY: Longman.
- Blakey, E., & Spence, S. (1990). Developing metacognition. ERIC Digest [2]
- Depover Christian, Bruno De Lièvre, Jean-Jacques Quintin, Filippo Porco et Cédric Floquet. Quelques concepts clés issus du modèle cognitiviste, dans Les modèles d'enseignement et d'apprentissage.
- Paris, S.G, Cross, D.R., & Lipson, M.Y. (1984, December). Informed strategies for learning: A program to improve children's reading awareness and comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 76(6), 1239-1252.
- Swartz, R.J., & Perkins, D.N. (1989). Teaching thinking: Issues and approaches. Pacific Grove, CA: Midwest Publications.