Abstracts - Earli

E 329 August 2007 14:30 - 16:30Room: 0.89 JedlikSIG Invited SymposiumUnderstanding the influence of individual variables and teachingapproaches on how students in HEChair: Keith Trigwell, University Sydney, AustraliaOrganiser: Keith Trigwell, University Sydney, AustraliaOrganiser: Mien Segers, University Leiden, NetherlandsDiscussant: Keith Trigwell, University Sydney, AustraliaFor many students the transition from secondary school to university brings many challenges bothacademic and non-academic. In respect of the former, students often experience new ways andenvironments of learning. Moreover, they face expectations of their own approaches to study andare expected to gradually work within the ways of thinking and practising (WTP) of the subjectarea. Students bring with them into tertiary study attitudes about the discipline, beliefs aboutlearning and preferences for approaches to learning. During their university study, approaches tolearning might evolve because of the learning environment they experience. The main goal of thissymposium is to gain insight in how freshman approach their learning, the influence of individualvariables during their university career and the impact of teaching approaches. The studies ofSainsbury, Smith & Krass, Nijhuis & Segers and Mc Cune address the influence of individualvariables on learning approaches. Sainsbury et al. investigated students’ preferred learningapproaches during their university study, the relation with academic performance, and theinfluence of gender and domain of learning. Nijhuis & Segers focus on the interplay of students’attitude to the course, perceptions of the learning environment and learning strategies. TheMcCune study explores students’ approaches to learning as the willingness to engage actively or towork within the ways of thinking and practising of the subject area to. The study aims to identifythe main themes in the final year biosciences students’ accounts of what influenced theirenthusiasm for their studies and their willingness to engage actively with the subject matter. TheZoller study aims to explore how students can be supported in the development of specificapproaches to learning, referred to as higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS) via the tandemimplementation of appropriate ‘HOCS promoting’ teaching strategies and HOCS-level assessment.How do they like to learn? Investigating approaches to learning in an Australian universitystudent cohortErica Sainsbury, University of Sydney, AustraliaLorraine Smith, University of Sydney, AustraliaInes Krass, University of Sydney, AustraliaCommencing university is a major milestone for Australian secondary school graduates, and itbrings many challenges both academic and non-academic. In respect of the former, students oftenexperience new ways and environments of learning, and face expectations of their own approachesto study and regulation which differ substantially from those of their previous education.Commonly, students are exposed to greater volumes of material and are expected to learn at afaster pace, as well as to engage in self-regulation and take personal responsibility for theirlearning. Students bring with them into tertiary study beliefs, attitudes, motivations and strategies– 255 –