A tutor's guide to teaching and learning at UQ - TEDI - University of ...
A tutor's guide to teaching and learning at UQ - TEDI - University of ...
A tutor's guide to teaching and learning at UQ - TEDI - University of ...
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14 A Tu<strong>to</strong>r’s Guide <strong>to</strong> Teaching <strong>and</strong> Learning <strong>at</strong> <strong>UQ</strong>It is the making <strong>of</strong> connections between ideas th<strong>at</strong> distinguishes between surface <strong>and</strong>deep approaches <strong>to</strong> <strong>learning</strong>, <strong>and</strong> hence, the quality <strong>of</strong> students’ <strong>learning</strong>. We can alsosee now why students retain more knowledge if they see, hear, say <strong>and</strong> do; th<strong>at</strong> themore students ‘say’ <strong>and</strong> ‘do’, the more they are like <strong>to</strong> make sense <strong>of</strong> the inform<strong>at</strong>ionfor themselves, develop an underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> the m<strong>at</strong>erial <strong>and</strong> rel<strong>at</strong>e inform<strong>at</strong>ion learned<strong>to</strong> other parts <strong>of</strong> the subject or beyond. These ideas are brought <strong>to</strong>gether in the followingsection on theories <strong>and</strong> principles <strong>of</strong> <strong>learning</strong>.See <strong>and</strong> hear Say DoTheories <strong>and</strong> principles <strong>of</strong> <strong>learning</strong>Recent developments in student <strong>learning</strong> have been primarily based on a constructivistphilosophy, whereby effective learners are considered <strong>to</strong> be the determinants <strong>of</strong> wh<strong>at</strong> islearnt. From this ‘learner-centred’ view, the teacher's role is th<strong>at</strong> <strong>of</strong> a facilita<strong>to</strong>r <strong>of</strong> the<strong>learning</strong>, <strong>and</strong> the prior ability <strong>and</strong> knowledge <strong>of</strong> the learner determines the learner'sapproach <strong>to</strong> a <strong>learning</strong> task. Learners take an active role in the <strong>learning</strong> process,particularly for those who choose <strong>to</strong> be engaged in meaningful <strong>learning</strong> where theirintentions become more significant than those <strong>of</strong> the teacher (Moon, 1999).According <strong>to</strong> the constructivist view <strong>of</strong> <strong>learning</strong>, the effective learner constructs theirown knowledge <strong>and</strong> the knowledge is conceived <strong>to</strong> be organized like a network (i.e.,cognitive structure) r<strong>at</strong>her than a bucket <strong>of</strong> inform<strong>at</strong>ion contained in memory. Studentsutilise wh<strong>at</strong> they already know (their prior knowledge) in helping the <strong>learning</strong> <strong>of</strong> newm<strong>at</strong>erial <strong>and</strong> integr<strong>at</strong>ing or assimil<strong>at</strong>ing it with their existing knowledge – they build onwh<strong>at</strong> they already know <strong>and</strong> are more likely <strong>to</strong> engage in meaningful <strong>learning</strong>.Meaningful <strong>learning</strong> (or deep <strong>learning</strong>) occurs when the learner intends <strong>to</strong> underst<strong>and</strong>the <strong>learning</strong> m<strong>at</strong>erial <strong>and</strong> make sense <strong>of</strong> it in terms <strong>of</strong> wh<strong>at</strong> they already know <strong>and</strong>experience, <strong>and</strong> <strong>to</strong> utilise this knowledge in new situ<strong>at</strong>ions. This is in contrast <strong>to</strong> rote<strong>learning</strong> or <strong>learning</strong> by memorizing (or surface <strong>learning</strong>) which occurs when the learnerdoes not, or cannot, rel<strong>at</strong>e the m<strong>at</strong>erial <strong>of</strong> <strong>learning</strong> <strong>to</strong> prior knowledge <strong>and</strong> instead learnsisol<strong>at</strong>ed bits <strong>of</strong> knowledge such as facts <strong>and</strong> details.