A succinct guide to different styles or approaches to learning, have a read to see which of them are familiar to you.
"This chapter suggests ways in which you can take control of any writing task and so overcome procrastination, disorganisation and lack of understanding about how to focus on the job in hand."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99198462602425
"Making a choice or decision is often a key outcome of the thinking process. Getting to this stage is hard enough sometimes, but to make something of your efforts, you must also consider the actions required to achieve your chosen goal. This involves effective planning, time management and prioritisation – important skills for both university and workplace."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma9967868202425
"Managing your time effectively is an important key to a fulfilling, successful university career and is an essential aspect of caring for yourself. This chapter provides ideas for organising your activities and tips to help you focus on important tasks."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"One of the distinctive traditions of university is that students are expected to set their own learning agenda within the confines of their course of study; in the changing university, the ability to do so has become an essential. This chapter offers some practical ways for organising yourself for study, including ways of organising the material you need to support your learning, assignments and exam revision."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"Making a choice or decision is often a key outcome of the thinking process. Getting to this stage is hard enough sometimes, but to make something of your efforts, you must also consider the actions required to achieve your chosen goal. This involves effective planning, time management and prioritisation – important skills for both university and workplace."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99474946702425
"Managing Your Own Learning at University is a practical self-help guide for new and continuing students who are faced with taking responsibility for their own studies in college and university. This completely revised and updated third edition of Aidan Moran's best-selling book offers a wealth of practical tips on doing your best when it matters most. Moran, a widely-published expert in cognitive psychology, sport psychology and neuroscience, uses psychological principles, checklists and exercises to guide you through the crucial learning skills you will need in university."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1roeqsq/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9781910820476
"Have you ever experienced an irresistible urge to tidy your room, check social media or have another cup of coffee when you’re faced with the task of reading a textbook or working on an academic assignment? If so, you’ve allowed displacement activities to prevent you from getting down to academic work. But you are not alone..."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1roeqsq/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9781910820476
"One hour spent looking for answers to questions is more beneficial to your learning than three hours spent in aimless reading or in passive transcription from a textbook while your mind is miles away... it’s very important to manage your study time efficiently in university... the purpose of the present chapter is to give you some practical tips on this skill."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1roeqsq/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9781910820476
"What exactly is concentration? Why do we lose it so easily? Perhaps, most importantly, what practical strategies could help you to focus more effectively? The purpose of this chapter is to provide some answers to these and other relevant questions."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1roeqsq/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9781910820476
A bitesize academic skills video (11 mins. 21 secs.) examining the learning benefits of using active note making approaches during lectures.
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99198462602425
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99198462602425
"Blended learning, with its mix of learning opportunities, places even more emphasis on creating notes as a record of online teaching, as well as the independent learning that follows from that. Regardless of your degree course, there will simply be too much information to retain, thus, notes are essential to support your learning. This chapter explores different approaches to note creation and the styles that you might use to suit the subject, topic and content of what you hear or read."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
A bitesize academic skills video (9 mins. 7 secs.) which looks at how you can learn from lectures. The video examines approaches to learning lectures employ, as well as considering some learning strategies for making the most from learning in lectures.
A bitesize academic skills video (11 mins. 21 secs.) examining the learning benefits of using active note making approaches during lectures.
"Lectures are about passing on information, ideas and arguments. This chapter introduces you to some different lecturing styles, suggests strategies for adapting to each of these examples and provides some illustrations of the language frequently used to frame and structure lectures."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"This chapter explores ways in which higher-education lectures can be used to build your understanding while adapting your methods of noting down what you hear to suit the various lecture styles."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"Tutorials differ from discipline to discipline and from institution to institution. This chapter outlines approaches to the conduct of tutorials that you may encounter in your field of studies."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"Many courses, especially in the sciences, include laboratory sessions and field visits. These practical activities, sometimes referred to as ‘practicals’, provide valuable opportunities to observe specimens, carry out standard procedures and refine a range of valuable skills. You can gain a lot from these parts of the curriculum if you approach them correctly. This chapter guides you through observing safety measures, conducting practical activities and recording your findings in a laboratory report."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"..learning from lectures depends greatly on efficient note-taking – a complex mental activity that interweaves listening skills (comprehension) and writing skills (production)... is it better to type your notes on a laptop or tablet or write them in longhand? Also, how do you know which points to note and which ones to ignore? If you’ve struggled with such questions, don’t despair... you won’t have to transcribe everything that you hear and see in class."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1roeqsq/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9781910820476
Contains summaries of some basic theories and approaches to learning as well as further information and links to recommended external resources.
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99474946702425
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1roeqsq/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9781910820476
"University education offers opportunities to explore and experiment with different learning styles, approaches and ways of understanding to help you learn effectively. This chapter presents different aspects of how growth in thinking and learning may take place at university."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"Key advice: many students unknowingly use ineffectual study strategies that make them more vulnerable to metacognitive errors"
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99474946702425
"‘Think for yourself’... But what does this advice really mean? And why is it so important for students like you?... thinking for yourself has two related meanings. On the one hand, it means questioning dominant ideas , especially when other people insist that such ideas are unquestionable. On the other hand, it means deciding what you believe – not by conforming slavishly to popular opinions but by forming independent conclusions based on a rational evaluation of available evidence and arguments..."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1roeqsq/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9781910820476
"If you want to become a better learner in any area of life, you need to explore how your brain works in acquiring new knowledge and skills. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to provide some scientific principles and practical tips on a key aspect of learning in university: namely, how to improve your ability to remember and understand new information."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1roeqsq/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9781910820476
Constructivist ideas of learning describe how we as individuals 'construct meaning and knowledge' through learning our experiences and reflection upon them. It has been influential within UK higher education and it is likely at least some of the learning you undertake at Cardiff Met will adhere to constructivist principles of learning. Why not familiarise yourself with some of the ideas that underpin your learning?
Cognitivism asserts the importance of mental processes in learning, in particular the knowledge structures and schemas we acquire and create for ourselves as part of the learning process. Familiarise yourself with the key characteristics of cognitive learning in order you can better align your study practices with them to increase their effectiveness!
Metacognition can be literally translated as 'thinking about thinking' or 'learning about your learning'. Develop a sound self-awareness of your own learning preferences, strengths weaknesses in order to better understand your learning preferred learning styles and self-assess with a view to developing your academic abilities where necessary.
David Kolb's experiential learning cycle highlights the way in which effective deep level understanding occurs as a result of conscious observation / awareness during learning experiences and is consolidated by subsequent reflective analysis and meaning-making. It is for this reason that effective university learning is often active, engaging and experiential in its design. A basic knowledge of the learning cycle can be a great aid in developing effective leanring practices whilst at university.
Benjamin Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive learning has influenced educational and learning design enormously during the last sixty years. Want to decode your assessment question to understand what is really being asked of you? Want to better understand what the assessment criteria by which your assignment will be judged? Spend a little time exploring this theory of learning and you will soon see how it continues to inform contemporary 'vocabularies' of learning and critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis.
Transformative learning theory examines the way in which learning can evoke deep personal change within individuals. The theory seeks to explain the powerful ways in which deep level learning can provoke change an individual's 'worldview' and the core personal and professional values they hold to be true.
A bitesize academic skills video (9 mins. 7 secs.) which looks at how you can learn from lectures. The video examines approaches to learning lectures employ, as well as considering some learning strategies for making the most from learning in lectures.
A bitesize academic skills video (11 mins. 21 secs.) examining the learning benefits of using active note making approaches during lectures.
"Lectures are about passing on information, ideas and arguments. This chapter introduces you to some different lecturing styles, suggests strategies for adapting to each of these examples and provides some illustrations of the language frequently used to frame and structure lectures."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"This chapter explores ways in which higher-education lectures can be used to build your understanding while adapting your methods of noting down what you hear to suit the various lecture styles."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"Tutorials differ from discipline to discipline and from institution to institution. This chapter outlines approaches to the conduct of tutorials that you may encounter in your field of studies."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"Many courses, especially in the sciences, include laboratory sessions and field visits. These practical activities, sometimes referred to as ‘practicals’, provide valuable opportunities to observe specimens, carry out standard procedures and refine a range of valuable skills. You can gain a lot from these parts of the curriculum if you approach them correctly. This chapter guides you through observing safety measures, conducting practical activities and recording your findings in a laboratory report."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"..learning from lectures depends greatly on efficient note-taking – a complex mental activity that interweaves listening skills (comprehension) and writing skills (production)... is it better to type your notes on a laptop or tablet or write them in longhand? Also, how do you know which points to note and which ones to ignore? If you’ve struggled with such questions, don’t despair... you won’t have to transcribe everything that you hear and see in class."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1roeqsq/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9781910820476
"Moving into the twenty-first century, universities adopted technology as a means of enhancing learning in higher education. This chapter provides an overview of the digital technology that has evolved and is now used to support blended learning."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"..learning from lectures depends greatly on efficient note-taking – a complex mental activity that interweaves listening skills (comprehension) and writing skills (production)... is it better to type your notes on a laptop or tablet or write them in longhand? Also, how do you know which points to note and which ones to ignore? If you’ve struggled with such questions, don’t despair... you won’t have to transcribe everything that you hear and see in class."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1roeqsq/cdi_askewsholts_vlebooks_9781910820476
"At university, you will find teamwork involved in tutorials, project work, role-play exercises and some extra-curricular activities. Understanding groupwork psychology and interactions can help you gain more from these activities. ‘Team thinking’ requires a collective awareness of others and shared skills."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma9967868202425
"University education involves learning for yourself, but this doesn’t mean that you have to do it alone. Support networks can help. Your fellow students are a learning resource for you, and you for them. By studying together in groups formally and informally you can develop mutually supportive ‘learning networks’ with others on your course. This chapter looks at ways in which these networks can contribute to your learning, both online and in person."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"As university staff devise innovative learning activities within blended learning models, the scope for teamworking has increased across the curriculum. Students from a range of disciplines can work as teams, even when they may be in different locations. Working within a team in this way is a rewarding way to learn. Furthermore, it can prepare you for workplace practice where employees regularly communicate on video-conferencing platforms. This chapter introduces the theory of different team roles and discusses some essential teamwork skills – for use in person or at a distance online."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"Teaming up with others as part of your revision effort is recognised as beneficial in many respects. This chapter explores some aspects of this ‘study partnership’ revision approach."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99656345402425
"It’s probably self-evident that the ability to work well in a team is highly prized by graduate employers, without me needing to cite lots of surveys. I have a sneaking suspicion that writing “It’s better for everyone concerned if I work alone” in an application will disqualify you from consideration for most jobs. Well, except maybe for the role of a lighthouse keeper! In short, it’s almost certain that your undergraduate degree will involve some team-based learning activities and assessments."
MetSearch Permalink: https://metsearch.cardiffmet.ac.uk/permalink/44WHELF_CMU/1i5nkgv/alma99474946702425
An understanding of the various ways in which we as individuals learn, as well as how university teaching design draws upon these ideas can be extremely useful during your university study both as a means of developing the effectiveness of your independent study and recognising the different approaches to teaching you will encounter in lectures and seminars.
Whether they are held face-to-face or online, attending lectures, seminars and other forms of synchronous (e.g. real-time group based) learning sessions is an essential component of undergraduate university study. As well as providing essential opportunities for you to engage in valuable social learning experiences, your course contact time will map out the core knowledge, highlight the important academic debates and introduce the essential sources that define academic understanding of your subject area. Discover what you can expect and how you can make the most of the learning opportunities they offer in this workshop.