University Students' Learning: Strategies And Challenges

University is a transformative experience that shapes students' lives and equips them with essential life skills. While the primary focus is on academic learning, students also develop crucial soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and adaptability. Research in educational psychology highlights the importance of recognising students' prior knowledge and experiences, which can significantly impact their responses to teaching methods. Active learning strategies, such as interactive lectures, case studies, and small-group discussions, are proven to enhance learning outcomes. University students also gain independence, responsibility, and self-motivation as they navigate their studies, social lives, and finances. They learn to manage their time, balance commitments, and build confidence through various academic and social experiences. The university years are a time for students to discover their potential, acquire valuable skills, and prepare for their future careers and lives beyond the classroom.

Active learning strategies

A study by Harvard found that students felt they learned more through traditional lectures, but in fact, learned more in classrooms that employed active-learning strategies. This is because active learning is hard work, and the effort involved can be misinterpreted as a sign of poor learning. However, many students underestimate what they have absorbed through active learning.

Students find some common active learning strategies more helpful than others for learning and retaining information. Case studies, for example, are popular with over half of students, as they connect course content to real-world problems. Small-group discussions are also liked by over a third of students, as are games, including those played on a computer.

Instructors can employ active learning strategies in their classrooms by incorporating the following techniques:

• Encouraging students to complete specific learning tasks related to the material during the lecture.
• Providing opportunities for students to interact and engage with the material, such as group activities, discussions, and problem-solving.
• Using technology, such as clickers, to conduct quick polls and surveys.
• Incorporating game-based learning, such as virtual competitions or role-playing exercises.
• Facilitating think-pair-share activities, where students pair up to summarize important concepts.

By utilizing these active learning strategies, instructors can create a more engaging and effective learning environment, helping students to better retain information and apply their knowledge in different contexts.

Student construction of knowledge

Instructors can encourage this by creating learning environments that promote active learning and student engagement. This involves more than just lectures; it includes activities such as case studies, small-group discussions, and game-based learning. By participating in these activities, students can negotiate their understanding of concepts and develop deeply interconnected conceptual frameworks.

A study by Louis Deslauriers, the director of science teaching and learning at Harvard, found that students in 'active learning' classrooms learned more than they thought, even though they preferred traditional lectures. This highlights the importance of instructors employing a variety of teaching strategies to facilitate student construction of knowledge.

Instructors should also be mindful of students' prior knowledge and skills. Research in educational psychology has shown that students' educational background and personal experiences can directly impact their responses to teaching and learning. By assessing and building upon this prior knowledge, instructors can help students make meaningful connections and construct new knowledge more effectively.

Additionally, encouraging metacognition in the classroom can enhance student construction of knowledge. Metacognition, or "thinking about thinking," involves reflecting on personal habits, knowledge, and learning approaches. It empowers students with self-regulation and enables the transfer of skills and content through reflection and abstract comprehension.

Building upon students' prior knowledge

University students bring a broad range of pre-existing knowledge, skills, beliefs, and attitudes to the classroom. This prior knowledge can directly impact their learning in class. For example, students with more extensive academic preparation tend to have greater academic success in college. Conversely, prior misconceptions or inaccurate knowledge can hinder future development. Therefore, it is essential for instructors to assess students' prior knowledge and skills and strategize on how this information can inform their teaching methods.

Methods for Assessing Prior Knowledge

There are several methods that instructors can use to assess students' prior knowledge. These can be direct measures, such as tests, concept maps, portfolios, and auditions, or indirect measures, such as self-reports and inventories of prior courses and experiences. For instance, concept inventories are multiple-choice or short-answer tests designed to uncover students' systematic misconceptions. On the other hand, concept map activities can reveal the underlying structure of students' knowledge of a concept and how different ideas are related. Self-assessment probes are another indirect method where students reflect on their level of knowledge and skill.

Building Upon Prior Knowledge

Once instructors have assessed students' prior knowledge, they can use this information to inform their teaching methods and build upon students' existing knowledge. This can be done by connecting new knowledge with what students already know, providing roadmaps for upcoming lessons, and inviting reflective writing and active learning activities. For example, an instructor might begin a class by asking students to share their knowledge about a topic and then addressing any misconceptions. This helps students build conceptual frameworks that are interconnected and transferable, leading to deeper understanding and retention.

Encouraging Metacognition

Metacognition, or "thinking about thinking," is a valuable process in higher education. It involves reflecting on personal habits, knowledge, and approaches to learning. By encouraging metacognition, instructors can motivate students to self-regulate their learning and enable the transfer of skills and content through reflection and abstract comprehension. This helps students become more aware of their thinking processes and adjust their understanding accordingly.

Providing a Variety of Reading Materials

Instructors can help build students' prior knowledge by providing a variety of reading materials from different sources. This can include textbooks, magazines, newspapers, and online resources. By exposing students to diverse reading materials, instructors can enhance their academic vocabulary and improve their comprehension. Additionally, reading across different disciplines can help students make connections between various subjects and apply their knowledge in new ways.

Planning Field Trips and Activities

Field trips and extracurricular activities are excellent ways to build students' prior knowledge and provide them with experiences that enrich their learning. Visiting museums, attending lectures and cultural performances, and participating in community service can expose students to new knowledge and enhance their vocabulary and understanding of the world. These experiences can provide context and activate prior knowledge, inspiring students to seek out more information and make connections to their studies.

Encouraging metacognition in the classroom

Metacognition is the process of "thinking about thinking", or reflecting on personal habits, knowledge, and approaches to learning. It is a valuable tool in higher education, as it motivates students to self-regulate their learning and enables the transfer of skills and content through reflection and abstract comprehension. Here are some strategies for encouraging metacognition in the university classroom:

Teach students about metacognition and growth mindsets

Instructors should teach students about the concept of metacognition and how it can enhance their learning. Research shows that when students adopt a growth mindset, they are more likely to engage in reflective thinking about their learning. By understanding how they can develop their brains and improve their learning, students can be empowered to take ownership of their cognitive development.

Provide opportunities for reflection

Encourage students to reflect on their learning by asking questions that prompt them to think about their thought processes. For example, "What was most confusing about today's material and why?", "What study strategies worked well for this assignment?", or "What prior knowledge do I have that can help me understand this topic?". This helps students become more aware of their thinking patterns and adjust their approaches accordingly.

Use "wrappers" or exam wrappers

A "wrapper" is a short intervention that surrounds an existing activity, such as a lecture or an exam, and integrates a metacognitive practice. For example, before a lecture, provide tips on active listening, and then ask students to write down key ideas from the lecture. Afterward, share your perspective on the key ideas and ask students to reflect on how their thoughts align with yours. Similarly, after an exam, provide students with an "exam wrapper", a brief assignment that asks them to reflect on their preparation strategies and how they can improve for future assessments.

Encourage journal writing

Assign weekly journaling to help students monitor their thinking and learning. Prompt students to reflect on their learning journey, such as "What was easiest/most challenging for me to learn this week and why?", "What study strategies worked well/didn't work well?", or "What will I do differently next time?". Encourage creative expression through various journal formats like mind maps, blogs, or diaries.

Foster social metacognition

Social metacognition occurs when students collaborate and share ideas, evaluate each other's thinking, and solve problems together. Structured guidance from instructors is often needed for students to effectively engage in social metacognition. Provide scripts or frameworks that prompt students to ask metacognitive questions and share their thinking processes with their peers during group work.

By implementing these strategies, instructors can help university students develop their metacognitive abilities, leading to improved learning outcomes and a deeper understanding of their thought processes.

Transfer of knowledge to new contexts

There are several types of transfer. Positive transfer occurs when previous learning aids new learning. For example, if one knows how to drive an automatic Volkswagen, it will be easier to learn how to drive an automatic BMW since both cars share many similar features. Negative transfer, on the other hand, occurs when previous learning hinders further learning. For instance, driving on the right side of the road can hinder learning to drive on the left side.

Another type of transfer is near versus far transfer, which refers to the type of task. Near transfer occurs between similar tasks that follow the same rules, while far transfer involves applying the same rules to a different setting. For example, if the original task involved adding two-digit numbers, near transfer might involve adding three-digit numbers, whereas far transfer might involve word problems.

Instructors should be aware of negative transfer, which can occur when misunderstood information and concepts are applied to new learning. They can detect this by assessing students' prior knowledge. Positive transfer can be encouraged through near transfer, where students apply knowledge to a related context, or far transfer, where knowledge is applied in an unrelated context beyond the classroom.

• Be explicit about transfer: Explain the learning goals and expectations to students, as well as the benefits of transfer for future learning and career aspirations.
• Focus on core concepts: Help students develop a deeper understanding of the critical principles behind the content and skills they need to use.
• Provide practice: Students can develop the ability to transfer learning through practice. One way to provide such practice is to present different cases, problems, or readings, and ask students to find a single approach to analysing or solving each.
• Make it social and collaborative: Application of knowledge can be more effective when done in a cooperative social context, allowing peers to provide feedback and share responsibility for learning.
• Involve students in the process: Encourage students to actively search for ways to make connections and classify information. Self-reflection and self-assessment are useful tools for this.
• Provide comparative scenarios: Students can develop the ability to transfer learning by practising transfer. Instructors can present different scenarios, formulas, or readings, and ask students to find a single approach to solving or analysing each.
• Provide a roadmap: Give students a clear sense of direction for intended learning by showing how knowledge operates in multiple contexts.
• Build on previous knowledge: Help students integrate new knowledge into what they already know and make this process explicit to help them treat knowledge as a network rather than individual pieces of information.

Frequently asked questions