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Effective learning at University series

Approaches to Learning

Deep Approach

Intention to understand. Student maintains structure of the task.

 

• Focus on ‘what is signified’ (e.g. the author’s argument, or the conceptions applicable to solving the problem
• Relate previous knowledge to knew knowledge
• Relate knowledge from different courses
• Relate theoretical idea to everyday experience
• Relate and distinguish evidence and argument
• Organise and structure content into a coherent whole

Internal emphasis: “A window through which aspects of reality become visible, and more intelligible”

Surface Approach

Intention only to complete task requirements.

Student distorts structure of task.

 

• Focus on ‘the signs’ (e.g. the words and sentences of the text, or unthinkingly on the formula needed to solve the problem).
• Focus on unrelated parts of the task.
• Memorise information for assessments.
• Associate facts and concepts unreflectively
• Fail to distinguish principles from examples
• Treat the task as an external imposition

External emphasis: demands of assessments, knowledge cut off from everyday reality.

 

 

 

 

 

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